Deep South Tater Tot Casserole - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (10 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup or (10 ounce) can chicken soup
1 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup of chopped vidalia onions or 1/2 cup other sweet onion
1/4 cup of chopped green bell pepper
1 lb ground beef
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1/2 lb smoked sausage, chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cajun seasoning
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 lb frozen tater tots

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or spray a 9 x 9 inch casserole dish with non-stick spray; set aside. Whisk together the cream soup and milk until well blended; set aside.
Add olive oil to a large skillet and saute the onion and bell pepper until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ground beef and brown; drain if needed and return to the skillet. Add the minced garlic, cook and stir another minute. Add in the chopped smoked sausage and cook about 3 minutes. Stir in the basil, thyme, Cajun seasoning; taste and add salt and pepper only as needed. Transfer meat mixture to the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the cheddar cheese. Evenly pour the soup mixture over the top. Arrange the tater tots on top and bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until potatoes are nicely browned and crisp. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheese on top and return to the oven just until cheese is melted.
Serve immediately with a green vegetable or a mixed garden salad.