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How to Make Tater Tot Casserole

October 21, 2023

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a slice of Tater Tot Casserole
This is the best tater tot casserole recipe around with ground beef, cream of mushroom soup, frozen veggies, cheese, and tater tots -- your family will go crazy over this easy dinner recipe!
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Table of Contents
  1. What Is Tater Tot Casserole Made Of?
  2. Substitutions And Additions
  3. How To Make This Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
  4. What Food Goes With Tater Tot Casserole?
  5. Can I Make This Recipe For Tater Tot Casserole Ahead Of Time?
  6. Storing This Easy Tater Tot Casserole
  7. Frequently Asked Questions
  8. More Recipes You’ll Love
  9. JUMP TO RECIPE

This easy homemade tater tot casserole is a simple family favorite. Loaded with ground beef, seasonings, lots of cheddar cheese, and veggies then topped with a layer of golden brown crispy tater tots, this quick dinner recipe is a crowd-pleaser.

overhead shot of a baking dish of tater tot casserole garnished with parsley

What Is Tater Tot Casserole Made Of?

tater tot casserole raw ingredients that are labeled
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You’ll need:

  • 1 pound of ground beef
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
  • 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
  • ½ cup of sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables (I used a blend of green beans, carrots, peas, and corn)
  • 8 ounces of cheddar cheese, shredded, divided in half
  • 32-ounce bag of frozen tater tots

Substitutions And Additions

MEXICAN: Add black beans, taco seasoning, green chiles, enchilada sauce, and corn to spice up Taco Tuesday.

Serve your Mexican tater tot casserole with sour cream on top.

SOUP: If you don’t like cream of mushroom, you can use another cream soup such as cream of celery or cream of chicken soup instead.

BACON: You could also crumble crispy bacon bits on top before serving.

MEAT: You can choose different ground meats for this hearty casserole such as ground pork, ground sausage, ground turkey, or ground chicken.

How To Make This Tater Tot Casserole Recipe

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

This is a fantastic make-ahead dish. You can prepare it up to the baking step and store it in the fridge or freezer covered in foil or plastic wrap before baking it later.

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.

STEP TWO: In a large skillet cook ground beef, onion, and garlic on medium-high heat until beef is cooked through. Drain if needed.

beef being cooked on a skillet with diced onions and garlic

STEP THREE: Add cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and Worcestershire sauce to the ground beef mixture and mix thoroughly.

sour cream, soup, and worcestershire added to the beef mixture

STEP FOUR: Stir mixed vegetables into the beef mixture.

frozen vegetables added to the beef mixture

STEP FIVE: Place the beef and vegetable mixture in the bottom of the 9×13 casserole dish.

STEP SIX: Top the meat mixture with four ounces of freshly shredded cheddar cheese.

beef mixture topped with shredded cheese in a baking dish

STEP SEVEN: Place frozen tater tots in an even layer on top of the cheese layer. Depending on the size and shape of your dish, you may have some leftovers.

PRO TIP:

For best results, make sure the tater tots are spread evenly in a single layer on top.

shredded cheese topped with tater tots in a baking dish

STEP EIGHT: Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

STEP NINE: Remove from the oven and add the remaining four ounces of freshly shredded cheddar cheese on top of the tater tots.

Bake for another five minutes or until cheese is melted.

tater tots topped with shredded cheese in a baking dish

What Food Goes With Tater Tot Casserole?

Even your picky eaters will love this delicious tater tot casserole. Add a simple Caesar salad on the side for a complete meal.

This is a great recipe to throw together on a busy weeknight and is nice and hearty to fill up your family’s hungry tummies.

Try our easy recipes for ground beef stroganoff and grandma’s meatloaf recipe as well!

MORE CASSEROLE RECIPES

Can I Make This Recipe For Tater Tot Casserole Ahead Of Time?

This is a great recipe to make ahead of time. Prepare it up to the baking step and keep it in the fridge or freezer covered in aluminum foil until you are ready to bake it.

Storing This Easy Tater Tot Casserole

IN THE FRIDGE: ​​You can make this easy tater tot casserole recipe 24-hours ahead of time and keep covered with aluminum foil in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to three days after baking.

IN THE FREEZER: After baking, store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.

close up shot of a plate of tater tot casserole garnished with parsley

Classic comfort food at its best, this hearty cheesy tater tot casserole is a family favorite that everyone will love. Seasoned ground beef is mixed with veggies and topped with tater tots and cheese before baking for a simple, delicious weeknight dinner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use hash browns instead of tater tots on top?

For a thinner crust on top, you can substitute hash browns or even mashed potatoes for the regular tater tots.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time and freeze it before baking?

You can prepare this easy casserole recipe right up to the baking step. Freeze until you are ready to serve it, thaw in the refrigerator, and bake.

Can I use different ground meat for this recipe?

If you would prefer to use ground pork, turkey, or chicken, those would taste great in this dish.

Is tater tot casserole a Midwest thhing?

Tater tot casserole is a dish that originated in the Midwest. If you grew up in that area, it’s likely you grew up enjoying this comforting food.

How do you make tater tots extra crispy?

To crisp up your tater tots, you can turn the oven to broil for the last 2-3 minutes of baking, but keep a close eye on the casserole so that you don’t burn them.

What is another name for tater tot casserole?

Tater Tot Casserole is also known as Tater Tot Hotdish.

What is the difference between a hotdish and a casserole?

Casserole generally refers to the dish that the meal is cooked in, while a hotdish is the actual meal itself.

Casseroles also tend to be made with lighter meats such as chicken or tuna, while a hotdish often uses meats such as beef.

Hotdishes also use potatoes but usually do not include rice or cheese, while casseroles do.

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a slice of Tater Tot Casserole

Tatertot Casserole Recipe

5 from 13 votes
This is the best tater tot casserole recipe around with ground beef, cream of mushroom soup, frozen veggies, cheese, and tater tots — your family will go crazy over this easy dinner recipe!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup frozen mixed veggies, I used a blend with green beans, carrots, peas, and corn
  • 8 ounces cheddar cheese freshly shredded, divided
  • 32 ounces frozen tater tots

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
  • In a large skillet cook ground beef, onion, and garlic until beef is cooked through. Drain if needed.
  • Add the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and Worcestershire sauce to the ground beef and mix thoroughly.
  • Stir in the mixed vegetables.
  • Place the beef and vegetable mixture in the bottom of the 9×13 casserole dish.
  • Top the beef and vegetable mixture with 4 ounces of freshly shredded cheddar cheese.
  • Place the frozen tater tots on top of the cheese layer. Depending on the size and shape of your dish, you may have some leftover.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and top with the remaining 4 ounces of freshly shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Notes

  • This is a fantastic make-ahead dish. You can prepare it up to the baking step and store it in the fridge or freezer covered in foil or plastic wrap before baking it later.
  • For best results, make sure the tater tots are spread evenly in a single layer on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 743mg | Potassium: 630mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1529IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 251mg | Iron: 3mg
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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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    Recipe Rating




    Comments

    • Krista says

      5 stars
      This was super delicious, even my picky 3yr old ate it. I’m wondering about left overs here though. I put it into an 8×8 throw away pan when we didn’t finish the 9×13. How would you recommend reheating? Plate and microwave or in the pan in the over at 350° (if this for how long)? TIA 😊

      Reply

  6. connie wicker says

    I’ve made tater tot casserole for years and never cook the ground beef. I just lat beef on bottom, put on onions, green beans, cheese and mushroom soup. Add cheese and then top with tater tots. Bake 350 for 1 hour. Delish. I’ll have to try it this way.

    Reply

  8. Kristin Clark says

    This recipe sounds delicious! Added everything I need to my online Walmart order and will make this on Sunday for dinner. Thanks for sharing the recipe ❤️

    Reply

  9. Kristin Clark says

    Hi! I wanted to double the recipe for my big family. Would a double batch fit in one 9×13 baking dish, or would I need to use two 9×13 baking dishes?

    Reply

  12. Jean Jensen says

    5 stars
    I’ve been making tatortot hotdish for 38 years. This recipe is the best I’ve ever had!!
    Always making it this way from now on.
    The W sauce really adds to the flavor as does the sour cream!

    Reply

  13. Samantha b says

    5 stars
    Tried it before putting in the oven and I’m really excited. Especially now starting to smell it. I doubled the recipe to put one in the freezer for later. But when I’m ready to do so, should I bake thawed or frozen?

    Reply

  19. Bonnie Boney says

    This time I added a quarter cup of mild diced green chilies and then frozen green beans a quarter cup of heavy cream. Wow yummy!
    My family loves this any way!

    Reply
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