This easy cheesy Crock Pot Tater Tot Casserole is a must-make! Crispy tater tots layered between ground beef, smothered in cheese and slow-cooked to perfection. This crockpot hot dish recipe is so yummy!
A Crockpot Tater Tot Casserole recipe is a comfort food your entire family will love! What could be better than coming home to crispy taters layered between ground beef and smothered in melty cheese on busy nights?
Yep! This is the perfect tater tot casserole for your crockpot!
We love Healthy Crock Pot Recipes and this Crockpot Pizza Casserole and Crock Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole when we're not gobbling up what we consider The Best Crock Pot Tater Tot Casserole, especially on busy weeknights.
You might think that tater tots can't be done in the crockpot, but you'll be pleasantly surprised. It works! Plus, the combo of flavors in this crockpot recipe is just amazing!
You can also make traditional Oven-Baked Tater Tot Casserole, mouth-watering Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole, or our new favorite Taco Tater Tot Casserole.
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Ingredient Notes
- Bag of frozen tater tots - any brand you prefer.
- Ground beef - we prefer an 80/20 or 90/10 fat content in our ground beef, or you can make your tater tot casserole with ground turkey.
- Onion - rounds out the flavor profile and makes it a little heartier.
- Condensed cream of mushroom soup - don't worry, you don't taste the mushroom flavor in the finished dish, but it does add to the overall flavor and creaminess of the dish.
- Milk - whatever type of milk you have on hand will work.
- Green beans - frozen (or fresh) green beans are nice for extra nutrition in the recipe, making it a green bean tater tot casserole. However, you could use any combo of frozen veggies like broccoli or corn or leave them out altogether. It's totally up to you.
- Worcestershire sauce - to give the casserole a nice savory flavor.
- Cheddar cheese - freshly shredded is best because it melts better than packaged pre-shredded cheese.
Topping Ideas
- Sour cream
- Additional cheddar cheese
- Sliced green onions
- Jalapenos
- Bacon pieces
Step-By-Step Instructions
This crockpot casserole recipe comes together quickly once you cook your ground beef and onions.
Step 1 - Brown Meat
Brown your ground beef and onions over medium heat in a medium pan. Drain the fat.
Step 2 - Create Meat Mixture
Add all the ingredients (cream of mushroom soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce, green beans, and spices) to the meat. Now, add half the cheese to the meat mixture and stir to combine. This alone is good!
Step 3 - Layer in Crockpot
Next, you create a layer of tater tots in the bottom of the slow cooker sprayed with non-stick spray.
We like to dump them in; no special placement is required. Then you add your meat mixture.
We spend a little more time arranging the final layer of tater tots so it looks nice and pretty, but honestly, you could dump them in and be totally fine.
Step 4 - Cook
You let these layers of goodness cook on low for about 6-7 hours or high for about 3. With nearly 15 minutes left in your cooking time, you sprinkle your remaining shredded cheese over the top of the tater tots.
Finally, this melts into a glorious cheese topping.
Now, your easy tater tot casserole is ready to dig into.
We often grab a cheesy tot while I'm serving it up because it's just soooo good! This easy recipe is also good as a side dish.
Serving suggestion
Serve this cheesy goodness with a green salad or roasted vegetables and some crusty bread.
Expert Tips
- You can use fresh or frozen green beans.
- This family favorite recipe is great for game day when you need something that will deliciously feed a crowd.
- For reference, this recipe was cooked in a 6-quart crockpot.
How To Store Crock Pot Tater Tot Casserole
Tater tot casserole is great leftover!
Refrigerator: Place any leftover casserole in an airtight container and place it in the fridge for 3-5 days. Note that the recipe will become soft and somewhat mushy the longer it sits.
To reheat, place your leftover crock pot tater tot casserole in a microwave-safe dish and heat for 1-2 minutes, depending on the size of your portion.
How to keep tater tots crispy in the crock pot?
Pro Tip: Place a sheet of paper towel or dishcloth in between the pot and the lid while your casserole is cooking. This helps prevent condensation from the lid dripping onto the tater tots and keeps them from getting soggy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, they can get a little soft, but that adds to the overall creamy texture of the casserole recipe. Give the recipe a try. We think you'll love it!
The recipe calls for condensed cream of mushroom soup. However, cream of celery soup or cream of chicken can be substituted.
More Crock Pot Recipes
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Printable Recipe
Crock Pot Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Equipment
- frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 32 ounce bag tater tots
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion
- 1 10.75 ounce can cream condensed of mushroom soup
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup fresh or frozen green beans (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium pan, brown ground beef and onion on medium heat until no pink remains in the meat. Drain any fat.
- Mix soup, milk, green beans if using, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and 1 cup cheese into meat mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Spray bottom of crockpot with non-stick spray. Layer half tater tots in the bottom of the crockpot. Pour meat mixture over tater tots and then top with remaining tater tots.
- Cook on high 3 hours or low 6-7 hours. About 15 minutes before it’s finished cooking, place the remaining cup of cheese over tater tots.
Video
Notes
- For a little extra nutrition, we use frozen green beans in this recipe. However, you could use any combo of vegetables like broccoli or corn or leave them out altogether. It's totally up to you.
- Tater tot casserole can be made with ground beef or turkey.
- This recipe is great for game day when you need something that will deliciously feed a crowd.
- For reference, this recipe was cooked in a 6-quart crockpot.
Jill says
Any way to make sure the tator tots on the top aren’t mushy? My kids don’t like cheese so I left that out of the top.
Erin Henry says
Cooking in the crockpot won't yield the same results as cooking tater tots in the oven. However, You can try placing some paper towels under the lid while cooking to absorb the condensation, so the tater tots stay more crisp.
C says
Hi! I can't wait to make this yummy-looking recipe! I have only non-condensed cream of mushroom soup on hand- will that work or do I need to get the condensed kind? Thank you!
Erin Henry says
Hi There, we recommend condensed cream of mushroom soup to give this recipe the correct flavor balance. However, you could try regular and not add the milk as long as it added up to the same amount of soup and milk in the original recipe.
Cheri says
Easy and good!
Erin Henry says
Yay! So glad to hear it, Cheri! We love this tater tot recipe!
Krissy Allori says
This is one of my all time favorite comfort foods. It is so good and always a big hit.
April says
We just had tater tot casserole for dinner the other night, but I am TOTALLY making it in my slow cooker next time - looks fantastic!
Eden says
This was SO good!!! I am a huge crockpot fan and loved this casserole!! Also, kids loved it too which is a giant bonus for dinner!
Erin Henry says
It's a fan favorite! This recipe is just so good!
Tracy says
Great recipe! My daughter's favorite meal!😊
Erin Henry says
So glad to hear it, Tracy! It's a family favorite around here for sure!!
Damien says
This is so good! We had my Fiancés parents over for a week and this was the only thing that let them accept that we're getting married! Thank you Erin!!!!
Shelley says
So easy and super yummy! A different take on one of my childhood favorites! Definitely something you could make as a freezer meal! Thanks for sharing! ????
Erin says
A totally great freezer meal and a classic! Thanks for stopping by, Shelley. And thanks for the 5-star rating!
Emily says
I doubled the recipe for a church gathering and it needs to cook longer than 3 hours, but it tastes amazing and I had extras to freeze for lunches! Definitely a big hit!
Erin says
Yes, if you're doubling the batch I imagine it takes longer to cook, Emily. I love having leftovers, too! Enjoy! Thanks for the 5-star rating!