Tater Tot Casserole is the perfect comfort food recipe! Crispy tots, ground beef, and gooey cheese! This kid-friendly tater tot recipe satisfies the entire family and is on the table in just over 30 minutes! An easy weeknight dinner.
Who doesn't love tater tots?? They remind us of childhood, so we could eat them anytime and be perfectly content. Our kids devour them, so making the best Tater tot casserole with beef was a no-brainer for us!
You can also make Tater Tot Casserole in the Crockpot! It's so good!
Did you know Americans consume approximately 70 million pounds of tater tots per year? Guess we're not the only ones who love them.
This recipe is also called a Hot Dish Casserole in some parts of the country.
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Table of Contents
Ingredients
We like this ground beef Tater Tot Casserole with Worcestershire Sauce because it enhances the overall flavor.
- Ground Beef - or you can use ground turkey.
- Onion - chopped to give the meat mixture a good flavor.
- Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup - we like to use Campbells.
- Milk - low-fat or whatever you have on hand.
- Worcestershire Sauce - gives the dish enhanced flavor.
- Cheddar Cheese - grated. Mild or sharp cheese will work.
- Frozen Tater Tots - the star of the recipe!
- Salt and Pepper - to taste.
Optional Ingredients include green beans, corn, peas, or other mixed vegetables.
How to Make - Step by Step Instructions
This is a pretty simple recipe. Here are the steps.
Before starting, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C).
Step 1 - Brown Hamburger Meat
First, you need to brown your meat and onions in a large skillet over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Make sure to break the beef up and drain the fat once it is cooked.
Step 2 - Make the Sauce
Now, mix in the cream of mushroom soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce, season with salt and pepper to taste, add one cup of shredded cheese, and give it a good stir.
Step 3 - Put it all Together and Bake.
Next, place the beef mixture in your baking dish and top with the frozen tater tots and remaining cheddar cheese. Place it in the oven and bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until tater tots are crisp and the cheese is golden brown.
A good sturdy pan (in a cute Agave blue color) to make your casserole is this 13x9 pan by Rachel Ray.
If you're wondering, yes, the tater tots stay crisp and delicious! Our family rates this recipe very high for ease and deliciousness!
If you're looking for a Crock-Pot Tater Tot Casserole recipe, we have one of those, too!
What to Serve with Your Tater Tot Casserole
We like to keep it simple, so a green salad or roasted vegetables as a side dish works well.
Optional Add-Ins and Swaps
There are a few things you can do to customize your casserole to your liking:
- Add one teaspoon of garlic powder to the meat mixture.
- Swap milk for sour cream.
- Add frozen vegetables like green beans, peas, or corn.
- Add crumbled bacon.
Can you Freeze Hamburger Tater Tot Casserole?
Yes, you can freeze the tater tot casserole either before baking it or after. This Tater Tot Casserole Freezer Meal article includes all the details on how to do it easily and how to reheat it.
You may also be wondering how to prevent freezer burn when you store recipes in the freezer.
Tips & Tricks For the Recipe
- We always look for ways to make dinner a little healthier, so we often use ground turkey instead of ground beef, and we throw in some frozen peas, broccoli, or green beans. The kids roll their eyes about it, but they know we care 🙂
- Fortunately, using cream of chicken soup or cream of celery soup, whatever you have in your pantry, also works well in this recipe.
Other Tasty Dinner Casseroles
- Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
- One-pot Macaroni and Cheese with Veggies
- Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Beef Enchilada Casserole
- Roasted Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
The kids would eat this or our Crockpot Pizza Casserole anytime! And on game day, we always make Tater Tot Nachos!
Meatless Tater Tot Casserole
You can also make this tater tot casserole meatless, which is delicious, by omitting the meat. You can also add extra veggies.
Tater Tot Baked Casserole Variations
Fortunately, you can change up this delicious family dinner in a million different ways.
Your family will love any one of these Tater Tot Casserole variations! Try one today!
- Taco Tater Tot Casserole (Mexican)- Green chiles or jalapeños, corn, diced tomatoes, and pepper jack cheese give this recipe a spicy flavor.
- Chili Tater Tot Casserole - Add chili, corn, and olives to the base and top with tater tots and cheese
- Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole - Layer those gorgeous, crispy tots with eggs, crumbled sausage, and cheese. You will not be disappointed!
- Green Bean Tater Tot Casserole - to make your tater tot casserole with veggies, add a 15-ounce can or about 2 cups of frozen green beans.
- And, of course, you can make a Crock Pot Tater Tot Casserole!
Tater tots aren't just for lunchrooms and cafeterias. You can enjoy them anytime. You can easily double this recipe to eat throughout the week, which is a huge time saver for busy moms!
What to serve with Tater Tot Casserole?
Most people find this Tater Tot Casserole a meal in itself. However, a green salad or a side of vegetables go well with the dish.
Where did Tater Tot Casserole come from?
Tater Tot Casserole of "hotdish" originated in the upper midwest region of the united states. It's sometimes called "church casserole" because it first appeared in a cookbook by a church group. Hotdish casserole is cooked in a single dish and served hot (per its name).
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Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Equipment
- 9x11 baking pan
- 10-inch skillet pan
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 1 10.75 ounce can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (mild or sharp)
- 3 cups frozen Tater Tots
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Cook beef and diced onion in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until beef is well browned, stirring to break up meat. Pour off fat.
- Stir soup, milk, 1 cup cheese, salt and pepper, and Worcestershire Sauce into the skillet. Spoon beef mixture into an 11x9-inch shallow baking dish. Arrange potatoes on top of meat mixture and top with remaining cup of cheese.
- Bake at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes or until potatoes are crisp and cheese is slightly brown.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The recipe was originally published on April 4, 2016. We updated it with enhanced instructions and video on May 20, 2020.
Here are some other family-friendly Crockpot Recipes to try!
Patrick Hansen says
Great college recipe. My mind used to make this when I was a kid, always is amazing. My college buds love this a ton, and it is great for leftovers too.
Erin Henry says
Patrick - I know how busy college life can be, so thanks for taking the time out to write a review! I'm also impressed you cook too! You're right; this recipe is terrific leftover. Cook once, eat twice is what we say!
Betsy says
One of my favorites! We like to add diced green onions to the top after cooking. Delicious and hearty! I could seriously eat this for any and every meal! Simple and easy and usually very cost effective! Love this hot dish!!
Erin Henry says
One of our cheesy favorites, too, Betsy. It's a very cost-effective recipe.
Beth says
Always a great casserole. We enjoy this at least once a month. Thanks for the great recipe!
Erin Henry says
A great recipe to add to your dinner rotation for sure, Beth! Enjoy!
Krystle says
My whole family loved this easy casserole. A new favorite in our rotation.
Erin Henry says
So glad you liked it. It's easy and oh, so tasty!
Lisa says
Loved it
Erin Henry says
So glad to hear it, Lisa. It's one of our favorite recipes. My daughters can't get enough.
Erin Beck says
Just made this tonight for the fam and it was a hit! Thank you so much for sharing it. ^_^
Erin Henry says
This recipe is always on repeat at our house. Glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thanks for the 5-star review!
Anna says
My whole family loves this casserole! It's pure comfort food!
Erin Henry says
This is such an easy recipe, it's a family favorite around here too, Anna! We love the gravy!
Sara Welch says
Served this for dinner last night and it has easily become a new family favorite recipe! My picky eaters cleaned their plate!
Erin Henry says
Totally picky eater approved!! A classic!
Lily says
Yes tater tots I mean who doesn't love them?! I am so excited to try this for tonight's dinner. Thanks for the genius idea.
Erin Henry says
Yes! A genius idea for sure! The crisp tots and cheese are to die for!
Chelsea says
This casserole is unbelievably good!! We're seriously so obsessed! Thanks for sharing!
Erin Henry says
Yes, we're obsessed too, Chelsea! So easy, yet so tasty!
Erlene says
My oldest son LOVES tater tots casserole. Super yummy. Your post will be one of the features. Thanks so much for sharing on MerryMonday!
Erin says
Thanks so much for the feature!! Warms my heart...just like this casserole 🙂 Hope your son enjoys the recipe, Erlene!
katherines corner says
yummm, tater tots are a Utah staple ( wink) thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog. I featured you on Monday xo
Denise/DIY Crush says
Looks yummy! I need to try this, I'm sure my kids will love it! Thank you so much for sharing at my craft party on Thursday! Would love to see your newest posts this week, which starts at 7pm EST.
Amanda at The Kolb Corner says
My husband loves tater tot casserole. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us at Merry Monday! Pinned.
Erin says
It's the perfect comfort food for sure! Thanks for coming by and thanks for the pin!
Janet says
this is a great kid friendly recipe. I would love for you to share it over at http://tryit-likeit.com/link-it
Gloria says
That's a whole lot of tots that get eaten in a year... I'm sure I'm a huge part in that number! 😉 I simply can't wait to make this for my guys!
Erin says
I'm sure they'll love it! A hearty, yummy meal 🙂 I wish I could eat more tater tots, but really I would be 500 lbs if I did!
Pili says
I have never tried tater tot casseroles but yours look delicious!! It doesn't look difficult so I can give it a try, we love potatoes!
Thanks so much for sharing it with us at #sweetinspiration party, enjoy the rest of the week!
Erin says
Nope, not difficult at all. I promise you will love this one....well, in the very least if you have kids, they will love this one 🙂 have a wonderful weekend, Pili!
Mary-the boondocks blog says
Erin I don't know what tater tots are but I'm guessing they must be some sort of potatoes. I'm a huge fan of potatoes and the rest of the recipe seems easy enough. I could definitely make this. Comfort food at it's best! Thank you for linking up to our first Sweet Inspiration party!
Marilyn says
Casseroles are the perfect midweek dinner for my family. This one is a keeper! Thank you so much for linking at #ThursdayFavoriteThings! I look forward to seeing what you share very week. Please come back for #OverTheMoon on Sunday night. Don't forget to comment your link #'s so I can be sure to visit. Pinned and shared.
Erin says
Yes, this one is a family favorite. It truly is hard to please everyone at the dinner table, but this recipe seems to do that. Plus, it such a comfort food for those busy, crazy days!
Wendy says
I had to smile when I saw this post for two reasons. 1. My husband bought a HUGE bag of tater tots a couple of months ago, and we are STILL eating them! This recipe will help clean out my freezer! 🙂 2. We are planning an "adult" kids meal gathering and were looking for ways to take "kid food" and "grow it up" a little. This may be a solution! 🙂
Erin says
I think this is the perfect recipe on both counts! And it's tasty, so you will be the hit of your party, which I think is a crazy fun idea. Enjoy!
Nikki Frank-Hamilton says
Erin, I love this! It looks like you could whip this up while your meat is on the grill or finishing off in the oven, and I bet it is a hit with the kids. You are genius, sneaking in the veggies! Great way to get more out of a fun dish. This would be especially great during the spring and summer months as parents are running kids to sports and activities, it wouldn't take long to put together!
Yvonne says
Oh I really love quick and easy meal ideas. My kids would love this too, even the picky eater 🙂 x #WAYWOW
Erin says
Thanks for coming by, Yvonne. Quick, easy and delicious are my favorite meals. I really like this recipe because everyone in the family enjoyed it! With 6 of us, that's saying a lot!
Erin says
You had me at tater tots too! 🙂 hehe I will have to try this minus the meat for me, ahem, I mean for my kids 😉
Erin says
It'd be just as good without the meat, Erin! A comfort dish for sure!
Meg says
Tater tot casserole is one of my husband's favorite meals! Although our version is tomato based, but I'd be interested to try this one.
Erin says
Tomatoes would be good in here, too. They're not the kids favorite, so I often leave them out of dishes like this. Thanks for popping by, Meg!
sherry says
This recipe has everything my kids love, so I am sure they will love it when I make this. It does sound like a yummy comfort food meal.
Erin says
Yummy it is! Plus, it took barely any time to cook up. It's a great family meal!
Kathryn Griffin says
Erin, this looks amazing! Comfort food at its best! Thank you for sharing and thank you for the visit and sweet comment at The Dedicated House. It means the world! I will definitely be back tomorrow night to link up. I would love it if you would share any of your posts at my Make it Pretty party. Here is the link if you want to check it out. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2016/04/make-pretty-monday-week-174.html Wishing you a happy week! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
Erin says
Thanks for coming by, Kathryn! I look forward to checking out your party!
Mina says
Hi Erin, you had me at tater tots. 😉 This sounds so easy to make yet so delicious. I think ground beef, potato and Worcestershire sauce is such an awesome combination. Thanks for sharing.
Erin says
Easy and delicious is a perfect meal in my house! comfort food on those busy nights is such a blessing. Thanks for coming by, Mina!