Tater Tot Casserole

Name: Tater Tot Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; 1 small-medium onion; 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic; 10.5 oz cream of mushroom soup; 14 oz canned green beans; 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 4 cups frozen tater tots; 2 cups cheese

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Prepare to make this heartwarming childhood recipe with all it's cheesy goodness, easy Tater Tot Casserole. This homestyle southern inspired meal gives you all the feels with this easy to follow recipe with basic ingredients. You don't want to miss this family friendly weeknight dinner.

Become Ree Drummond herself and make this tasty loaded meal for busy weeknight dinners. It's a great casserole you can throw together in no time at all. Made with green beans, ground beef, and cream of mushroom soup topped with your favorite tater tots and of course cheese.

My family loves when I make this recipe. It's simple and everyone can enjoy it. We personalize it based on which vegetables we have on hand. We've made it with bacon and I've even made it without meat.

Try our other kick and easy weeknight meals. We love making cheeseburger/hamburger style sloppy joes with this Big Mac Sloppy Joes Recipe. Or try this rattlesnake pasta. Or try this Chicken and Gravy recipe, another comfort dish. You can even find this on our foods that start with T.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions and Variations
How to Serve
Tips and Tricks
Equipment
Storage
Top tip
FAQ
Related
Pairing
Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This has been a family recipe for many years. It's easy to make and kids to adults love it.

Quick and Easy: This recipe is quick and easy to make. You can throw it together in the morning and place it in the refrigerator. When you're ready to eat bake and serve.
Homestyle: It's always fun to make a fun homestyle meal every once in awhile. It reminds us of growing up and fun family dinners.
Customizable: This versatile meal is really fun to make your own. You can add your favorite meats like chicken, use cream of chicken Campbells soup, or use different vegetables.
Family Friendly: We've said it before and we'll say it again, this is the perfect family meal because kids and adults will love it.
Gluten Free: This recipe uses gluten free ingredients making it a great choice when needing to make a gluten free meal.

Ingredients

Ground beef: Use ground beef for this recipe. Make sure to cook before adding to the casserole.
Onion: A medium yellow or white onion pairs great with this recipe.
Garlic: Minced garlic is preferred but in a pinch, garlic powder will work just as well.
Cream of mushroom soup: We have found that Campbells brand has the best texture and taste.
Canned green beans: For ease and convenience use canned green beans. You can also use frozen green beans.
Worcestershire sauce: This is the signature flavor of traditional tater tot casserole.
Tater tots: Use your favorite tater tot brand. Do not cook or thaw them before assembling the casserole. Use frozen.
Cheese: Cheddar cheese pair great with this recipe. Shred before assembling.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Follow these step by step instructions to make this quick and easy recipe. The images will help you get the right textures and look.

In a medium bowl combine the cooked ground beef, onions, and seasoning.

Added cream of mushroom soup and green beans.

2. Gently mix in the cream of mushroom soup and the green beans. Stir until well combined.

3. Place the ground beef mixture at the bottom of a pan. Top with frozen tater tots.

Shredded cheese spread on the casserole.

4. Bake for 20 minutes or until the mixture begins to bubble. Remove from the oven and top with cheese. Cook for an additional 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted and gooey.

Substitutions and Variations

Chicken: Instead of ground beef add shredded chicken. You can even substitute the cream of mushroom for cream of chicken when you do this.
Taco- Make it mexican style by seasoning the ground beef with a taco seasoning packet. Spice it up with chopped Jalapeños.
Breakfast- Make this breakfast tater tot casserole by substituting the ground beef with breakfast Sausage, and adding scrambled eggs. The tator tots on top act as a hashbrown.
Without Soup- Use sour cream if you wish to make this recipe without cream soups.
Ham- Instead of beef used cubed/diced ham.
With Corn: Make this loaded by adding in 1 cup frozen corn when you add the green beans.
Without cream of mushroom soup: Use a cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom for a similar outcome.
No meat: Make this vegetarian by not adding meat. Use a dairy free cream soup to make it vegan.

How to Serve

There are so many ways you can serve this dish. It can be a main meal, or it can be a side dish with hot dogs at a cook out. Or a side for chili. You could even keep it simple and serve it with a side salad and fruit for a well rounded meal.

You can make this in a slow cooker/crockpot. Add the ingredients together in the crockpot as directed and cook on low for 4 hours. The tater tots will not be as crisp as the get when in the oven but will still make a quick and easy meal.

Tips and Tricks

Make sure to wait and add the cheese until the very end of cooking. If you put the cheese on too soon it will get hard. We love crispy cheese, but if it's over cooked it will make serving the casserole difficult.

Get creative and mix it up! Add jalapeños for a little kick (at the same time as the onion), stir in frozen veggies when stirring in the cream of mushroom soup, add some curry or taco seasoning. This is fun recipe you can style to fit your family.

Equipment

For this recipe you will need a 9x13 baking dish and a medium sized mixing bowl. If you have a smaller baking dish the cook time may be longer because the meat mixture will be thicker.

Storage

Store leftover cooked casserole in covered or in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Before you cook the casserole you can freeze the prepared casserole for a later date. You can also freeze the tater tot casserole once cooked in an air tight container and reheat when ready to serve and eat.

Top tip

Don't add the cheese until the last 5-8 minutes of cooking. This will give you a perfectly cheesy casserole.

FAQ

How to make tater tot casserole?

To create a delicious tater tot casserole, begin by browning ground meat of your choice along with onions and garlic. Combine the cooked meat mixture with cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup and your preferred vegetables, such as peas or carrots. Spread this mixture in a baking dish, top it with a layer of tater tots, and bake in the oven until the tots are crispy and the casserole is heated through. A final touch of melted cheese on top adds gooey perfection to this comforting dish.

How do you make Tater Tot Casserole?

To prepare Tater Tot Casserole, start by browning ground beef with onions and garlic until cooked through. Mix in a can of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup and a layer of vegetables like corn or green beans. Spread the mixture in a baking dish, top with a layer of tater tots, and bake in the oven until the tots are golden and crispy. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the casserole in the last few minutes of baking for a gooey finish.

How long to bake tater tot casserole?

This recipe bakes in 20 minutes and then another 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Altogether it takes less than 30 minutes to bake this dish.

What to serve with tater tot casserole?

To complement tater tot casserole, consider serving a side of steamed vegetables for a touch of freshness and nutrition. The classic pairing of baked beans offers a sweet and savory contrast, while a crisp green salad with a zesty dressing provides a light and refreshing balance to the rich flavors of the casserole.

What goes with tater tot casserole?

Tater tot casserole finds a delicious companion in an array of side dishes that complement its hearty flavors. From vibrant steamed vegetables and fresh green salads that provide a refreshing contrast, to the classic comfort of baked beans and macaroni and cheese. Pair with garlic bread or the sweet balance of corn on the cob, while coleslaw offers a cool crunch and dips like ketchup and ranch dressing enhance every bite.