Beef Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
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This beefy Tater Tot Casserole Recipe is one of those easy dinners that always hits the spot. It’s rich, creamy, and full of flavor in every bite. All you need is a handful of ingredients to get things going! If you’re into tater tots, you and your family won’t be able to get enough!
Easy Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
When I first served this tater tot casserole recipe at my mom’s dinner table, she was hesitant at first. One bite later, and she was a fan for life. Tot-ally nailed it…
I mean, how can you resist crispy tater tots, juicy ground beef, and a creamy cheese sauce all cozied up together in a casserole dish? It’s the kind of comfort food that fills you up and has you ready for a nap.
This tater tot recipe is so easy too. In just 30 minutes, you’ll have a delicious casserole dish ready to enjoy. Looking for more simple and tasty casserole recipes? Check out my Chicken Noodle Casserole, Mexican Cornbread Casserole, and Sloppy Joes Casserole!
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Frozen tater tots
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Milk
Fun Variations to Try
- Customize with Vegetables: Add a layer of canned vegetables like bell pepper, green beans, corn, peas, or carrots for extra texture and flavor.
- Cheesy Variation: Top the beef with a layer of shredded cheddar cheese or parmesan for a cheesy twist on this classic dish.
- Alternative Proteins: Swap out the beef with any other ground meat. Ground turkey or pork would taste just as great. Or just make my Chicken Tater Tot Casserole!
- Flavor Enhancers: Boost the flavor of the ground meat mixture by adding 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and 2 minced garlic cloves.
How to Make My Beef Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
- To start, brown your ground beef and onion together in a large skillet. Once done, drain off any grease.
Tip: I like to brown my beef ahead of time and keep it in the freezer to make meals like this so it’s a breeze to put together! It also saves you from having to drain everything!
2. Next, place the ground beef mixture in the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish.
3. Then in a single layer, top with the frozen tater tots.
In a small bowl, stir together the cream of mushroom soup and milk. Then pour this over the tater tots.
Note: The mixture will still be lumpy but as long as you put forth the effort to give it a good stir it’ll be fine.
Now cover your baking dish with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Tip: A lot of recipes don’t have you covering your casserole. I used to do mine that way, but I’ve found it is even better if you cover it up a bit. If you’d like your tater tots nice and golden brown, uncover for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Serve and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. You can assemble the casserole and refrigerate it, then bake it when you’re ready to serve. Adjust the baking time accordingly.
Consider pairing it with a fresh salad like my Quick & Easy Greek Salad. It would also taste great with some Fresh Green Beans, or a side of garlic bread for a well-rounded meal. If you make homemade garlic bread, try my Zesty Garlic Bread Seasoning!
Covering the casserole helps to retain moisture and prevent the tater tots from drying out. It’s recommended for best results.
Storage
If you have any leftovers, this tastes even better reheated! Store casserole leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat quickly in the oven to make crispy tater tots again. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating in the oven.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped optional
- 1 package frozen tater tots about 1 pound
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup can use fat-free
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef and onion together until done, and drain off any grease (I brown my beef ahead of time and store it in the freezer to make this quicker).2 pounds ground beef, 1 small onion, chopped
- Place the ground beef mixture in the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish. Top with the frozen tater tots.1 package frozen tater tots
- In a small bowl, stir together the cream of mushroom soup and milk. Pour this over the tater tots.1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 cup milk
- Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
I love your soapbox story. I’ve made this recipe a few times. Last time I doubled the soup (I made your Mushroom Soup recipe) and mixed half into the beef too. This time I want to use ground chicken instead of beef and see how it turns out. TY
Stir thing up and try this with Sweet potato tots! Low-carbers can use the Cauliflower/Broccoli/Zucchini tots and a low carb gravy.
Great idea Barbara!!!
I love some tater tot casserole
I often use cheez whiz and a jar of salsa instead of soup. Also top with shredded cheese.
Love all of your recipes❤️
I so love this dish. It’s just GOOD EATING. There is a time and place for a homemade white sauce and this is NOT one of them. You just can’t duplicate the flavor of cream soup in this. In my opinion, it will taste wrong. Save that extra effort for something else and save this recipe for when you want something quick and easy, but don’t want to go though the drive thru. You will love it.
Well said Jackie!!
I have made this Tater Tot Casserole numerous times and have finally perfected it. The secret is to bake the frozen tater tots until almost done first. Do this while you are browning the ground beef. Then you will be able to get away with baking it for only 30 minutes and have piping hot and a slight crunch to the tater tots. Placing frozen tater tots on top without partially cooking them first would occasionally give me tots still slightly cool after 30 minutes.
I put seasoned meat on bottom..then cream mushroom soup mixed with about a cup of sour cream..garlic powder and onion powder.. then line up the tots on top. Bake about 30 minutes and add cheese and French fried onions on top. One of our favorite dishes.
You know as a gluten free option I use a cheap alfredo sauce jar instead of cream soup in recipes. I just lower added liquid.
well that is stinking genius! I bet it is lower carb as well (for low carb recipes – which this one isn’t, lol). Thank you!
are there other options instead of cream of mushroom,and cream of celery?
You are limited only by your imagination 🙂 Just know that whatever you use will change the flavor of the recipe so that won’t be on me, but I’m sure it will be good! Maybe alfredo? hmmm…