Nothing says comfort food like this cozy recipe for Tater Tot Casserole! Featuring seasoned ground beef, creamy sauce, and a frozen Tater Tot topping - all baked until bubbly and brown.
Easy to make, freezer-friendly, and picky eater approved!
As a mom of a picky eater, I'm always looking for new dinner winners. This Tater Tot Casserole recipe has been in a regular rotation for years, and after many versions this is the one that both Parents and kids can agree on.
Crispy tater tots, and a creamy beef base are kid-approved, while Mom feels better that there are at least *some* veggies on the plate. For us grown-ups, I like to serve a side of salad or steamed veggies to round out the meal.
If your kids are super picky, leave out the vegetable part, and if they are more adventurous, feel free to try out a variety of fresh, frozen, or canned veggies and see what they like best.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Easy to make. Brown up some ground beef, mix in some pantry staples, and top it with frozen Tater Tots. It doesn't get much easier than that!
- One dish dinner. This is a casserole in the truest sense - but feel free to serve a variety of vegetable-based side dishes to stretch the meal and add vitamins and fiber.
- Kid-approved. What kid doesn't love these crispy potato bites? Add some ketchup on the side and you should have zero complains.
- Budget-friendly. Since this recipe uses a lot of pantry basics and inexpensive ground beef, it can be a great option for the budget-conscious meal planner.
Ingredients
Key Ingredients
- Tater tots: To make casserole, you'll need 1 package, or about 54-72 individual tots (depending on the size of your dish).
- Ground beef: I recommend using a lean ground beef for this recipe, but you could easily swap for ground turkey or chicken.
- Cheese: I recommend using a sharp cheddar cheese grated fresh, but pre-shredded cheese works perfectly well in a pinch.
- Condensed soup: In tests, cream of chicken soup came out on top for flavor, but cream of mushroom soup was a close runner-up.
You'll Also Need:
- Sour cream: Use a good quality, thick sour cream. I recommend Daisy or Good Culture brands.
- Vegetables: For some added veggies, add 1 ½ cups of your choice of canned or frozen vegetables. They can be mixed in, or layered in between the meat and Tater Tots. Canned corn, frozen mixed veggies, green beans, etc.
- Aromatics: You'll need 2 cloves of garlic and 1 small onion. If you don't have either on hand you can use garlic powder and onion powder to taste.
- Seasonings: Seasoned salt, paprika, and black pepper.
- Worcestershire sauce: A little bit added to the meat mixture makes for a boost of savory flavor.
- Butter: You'll need 1 tablespoon of butter to saute the onions and garlic. If desired, you can swap it out for oil instead.
Check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and the quantities needed.
How to Make Tater Tot Casserole with Ground Beef
- Saute the onion with 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute just until fragrant, then immediately add the ground beef. Once browned, drain off the excess fat remaining in the pan. Add in seasoned salt, paprika, black pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Stir well to combine.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add in 1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom) and ½ cup of thick sour cream. Stir well.
- Finally, add 2 cups of shredded cheese, and 1 ½ cups of the frozen or canned veggies of your choice.
- Fold everything together until uniform.
- Spread the ground beef mixture into a medium baking dish (7.5 x 10" or 9 x 9") that has been lightly greased.
- Add the Tater Tots in an even layer (about 54-72, depending on the size of your baking dish).
Bake Until Golden Brown
- Bake in a 400ºF (204ºC) oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the tater tots are lightly browned.
Top tip: If you like the topping extra crispy, broil for another 2-4 minutes, or until well browned. Be sure to watch it closely - things can burn quickly when using the broil function.
Storing Leftovers
Allow the casserole to cool for about 1 hour before wrapping it tightly and storing it in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3-4 days.
Reheating: Be sure to only reheat in portions, as once the casserole has been reheated once you should not store the leftovers from that. Portions can be reheated in the microwave in 60-second intervals until heated through, or baked in a 350ºF oven (covered) until hot and bubbly.
Can You Freeze Tater Tot Casserole?
Baked casserole can be cooled first in the fridge, then transferred to freezer safe containers. Freeze for up to 2-3 months, and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating for the best results.
Freezer meal instructions
- Prepare the filling, then transfer it to the fridge to chill completely.
- Once cold, spread it in the bottom of a foil pan (or freezer-safe baking dish) and top with frozen Tater Tots.
- Wrap, label, and place in the freezer. Will keep for 2-4 months.
- Bake from frozen, adding 20 or so minutes to the baking time to account for the frozen filling.
Variations
- Taco Tater Tot Casserole: Instead of using the blend of seasonings called for in the original recipes, swap 1 package of taco seasoning (or about 2-3 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning). I also recommend adding a little water to the mixture, and/or ½ cup of taco sauce. Use corn as your vegetable, OR a blend of corn, beans, red onion, and bell pepper. I also recommend swapping the cheddar with 2 cups of your favorite shredded nacho or taco blend cheese. Garnish with green onions for bonus points!
- Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole: Use 1 pound of ground breakfast sausage in place of the ground beef.
- Ranch Tater Tot Casserole: Add 1 package of Ranch dressing mix (or 2-3 tablespoons of homemade ranch seasoning) at the same time you add the sour cream and condensed soup. For extra flavor, dust an additional 1-2 tablespoons of ranch seasoning on top.
Substitutions
- With ground turkey or chicken: Swap the ground beef for 1 pound of ground turkey or chicken. I recommend browning super lean meats with an additional 1 tablespoon of oil (avocado or vegetable) to prevent sticking.
- Gluten free: Most brands of Tater Tots are free from gluten-containing ingredients, but always be sure to check the packaging to verify if there are any allergens. You will also need to swap the condensed mushroom soup for a gluten-free version. I use Pacific Foods cream of mushroom soup.
- Low carb: Most condensed soups are actually pretty low in carbs, so you don't necessarily need to swap that (unless you want to make your own keto condensed soup), and you can easily swap the Tater Tots for cauliflower tots.
More Easy Casserole Recipes:
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Tater Tot Casserole
Equipment
- 9X13" baking dish 23 x 33 cm
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika (optional)
- ¼ ground black pepper
- 1 can (10oz) condensed cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom)
- ½ cup sour cream (good quality and thick, like Daisy brand)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups frozen or canned vegetables I use corn or a frozen veggie blend
- 1 package frozen tater tots about 54-72 tots
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (204ºC) and lightly grease a deep medium baking dish (9 x 9" or 7.5 x 10").
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the butter to the skillet and swirl to melt. Then add in the onion and cook until softened, stirring often (about 3-4 minutes).
- Add in the garlic and cook just until fragrant (30-60 seconds).
- Immediately add in the ground beef and crumble it with the bottom of a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Brown the ground beef, then drain off the excess grease.
- Add in the worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, paprika, and black pepper. Stir well to coat the meat.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add in the condensed soup and sour cream. Stir everything together until smooth and uniform.
- Sprinkle in the shredded cheese and stir until well distributed.
- Finally, add the frozen (or canned) veggies of your choice and stir once again.
- Spread the creamy ground beef mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Top the ground beef layer with the frozen tater tots.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the tater tot tops are golden brown and the casserole mixture is bubbly and hot. For extra browning, set the oven to "broil" at the end of the cooking time and broil for 2-4 minutes*, watching it very carefully. Be ready to pull it out quickly.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped green onions or parsley (if desired).
Notes
Different flavor options
- Taco: Season the ground beef with taco seasoning (add taco sauce for extra points)
- Ranch: Add 1 package of ranch seasoning the to sour cream and soup mixture. Dust the top with additional seasoning for extra flavor.
- Breakfast: Swap the ground beef for ground sausage.
Nutrition
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Dolly {Dash for Dinner} says
This is one of our favorite kid-friendly meals, and there are so many variations for flavors and ingredients. Feel free to get creative!
Stacy says
Delicious recipe! I used cream of golden mushroom soup (my mom always used this kind of soup) and used 1.5 pounds of ground beef, 1.5 cans of the soup, 1.5 cups of sour cream, and added frozen peas. Best tator tot casserole I’ve tried! The whole family loved it!
Dorothy Bigelow says
Yum! Sounds delicious! I will definitely check out the golden mushroom soup!
Dee says
I thought this needed more spices as it lacked flavor, maybe some cumin for a kick
Carrie Smith says
This is so delicious! My family loves it. This is in regular rotation at our house 🙂