Crockpot Brat 'N' Tot ***

This was my attempt at turning my oven version of the Brat 'N' Tot Bake into a crockpot dish.  I've done it before, but the last time, I was limited on time (as usual) and thought I would be brilliant and skip the step of frying the bratwurst by instead using the pre-cooked brats.  Bad idea.  It made for far too much oil in there.  I hadn't thought about it, but frying the brat meat gets the grease out of it.

So this time, I smartened up and stuck with frying the cased brats.  I then put them in a colander and not only drained but also rinsed them well.  SO much more effective.  The amounts are a little different in the crockpot version, simply because I have a big crockpot and didn't want to risk overcooking.  It made for a decent amount of leftovers for lunch, though, so it all worked out.  The only difference was that I doubled the meat and onion and soup.  I kept the tots and sour cream and cheese amounts the same.  I think that next time I might try layering them a bit.  Maybe do tots, brats, soup, tots, and cheese.  We'll see.  It's great just like this, though.  The Brat 'N' Tot Bake is one of hubby's favorites, but with such a long cook time (not even including the prep time of precooking the meat), I don't get to make it very often.  This is a perfect compromise for us.   The flavor of the tots was great, and while they didn't get mushy or anything, they did fall apart a little.  So, this is definitely a keeper for us.  It was yummy and easy, which make it a winner in my book.  ;-)

CROCKPOT BRAT 'N' TOT
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

32 ounces uncooked bratwurst, casings removed (Do NOT use precooked)
1 to 1-1/2 medium onions, chopped
2 (10-3/4 ounce) cans low-fat condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (32 ounce) package tater tots
1-1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Remove bratwurst from casings.  Crumble bratwurst into a large skillet.  Add onions and cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain and rinse in colander.  Add to crockpot, and stir in the soup.  Cover with tater tots.  Spread sour cream on tots, and sprinkle with cheese.  Cook on low 5-6 hours.