assignmentPREPARATION
10 C (or so) frozen tater tots 1 lb. breakfast sausage, fully cooked
1 lb. bacon, cooked crispy
Pour tater tots into a large bowl and set aside (ok to be frozen.)
Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9 X 13" pan or 2 qt. casserole. To prepare the potatoes:
Slice to 1/8" to ¼" slices. Place sliced potatoes in a large saucepan with cold water to cover; add 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil. As soon as the potatoes come to a full boil, set your timer for 1 minute then remove them from the heat. Drain the potatoes thoroughly and layer in the prepared pan. Salt the layers as you go, if desired.
TO MAKE THE SAUCE
Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Whisk in the flour, stirring until smooth. Immediately start stirring in the milk, adding gradually and stirring constantly to prevent lumps. When all the liquid is added, stir in the onion powder and salt.
Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sauce thickens just a bit; this won't be very noticeable, more like the difference in consistency between skim milk and heavy cream. Remove from the heat. Pour the sauce over the potatoes, pressing them down so they're nearly covered.
Bake for 1 hour until hot and bubbly. Test for doneness with a knife inserted resulting in little resistance.