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Ingredients like ground beef, ketchup, mustard, bacon, and cheese offer this Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole all the flavors of a classic bacon cheeseburger. It’s quick, easy, and makes great leftovers!
Like my cowboy casserole, this cheeseburger tater tot casserole is a fun twist on classic tater tot casserole. The ground beef is cooked in a mixture of spices, ketchup, and mustard. Crispy diced bacon and lots of shredded cheese give it a bacon cheeseburger feel. And, of course, the crispy tater tots on top!
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Rated 5 starts from all my kiddos! Thank you for always having the best recipes ever 🙂
Why This Is The Best Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
- Cheeseburger flavors and toppings. Many of the same ingredients found on classic cheeseburgers are in this recipe, from ketchup and mustard to bacon and cheese. It really tastes like biting into a cheeseburger, with the bun swapped for tater tots.
- Easy to make. It takes just an hour to make this cheeseburger tater tot casserole. The best part is that only 15 minutes are active hands-on time. The rest of the time is just the oven doing its thing!
- Great leftovers. My family gets so excited whenever there’s leftover cheeseburger tater tot casserole. Often I’ll double the recipe and make two casseroles just so there are leftovers. It freezes well too!
Recipe Ingredients
This casserole is made with many of the same ingredients as cheeseburgers. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Ground beef – I recommend a lean 80/20 blend.
- Onion – Diced onion adds flavor to the beef mixture.
- Spices – Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Ketchup – Adds a sweet umami flavor to the mixture.
- Yellow mustard – A classic cheeseburger topping. Adds the tangy acidic flavor.
- Bacon – I like to use my air fryer bacon for this. Perfectly crispy every time!
- Shredded cheese – I like to use Colby Jack. Cheddar cheese, mozzarella, or a blend also work.
- Tater tots – Frozen. No need to thaw them!
How to Make Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
One of the reasons I love this casserole is that it’s so quick and easy to make. The printable instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease the baking dish.
- Cook the beef. Cook the ground beef and onion over medium heat until browned. Drain off excess oil.
- Combine the ingredients. Stir in the seasonings. Add the ketchup and mustard, stir, and then simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in the bacon and pickles.
- Assemble. Transfer the mixture to tbe baking dish. Top with two cups of cheese. Add the tater tots on top.
- Bake. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Add the remaining cheese and bacon on top. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Enjoy. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few ways to customize this cheeseburger tater tot casserole, as well as a few general tips.
- Add other ingredients. Add diced jalapeños, green chilies, or a handful of chopped tomatoes for extra flavor.
- Crispy top. For a crispier top, arrange the tater tots in neat rows with no overlap.
- Make it spicy. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce to the beef mixture for a spicy kick.
- Use freshly grated cheese. Grate your own cheese for better melting and flavor, as pre-shredded cheese often contains anti-caking agents.
- Let sit before slicing. I recommend giving this casserole 5 minutes or so to rest before digging in. Not only does that let it cool a bit but then the cheese and filling has some time to solidify.
Serving Suggestions
This is one of those casseroles that doesn’t realllly need a side dish. But sometimes I will add some steamed or roasted veggies, like oven roasted asaparagus, on the side or a side salad.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge. Store leftover cheeseburger tater tot casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer. Freeze the fully cooked casserole in a freezer-safe dish for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- Reheat. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through.
Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients like ground beef, ketchup, mustard, bacon, and cheese offer this Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole all the flavors of a classic bacon cheeseburger. It's quick, easy, and makes great leftovers!
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef 80/20
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3 Tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 cup chopped cooked crispy bacon divided
- 1/2 cup pickles diced
- 3 cups Colby Jack cheese shredded, divided
- 28- ounces frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray or butter.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and diced onion, cooking until the beef is browned and fully cooked. Drain off any excess grease.
- Season the beef mixture by stirring in garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix until the seasoning is evenly distributed.
- Add ketchup and mustard to the skillet, stirring to coat the beef. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes to blend the flavors.
- Take the skillet off the heat and mix in 3/4 cup of the chopped bacon and all of the diced pickles.
- Spread the beef mixture evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded Colby Jack cheese over the beef layer.
- Arrange the frozen tater tots in a single, even layer on top of the cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the tater tots are golden and crispy.
- Take the dish out of the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese and 1/4 cup of chopped bacon over the tater tots. Place it back in the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Allow the casserole to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Last Step:
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Notes
Store leftover cheeseburger tater tot casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 835kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 1716mg | Potassium: 817mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 682IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 393mg | Iron: 3mg
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4 comments on “Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole”
Rated 5 starts from all my kiddos! Thank you for always having the best recipes ever 🙂
Glad they liked it Sara! Thanks!
Hi Jill, if I am reading these instructions right, you briefly bake all the tator tots first then remove some for top and have some for the bottom as a crust? I read it but don’t see a base of tator tots in your dish for this Cheeseburger Tator tot casserole. Only on top. Then finish baking the rest of the way.
Hi Amy. Thanks for catching this! I just updated the recipe. There is a base of smashed tater tots as well.