Looking for an easy dinner idea this week? Bring on the Tater tot casserole!
Sometimes you just want easy comfort food…meat and potatoes all in one, and tater tot casserole is one of our favorites this time of year.
Some of you might mock the casserole, but when it’s easy, delicious and the whole family loves it, you can’t deny that! With its creamy, meaty and veggie layers topped with crispy golden tater tots and gooey melted cheese, you gotta embrace a classic. I don’t know if it’s the creamy filling or crispy golden potatoes (probably both) but this casserole is a simple classic.
This recipe is not only delicious but so easy. It has every quality of comfort food. You might even have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 28oz. can green beans drained
- 1 10oz. can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 2lb. package frozen tater tots
- 2 cups cheddar cheese grated
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
How to make Tater Tot Casserole:
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Add a little olive oil to a medium skillet and add the diced onion and cook until translucent. Add the ground beef to the diced onion and cook until browned and crumbled. Set aside to cool on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb excess grease.
- In a large glass bowl add the soup mix, Worcestershire, milk, salt and pepper and mix to combine. Add in the green beans to the soup mixture and stir until combined.
- Spray a 9 x13 glass casserole dish with cooking spray. Layer the browned hamburger, the green bean soup mixture, grated cheese and top with frozen tater tots.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm.
Can you freeze Tater Tot Casserole?
Yes! This casserole freezes great and will keep in the freezer up to 3 months. Make it as if you were to bake it, and at this point cover it with foil and freeze it. When ready to bake, add an extra 15 minutes to the cook time if baking it from frozen.
Make ahead:
You can fully assemble this casserole one day ahead, because everything is basically cooked. Keep it in the fridge covered in plastic wrap. Remember to remove the plastic wrap before baking.
Variations of tater tot casserole:
- Swap lean ground beef for ground chicken or turkey.
- Swap green beans for carrots, peas or corn.
- Taco Tater Tot Casserole: Make a Mexican version of Tater Tot Casserole: Season the ground beef with taco seasoning. Mix frozen corn, black beans and salsa. Top with cheese and the frozen tater tots.
- Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole: rather than beef, use cooked bacon or cooked and crumbled sausage. Layer the tater tots into the greased dish, the cooked bacon or sausage and finally mix together 8 eggs with 1/2 cup milk (season the eggs with S & P). Pour the egg mixture over all and bake for 45 minutes.
How long does Tater Tot Casserole bake for?
-If the tater tots are fully frozen when added to the casserole, the casserole needs 45 minutes in the oven.
Can you make Tater Tot Casserole in a slow cooker?
You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The tater tots get nice and crispy in the oven when baked, and the consistency is just not the same in a slow cooker.
Why don’t you top with cheese?
We have made this easy casserole by adding the cheese to the top, but we prefer to add the cheese under the tater tots. This way the tater tots get more crispy in the oven. You can do it either way you’d like.
Tater Tot Casserole
Easy weeknight meal of classic meat and potatoes with crispy tater tots!
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion diced fine
- 1 28oz. can green beans drained
- 1 10 1/2oz. can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 2lb. package frozen tater tots
- 2 cups cheddar cheese grated
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375.
-
Add a little olive oil to a medium skillet and add the diced onion and cook until translucent. Add the ground beef to the diced onion and cook until browned and crumbled. Set aside to cool on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb excess grease.
-
In a large bowl add the soup mix, Worcestershire, milk, salt and pepper and mix to combine. Add in the green beans to the soup mixture and stir until combined.
-
Spray a 9 x13 glass casserole dish with cooking spray. Layer the browned hamburger, the green bean soup mixture, grated cheese and top with frozen tater tots.
-
Bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm.
Making This Recipe? Tag us on Instagram: @NoBiggie using the hashtag #NoBiggieRecipes, so we can see what you are making in the kitchen!
I love that the filling acts as a sort of “gravy” for the tater tots. If you haven’t tried this recipe, it’s a must for easy weeknight dinners.
What’s your family’s favorite comfort food?
More Casseroles we love:
Biscuit Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Slow Cooker Beef Tips in Gravy
If you’re feeling adventurous, you should try making tater tots from scratch. These zucchini and squash tater tots, are delicious!
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