Tator Tot Casserole

We love Tator Tot Casserole but hadn't eaten it since I went Gluten Free. Traditionally I would make the casserole with Cream of Mushroom soup which had wheat as a thickener. Add to that problem - my husband is dairy free and we just gave up on a favorite (happens all too often). I had a brainstorm this past week and came up with an idea.
I used a modified Almond Sauce as the base and made the casserole. It's a little different and doesn't have that mushroom flavor (which my son was grateful to have gone). It's a bit more time consuming that the traditional version but still fairly simple. I am using dairy ingredients in this version of the recipe - substitute non-dairy any way you'd like (I used Nucoa and Soy Milk).

To make the sauce:
2-4 tbs butter
2 cups milk
2 tbs cornstarch
2 tsp onion powder (or to taste)
2 TBs soy sauce
Melt butter in saucepan. Measure 1 cup milk and add 1 tsp cornstarch. Mix well and pour into saucepan. Repeat with 2nd cup of milk. Add seasonings and cook until starting to get thick (it will continue getting thick when you bake the casserole).

Brown 1 pound or so of ground beef. Feel free to drain the fat off - I don't because I am a little lazy. Add sauce. Add vegetables (usually I use a can of green beans that has been drained but tonight I used 1/2 pound of frozen mix veggies). Pour into casserole dish and top with tator tots. I like to lay them out in rows. Bake at 425 for about 30 minutes or until the tator tots are fully cooked.