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    Tater Tot Casserole

    Beef Recipes Kid Friendly Main Courses March 11, 2023 | By Kristen Chidsey | 15 Comments | *This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

    Jump to Recipe
    This Tater Tot Casserole is made with lean ground beef, tons of veggies, a rich homemade sauce, shredded cheese, and an irresistible, crunchy layer of tater tots, to create a family-favorite dinner recipe. This hamburger casserole is the ultimate kid-friendly recipe!

    This Tater Tot Casserole is made with lean ground beef, mixed veggies, a rich homemade sauce, shredded cheese, and an irresistible, crunchy layer of tater tots, to create a family-favorite dinner recipe. 

    Need more family-favorite casseroles? You will love Chicken Pot Pie, Creamy Chicken and Rice, and Poppyseed Chicken.  

    Tater Tot casserole dished out in white bowl.


    Growing up in the midwest, my idea of comfort food is a dish that is creamy, cheesy, and filling. 

    This Tater Tot Casserole sometimes referred to as a hotdish, is the ultimate comfort food. It features lean ground beef and mixed vegetables enveloped in a rich, creamy sauce that is finished with layers of melty cheese and crispy, salty tater tots. 

    why you'll love this Tater Tot Casserole

    • The Ultimate Kid-Friendly Recipe: I don't know of a child who can resist tater tots. Topping this hamburger casserole with tater tots will often entice the pickiest of eaters to give this casserole a try.
    • Filled With Veggies: Underneath the layer of irresistible crunchy tater tots is a creamy layer filled with corn, peas, green beans, and carrots. That's what I call winning parents!
    • Hearty: Tater tot casserole is an all-in-one meal that feeds a crowd rather inexpensively. 
    • Comforting: What is more comforting than a creamy, hearty casserole filled with beef and potatoes? 
    • Better for You: Instead of relying on canned cream of mushroom soup, this Tater Tot Casserole is made with a from-scratch sauce that is perfectly flavored and creamy and exceptionally easy to make.

    Notes on Ingredients

    Ingredients for tater tot casserole labled on counter.
    • Ground Beef: Use lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken. I recommend using 90/10 lean ground sirloin.
    • Onion: Adding a minced onion to the ground meat adds great flavor to the casserole. Feel free to omit it for picky eaters or if you don't have an onion on hand. 
    • Vegetables: To keep this casserole super simple, I use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables that contains corn, carrots, peas, and green beans. Feel free to swap out the frozen mixed vegetables for any combination of frozen corn, diced carrots, peas, and diced greens. 
    • Flour: Use all-purpose flour to thicken the homemade sauce. 
    • Oil: Use canola or olive oil for sauteeing the beef and forming the roux. 
    • Milk: Any fat percentage of milk works in this recipe.
    • Beef Broth: To compliment the ground beef, and keep this dish really earthy and hearty, I recommend using low-sodium beef broth. If you are using ground chicken or turkey, feel free to use low-sodium chicken stock in place of the beef broth. 
    • Cheese: Use a melty cheese, like shredded Colby Jack or Cheddar cheese to add a rich, cheesy, layer to the casserole.  
    • Tater Tots: Tater tots are not the healthiest of ingredients and are often rather processed. That said, there are a lot of great brands on the market made with simple ingredients. I personally love Alexia Potato Puffs. 

    How to Make Tater Tot Casserole

    • In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and minced onion to the skillet and cook, breaking up the beef into bite-sized pieces, until the beef is cooked through. Add in the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds. 
    Side by side photo showing before and after browning beef in skillet.
    • Sprinkle the flour over the beef and onions and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute, to remove the raw flour taste. 
    • Slowly whisk in the beef broth and milk. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder. Continue to cook, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened. This should only take a couple of minutes. 
    • Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the frozen vegetables into the skillet. 
    Side by side photo of frying pan with ground beef and gravy mixture before and after adding vegetables.
    • Transfer the beef mixture to a greased baking dish and top with cheese and a single layer of frozen tater tots. 
    Side by side photo of casserole dish with beef mixture and cheese before and after topping with tater tots.
    • Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the tater tots are browned and the meat mixture is warmed through.  
    • Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving. 
    Baked Tater Tot Casserole in white casserole dish and topped with parsley.

    Make-Ahead Instructions

    Prepare and assemble the layers of the casserole in a freezer and oven-safe baking dish. Cover the dish tightly with 2 layers of foil and freeze for up to 1 month. 

    When ready to bake the tater tot casserole, remove it from the freezer, remove ONE layer of foil, and bake in a 375-degree Fahrenheit preheated oven for 60 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the tater tots are browned and the casserole has warmed through. 

    Storing Leftovers

    Cover the casserole with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To retain the crispy texture of the tater tots, bake the leftovers in an oven-safe casserole dish at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until warmed through. 

    recipe modifications

    • Gluten-Free Tater Tot Casserole: First ensure your Worcestershire Sauce and Tater Tots are gluten-free. Secondly, replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
    • Dairy-Free Tater Tot Casserole: Instead of adding milk to the homemade sauce, use additional beef broth and omit the addition of cheese. Check to ensure your tater tots are dairy-free as well.
    • Replace Tater Tots with Mashed Potatoes: Use homemade mashed potatoes to top the casserole, rather than topping this hamburger casserole with frozen tater tots for a spin on Shepherd's Pie.
    • Double the Veggies: Add up to 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables to increase the vegetable content in this casserole.
    • Add Mushrooms: The sauce for this Tater Tot Hotdish is very similar to my recipe for Homemade Cream of Mushroom Sauce. But to keep this casserole ultra-kid-friendly, I typically opt to leave the mushrooms out. However, feel free to add up to 1 cup of chopped button or shitake mushrooms to the dish when browning the ground meat. 

    More Favorite Casserole Recipes

    • Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole
    • Creamy Chicken Pasta Casserole
    • Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
    • Buffalo Chicken Casserole
    • Tamale Pie

    If you tried this Tater Tot Casserole Recipe, I would love for you to leave a review and comment below.

    Tater Tot casserole dished out in white bowl.

    Tater Tot Casserole

    This hamburger casserole is made with lean ground beef, mixed veggies, and a rich homemade sauce and topped with an irresistible crunchy layer of tater tots. No canned soups here!
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 457kcal
    Author: Kristen Chidsey

    Ingredients

    • 1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
    • 2 pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey or ground chicken
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 medium yellow onion minced
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup low-sodium beef broth
    • ½ cup whole milk
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables corn carrots, peas, green beans, corn
    • 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese optional
    • 32 ounces frozen tater tots
    Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
    • In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and minced onion to the skillet and cook, breaking up the beef into bite-sized pieces, until the beef is cooked through. Add in the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
    • Sprinkle the flour over the beef and onions and stir. Cook for 1 minute, to remove the raw flour taste.
    • Slowly whisk in the beef broth and milk. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder. Continue to cook, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened. This should only take a couple of minutes.
    • Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the frozen vegetables into the skillet.
    • Transfer the beef mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of the beef mixture. Arrange the tater tots on top in a single layer.
    • Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the tater tots are browned and the beef mixture is warmed through.
    • Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

    Equipment Needed

    • 9x13 pan

    Notes

    Beef: I recommend using 90/10 lean ground sirloin. Feel free to use lean ground turkey or ground chicken. 
    Add Mushrooms: Add up to 1 cup of chopped button or shitake mushrooms to the dish when browning the ground meat.
    Milk: Feel free to use any fat percentage of milk desired. 
    How to Store Leftovers: Cover the casserole with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To retain the crispy texture of the tater tots, bake the leftovers in an oven-safe casserole dish at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until warmed through.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 978mg | Potassium: 853mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1246IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 4mg
    Liked this Recipe? Tag me Today!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram - I would love to see!
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    About Kristen Chidsey

    Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.

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    1. Olivia

      March 30, 2023 at 11:03 am

      5 stars
      This has definitely become a new favorite in my house! Thank you for sharing, my family cannot wait to have it again!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 30, 2023 at 12:43 pm

        I love hearing this, Olivia! Thank you for sharing.

        Reply
    2. Sharina

      March 26, 2023 at 1:02 am

      5 stars
      Brought this tater tot casserole to a potluck dinner and it was a crowd favorite! So impressive!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 26, 2023 at 8:05 am

        I am thrilled to hear everyone enjoyed. Thanks for sharing.

        Reply
    3. Samantha

      March 24, 2023 at 9:17 am

      5 stars
      My whole family gobbled this down, even the picky eaters. And I love that it didn't call for canned soup! Thanks for a great dinner to add to our weeknight rotation.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 24, 2023 at 10:47 am

        I love hearing your picky family enjoyed this casserole! Thank you for sharing, Samantha!

        Reply
    4. Faye R

      March 21, 2023 at 12:00 pm

      5 stars
      Yay! Finally something all of my kids actually ate and enjoyed! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 21, 2023 at 1:46 pm

        Fabulous! I love hearing this!

        Reply
    5. Danielle

      March 11, 2023 at 2:12 pm

      What kind of tater tots did you use for the casserole in the picture?? I've never seen tater tots with that texture before!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 11, 2023 at 3:26 pm

        These were organic potato puffs from whole foods. I have made this many times with generic "tater" tots with great success.

        Reply
    6. Martha

      March 11, 2023 at 1:56 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for later this evening. It’s always so nice to have simple ingredients, that I have on hand.
      Kristen, you have never steered me wrong, on delicious recipes. I turn to you first, when looking for Instant Pot inspiration, too.
      Many thanks, for all your wonderful cooking tip, tricks, & recipes!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 11, 2023 at 3:26 pm

        What a huge compliment! Thank you Martha! I love that you have come to trust my recipes as enjoyable.

        Reply
    7. John M (in the uk)

      March 11, 2023 at 10:41 am

      5 stars
      The recipe looks very interesting and so I gave it 5*. But I Ilve in UK and
      I have no idea WOT!!! (spelt incorrectly on purpose) tator tots are. Please explain.
      Thanks,
      John M (in the UK0

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 11, 2023 at 12:47 pm

        Hi John! Great question. In the UK, Tater Tots are typically referred to as potato crunchies or potato gems.

        Reply
        • John M ( in the UK)

          March 12, 2023 at 7:02 am

          Thank you Kristen. Have a good weekend.

          Reply

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    This Tater Tot Casserole is made with lean ground beef, tons of veggies, a rich homemade sauce, shredded cheese, and an irresistible, crunchy layer of tater tots, to create a family-favorite dinner recipe. This hamburger casserole is the ultimate kid-friendly recipe!

    Meet a Mind "Full" Mom

    A Picture of A Mind"Full"Mom

    Hi! I'm Kristen. I want to welcome you into my kitchen and my REAL, imperfect life. Let me share with you tips and tricks to help you make healthy eating a reality for your family in the chaos of life and on the constraints of a budget. Read more

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    This Tater Tot Casserole is made with lean ground beef, tons of veggies, a rich homemade sauce, shredded cheese, and an irresistible, crunchy layer of tater tots, to create a family-favorite dinner recipe. This hamburger casserole is the ultimate kid-friendly recipe!

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