Food is Love! Round 1 D : Tater tot casserole, extra cheesy vs. Meatless tacos (either meat alternative or all veg)

[Rat Diva]

The tacos should also be extra cheesy.

[silenus]

No vote. Both are non-comforting, if not downright repellant.

[Rat Diva]

Well, somebody's being a real grumpenfuss this round.

[blondbear]

I make a pretty tasty meatless taco using Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo as the meat substitute. No cheese needed, just soy chorizo topped with pico de gallo, a spoonful of guac, some shredded red & green cabbage and a squirt of lime on a warm corn tortilla.

[TroutMan]

Originally Posted by silenus

No vote. Both are non-comforting, if not downright repellant.

Originally Posted by Rat Diva

Well, somebody's being a real grumpenfuss this round.

He may be grumpy, but he's also correct.

[Zeener Diode]

Originally Posted by blondbear

I make a pretty tasty meatless taco using Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo as the meat substitute. No cheese needed, just soy chorizo topped with pico de gallo, a spoonful of guac, some shredded red & green cabbage and a squirt of lime on a warm corn tortilla.

That sounds delicious! I've tried cooking with meat substitutes with success: my go-to is a meatless sausage patty in my homemade egg & muffin sandwich. The one drawback I have is that I must use up all that I cook, as it doesn't hold up as leftovers.

[NAF1138]

Why with the meatless stuff guys? Just, make something else?

[Die Capacitrix]

Tater tot casserole. Potatoes and cheese, please.

I think I made it a few times when I was in NJ, but I haven't made it for years. Too heavy.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by silenus

No vote. Both are non-comforting, if not downright repellant.

do you not like tator tots?

I could like and/or be comforted by both about equally so another difficult vote

Originally Posted by Rat Diva

Well, somebody's being a real grumpenfuss this round.

but we love him because he's our grumpenfuss

[Jaglavak]

Meatless tacos?!!?? I suppose if I was dragging myself by the fingertips along the Via de los Muertos trail... Nah. Still too wrong.

[Zeener Diode]

Originally Posted by NAF1138

Why with the meatless stuff guys? Just, make something else?

Curiosity, mostly. And admittedly, most of it lives up to the hype.

[Zeener Diode]

Originally Posted by JackieLikesVariety

do you not like tator tots?

Jackie, Jackie, no. We must gently steer these misguided souls to epicurean levels of nirvana, not tear them down.

[silenus]

It's not (necessarily) the tots so much as it is the use of 50's food glue. I refuse to eat fake meat on General Principles. Same same with Cream of Snot soup.

[Diamonds02]

Originally Posted by NAF1138

Why with the meatless stuff guys? Just, make something else?

This is something I never understood either. And this is coming from someone who is mostly plant-based. I say…go hard or go home. Eat meat or don’t eat meat. If you want/need plant-based protein just eat legumes or tofu. Don’t half-ass it with fake meat like impossible burgers or “chicken”. That stuff doesn’t taste like real meat (except for garden “hot dogs” from Portillo’s lol), and it is highly processed…loaded with sodium and seed oils and mysterious ingredients.

[Rat Diva]

Originally Posted by NAF1138

Why with the meatless stuff guys? Just, make something else?

Meatless versions were requested by our Scuba Ben, who's a vegetarian being held hostage by vegetarian relatives.

[Scuba Ben]

Originally Posted by NAF1138

Why with the meatless stuff guys? Just, make something else?

Because some of us are stuck in a meatless kitchen.

ETA @ Rat Diva: I'm not a vegetarian, but my family is.

[Scuba Ben]

Originally Posted by Diamonds02

This is something I never understood either. And this is coming from someone who is mostly plant-based. I say…go hard or go home. Eat meat or don’t eat meat. If you want/need plant-based protein just eat legumes or tofu. Don’t half-ass it with fake meat like impossible burgers or “chicken”. That stuff doesn’t taste like real meat (except for garden “hot dogs” from Portillo’s lol), and it is highly processed…loaded with sodium and seed oils and mysterious ingredients.

And if Impossible and Beyond ever get the sodium level down to that of real meat and cut out the mysterious ingredients and achieve price parity, they win.

If they can do all that and come out with a thick juicy steak they TOTALLY win.

[Scuba Ben]

And to triple-post:

I've tried making tater tot casserole lately, ever since I discovered the word "hotdish". It hasn't come out well. I need some suggestions over at BLtP.

[NAF1138]

Originally Posted by Scuba Ben

Because some of us are stuck in a meatless kitchen.

ETA @ Rat Diva: I'm not a vegetarian, but my family is.

But why fake meat? The impossible stuff is pretty ok, but pretty much everything else i would prefer to sub in something other than a fake meat.

[Zeener Diode]

Originally Posted by Scuba Ben

And to triple-post:

I've tried making tater tot casserole lately, ever since I discovered the word "hotdish". It hasn't come out well. I need some suggestions over at BLtP.

You need to bake the tots first. Get them crispy before combining the other ingredients into a casserole dish, then bake again.

[Die Capacitrix]

Seems I commented, but forgot to vote.

Now I've voted.