With ground beef, green beans, creamy soup, lots of cheese, and tater tots, this Easy Tater Tot Casserole is always a hit for the whole family. With just 15 minutes of prep, this is a great casserole recipe for busy weeknights!
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The Best Tater Tot Casserole Ever
As a mom of 3 boys that are in sports, easy dinners that I can whip up in 10 minutes are a life-saver. With never-ending activities that I’m constantly taking them to, it’s important for me to have a handful of tried and true recipes on hand for those busy months. This Tater Tot Casserole is one of my go-tos for those nights when I don’t have much time or energy but am not ready to cave to takeout just yet!
There are just 6 ingredients in this casserole which makes it easy to whip together on a moments notice and it’s easily adaptable to what’s in the cupboard and my family’s preferences! So if you’re looking for an easy recipe for busy weeknights, look no further!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Easy. It doesn’t get much easier than this tater tot casserole recipe. You only need a few ingredients and there is hardly any active cook time. Just brown the meat, assemble and bake!
- Flavorful and satisfying. Beef, potatoes, cheese – what more could you want in a bite?
- Flexible. There are many ways you could customize this recipe to suit your family’s tastes. Check out the variation ideas section below to get your creative juices flowing!
What Is A Tater Tot Casserole?
Tater tot casserole is a classic dish served around the country. It’s also called “tater tot hotdish”, especially in the southern states. While there are many variations to it, it always has some form of ground meat, veggies, soup, and cheese, all topped with frozen tater tots.
Key Ingredients
My favorite thing about making tater tot casserole is that fact there it requires just 6 ingredients! Here’s a quick overview. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for specific amounts.
- Tater tots – Any brand of frozen tater tots will work.
- Ground beef – Use a lean ground beef to avoid lots of grease.
- Sweet onion – Adds flavor to the beef layer.
- Salt & pepper
- Cream of mushroom soup – Adds a comforting, creamy texture to the beef mixture.
- Green beans – I use canned green beans for ease but frozen will work too.
- Cheddar cheese – If you can, grate your own as it melts better.
How to Make Tater Tot Casserole
Talk about easy! This casserole comes together so quickly and easily, which is why I love it for weeknight dinners!
- Cook the beef. Cook the beef and onion together until the beef is browned. Salt and pepper to season.
- Add the other ingredients. Stir in the soup and green beans.
- Layer the casserole. Add the beef mixture to the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with cheddar cheese, followed by a layer of tater tots.
- Bake. Bake until the tater tots are golden brown and hot. This should be about 40 minutes.
Variation Ideas
There are so many ways to customize this tater tot casserole recipe for your family!
- Try ground turkey. I’ve also made this recipe with ground turkey and been happy with the results. Ground sausage or chicken would work too.
- Switch up the soup. Instead of cream of mushroom, try cream of chicken. Cream of cheddar is another option. Basically, any can of creamy soup will work.
- Add more veggies. Feel free to mix in some corns, peas, carrots, broccoli, or other vegetables as preferred by your family.
- Stir in some sour cream. For an extra creamy bottom layer, stir in some sour cream with the soup mixture.
- Layer the ingredients. Instead of combining everything together, you can layer the ingredients with the ground beef on top, following by the green beans, then the soup and cheese. Same flavors, just a different presentation!
Tips For The Best Casserole
There’s not much to make this tater tot casserole! Here are a few things that can make it even better.
- Add seasonings as desired. Feel free to add more salt and pepper, garlic powder, or any other desired seasonings to the ground beef and green beans.
- Use a deep baking dish. Since there are so many layers, you’ll want a pan a few inches deep. I use a 9×13 baking dish but a rectangle casserole dish would also work.
- Opt for low-sodium ingredients. If you’re sensitive to sodium, opt for low-sodium soup and green beans.
- Add the cheese under the tater tots. While I have also made this with the cheese on top, the tater tots will get much crispier if they are baked on top.
Can I Make This Ahead? Can I Freeze It?
Yes, absolutely! One of the great things about tater tot casserole is that it can be made in advance and works great as a freezer meal!
To prepare the casserole in advance, assemble as directed but don’t add the tater tots. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
For a tater tot freezer meal, assemble then cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Tater tots don’t do well thawed so bake directly from frozen. You’ll need to increase the bake time by 10 to 20 minutes.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
Leftovers will last in the fridge for 3 or 4 days. Keep the casserole dish covered with foil or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container.
If you’re reheating the whole casserole, you can reheat it in the oven. Cover the top with foil to prevent any burning. Smaller portions of leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.
More Casserole Recipes:
- Twice Baked Potato Casserole
- Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole
- Cauliflower Bacon Cheese Casserole
- Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Best Corn Casserole
Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 16 oz Frozen Tater Tots
- 1 pd Ground Beef
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
- 1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (14.5 oz) can green beans (drained)
- 2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Cook and stir ground beef and diced onion in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink and completely browned, 7 to 10 minutes; season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Stir cream of mushroom soup and green beans into the cooked ground beef; pour the mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Layer tater tots evenly over the ground beef mixture; top with Cheddar cheese, or you can add the cheese on top of the beef mixture before the tater tots….which ever one you prefer.
- Bake until tater tots are golden brown and hot, about 40 minutes.
Last Step:
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