Tater Tot Casserole Freezer Meal

This Tater Tot Casserole Freezer Meal is classic comfort food you can make ahead and freeze. Tasty ground beef is layered with cheese and crispy tots to create an irresistible family favorite meal! It's one easy recipe!

If you have a busy family, you know the virtues of freezer meals, or you need to know them!

This is one of our favorite easy meals from the freezer. I grew up eating this and still LOVE it! Let's make and store a delicious Tater Tot Casserole Freezer Meal so you grab it when things are a little crazy and dinner needs to get on the table!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This yummy Tater Tot Casserole is one of our favorite freezer meals because:

• It's real COMFORT FOOD the whole family loves.
• It's a GREAT RECIPE FOR PICKY EATERS. The tots, cheese, and ground beef come together perfectly and are mild in flavor!
• COOK ONCE AND EAT AT LEAST TWICE. The recipe is so easy to mix up a double or triple batch of the meat mixture and layer with tater tots and cheese, so you cook once and eat many times.

Here is the base recipe for Tater Tot Casserole you will need. We also like this Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole that's easy and delicious!

Ingredient Notes

• Ground Beef - we like a 90/10 ground beef to fat ratio, but an 80/20 blend also works. Ground turkey is also an option.
• Onion - diced to give the meat mixture a good flavor. For picky eats, it can be left out.
• Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup - we like to use Campbells. In a pinch, you can use cream of chicken canned soup.
• Milk - low-fat or whatever you have on hand. You can also substitute sour cream.
• Worcestershire Sauce - gives the dish enhanced flavor.
• Cheddar Cheese - freshly grated is best. Mild or sharp cheese will work. 
• Frozen Tater Tots - the star of the recipe! 
• Salt and Pepper - to taste.

If you add a cup of green beans or corn to your meat mixture, you'll have a complete meal.

PRO TIP: Use the Cascadian Farms brand for a cleaner version of Tater Tots. It doesn't seem to have the preservatives as many regular versions.

Erin

Freezing a Tater Tot Casserole

The way we prefer to store a Tater Tot Casserole in the freezer is as an assembled casserole. However, there are a couple more options below that also work well for meal prep.

Simply follow the Tater Tot Recipe and before you place it in the oven, cover it with plastic wrap and then foil and place it in the freezer. You always want to make sure you prevent freezer burn so your casserole tastes great. 

You can use disposable aluminum pans or a casserole dish for freezing and simple reheating of leftover tater tot casserole.

Tips & Tricks

• If you freeze this meal for future use, make sure to label it appropriately. If stored in an aluminum pan, cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil to seal properly and label and date.
• Because this recipe contains tater tots that are best when kept frozen, we don't recommend taking the casserole out of the freezer to defrost overnight if it isn't cooked first.

FAQs

How to Reheat a Freezer Meal

To cook, remove the casserole from the freezer, take off the plastic wrap/foil/lid, and place it in the oven at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

To get a nice crisp on top, you can turn the oven to broil and cook a few minutes longer.

The crispy bits are the best!

Alternative Ways to Freeze Tater Tot Casserole

These alternatives to making and then freezing Tater Tot Casserole also work well - especially if making more than one batch at a time. Choose the one that best fits your cooking style.

1. How to Store casserole UNASSEMBLED in Freezer:

1. In a large skillet, brown the meat and onion. Work in batches if you need to—season with salt and pepper.
2. Stir in the Cream of Mushroom Soup, milk, and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Divide proportionally into bags (for instance, divide into four bags if you make four batches).
4. Now, divide the cheese into four other bags.
5. Divide the tater tots into four more bags.
6. Label and date all bags.
7. Rubberband one ground beef mixture with one cheese bag and tater tot bag together and freeze.
8. The day before you want to serve, take out one bag of meat and one bag of cheese and thaw them in the fridge.
9. Lightly grease a casserole dish with a paper towel dipped in olive oil or cooking spray.
10. Pour in the meat/soup mixture, and top with half of the cheese.
11. Top with the frozen tater tots and remaining cheese.
12. Bake uncovered at 425º F for 25 minutes.

2. How to PRE-BAKE Casserole to Freeze:

1. In a large skillet, brown the meat and onion. Work in batches if you need to—season with salt and pepper.
2. Stir in the Cream of Mushroom Soup, milk, and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Lightly grease however many baking pans you are using with a paper towel dipped in olive oil or use cooking spray.
4. Fill each dish with meat mixture, then half of the cheese, then tater tots, and the rest of the cheese on top of the casserole.
5. Bake at 400º F for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven. Let cool slightly. Cover with airtight lids or foil to seal.
7. Place the partially baked casseroles in the refrigerator to cool the rest of the way. When they are no longer hot, place them in the freezer. Once they are frozen solid, you can pop them out of their pans, so you can use the pan while the casserole is in the freezer. Wrap in foil or plastic wrap, or use a large zipper freezer bag. Don't forget to label it.

To serve:  Remove the wrap from one of the casseroles, replace it in its original baking pan, and place the frozen casserole in the fridge to thaw overnight. Turn the oven on to 400º F and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

How long to cook from frozen: 1 hour before you wish to serve it, place the casserole in a cold oven and turn it on to 300º F. Bake for 1 hour. Then turn the oven to broil setting and cook for a few more minutes to get a nice crisp on top.

What to Serve with Tater Tot Casserole

So many things go with tater tot casserole. Here are some of our favorites

• green salad
• roasted Brussels sprouts
• green beans
• roasted carrots
• steamed broccoli or cauliflower
• roasted asparagus

More Easy Dinner Casseroles:

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Printable Recipe

Tater Tot Casserole Freezer Meal

This Tater Tot Casserole Freezer Meal is classic comfort food you can make ahead and freeze.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

cooling time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6

Calories: 454kcal

Author: Erin Henry

Equipment

• ▢
  9x13 inch baking pan
• ▢
  Aluminum Foil

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
• ▢ 1 small onion (diced)
• ▢ 1 10.75 ounce can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
• ▢ ½ cup milk (low-fat or full-fat)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (mild or sharp)
• ▢ 3 cups frozen Tater Tots
• ▢ salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

• In a large skillet, brown the meat and onion. Work in batches if you need to—season with salt and pepper. Pour off any fat.
• Stir in the Cream of Mushroom Soup, milk, and Worcestershire sauce. (Add green beans if using.)
• Lightly grease however many baking pans you are using with a paper towel dipped in olive oil or use cooking spray.
• Fill each dish with meat mixture, then half of the cheese, then tater tots, and the rest of the cheese on top of the casserole.
• Bake at 400º F for 20 minutes until the top is almost golden brown.
• Remove from the oven. Let cool slightly. Cover with airtight lids or foil to seal.
• Place the partially baked casseroles in the refrigerator to cool the rest of the way. When it is no longer hot, place them in the freezer. Once they are frozen solid, you can pop them out of their pans, so you can use the pan while the casserole is in the freezer. Wrap in foil or plastic wrap, or use a large zipper freezer bag. Don't forget to label it.
• TO COOK AFTER FREEZING: Remove the wrap from one of the casseroles, replace it in its original baking pan, and place the frozen casserole in the fridge to thaw overnight. Turn the oven on to 400º F and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

  TO COOK FROM FROZEN: 1 hour before you wish to serve it, place the casserole in a cold oven and turn it on to 300º F. Bake for 1 hour. Then turn the oven to broil setting and cook for a few more minutes to get a nice crisp on top. Check to make sure the center is hot before serving.

Notes

1. How to Store casserole UNASSEMBLED in Freezer
   1. In a large skillet, brown the meat and onion. Work in batches if you need to—season with salt and pepper.
   2. Stir in the Cream of Mushroom Soup, milk, and Worcestershire sauce.
   3. Divide proportionally into bags (for instance, divide into four bags if you make four batches).
   4. Now, divide the cheese into four other bags.
   5. Divide the tater tots into four more bags.
   6. Label and date all bags.
   7. Rubberband one ground beef mixture with one cheese bag and tater tot bag together and freeze.
2.  To Cook:
   1. The day before you want to serve, take out one bag of meat and one bag of cheese and thaw them in the fridge.
   2. Lightly grease a casserole dish with a paper towel dipped in olive oil or cooking spray.
   3. Pour in the meat/soup mixture, and top with half of the cheese.
   4. Top with the frozen tater tots and remaining cheese.
   5. Bake uncovered at 425º F for 25 minutes.

Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition

Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 631mg | Potassium: 500mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 421IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 319mg | Iron: 2mg

Course: dinner, main

Cuisine: American

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