Name: Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients: 1 chopped onion; 3 stalks chopped celery; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 can condensed cream of celery soup; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 3 tablespoons half-and-half (or milk); 1 package frozen frozen tater gems; 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓

Tater Tot Casserole

Oven350

Time45 to 50 minutes

Ingredients

1 chopped onion
3 stalks chopped celery
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons half-and-half (or milk)
1 package frozen frozen tater gems
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Prepare the filling

Saute onion and celery in oil until tender.
Set aside to cool slightly.
Scrape into mixing bowl.
Add soup, garlic powder, pepper, and half and half.
Add frozen tater tots (reserve a handful first) and toss well.

Assemble and bake

Spray a casserole dish (I use my 13X9 square Pyrex baking dish) with Pam.
Pour mixture into dish.
Arrange reserved tots over top.
Cover with cheese.
Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes until cheese is melted and just barely starting to brown.
Cool slightly before serving.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

492Calories

17 gProtein

36 gFat

26 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Cheddar Cheese	1 oz (28g)	113
Cream	1 tbsp (15ml) heavy	51
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Celery	1 stalk (40g)	6
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Garlic	1 clove (3g)	4
Soup	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together29,058 recipes

Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
Olive + garlictop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together25,665 recipes

Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together16,012 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Onion + celerytop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together18,518 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Garlic + peppertop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together27,090 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Onion: Softens as it sautés, adding sweetness and savory aroma to the filling.
Celery: Softens when sautéed, adding savory flavor and a tender texture to the filling.
Condensed cream of celery soup: Binds the filling with a creamy sauce that keeps the casserole moist.
Frozen tater tots: Form the starchy base of the casserole and crisp on top as they bake.
Cheddar cheese: Melts into a rich topping and browns lightly on the surface.

The step that matters

Bake until the cheese is melted and just starting to brown. Baking long enough heats the filling through and melts the cheese, while watching the color prevents the cheese and tots from over-browning or drying out.

Swap the celery

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, olive, cream, garlic, pepper, milk, cheddar cheese):

Thymefits about as well
Cuminfits about as well
Oreganofits about as well
Celerythe original

Fit is the average pairing score against onion, olive, cream, garlic, pepper, milk, cheddar cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Cheese Fritters34 recipes

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Tater Tot Casserole