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This Tater Tot Casserole is classic comfort food at its best—creamy beef filling, tender vegetables, golden crispy tots, and plenty of gooey melted cheese. It’s an easy family dinner that always gets rave reviews and disappears fast from the table.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This is such a childhood favorite. I love your version. It was delicious.” – Laura
“Such a family favorite! So easy to put together and so tasty too!” – Suzy
“We love this tater tot casserole! We eat it for breakfast or dinner! We like adding a little chopped bacon on top.” – Natalie
Why I Love This Casserole
Anytime Tater Tot Casserole comes up in conversation (and believe me, it actually comes up more than you’d think) it sparks childhood memories. My friend told me every time her mom was out of town, her dad would make a big batch and they’d eat on it all week. Another friend remembers forgoing any sort of vegetables in their recipe and piling her plate high with cheese, beef and that kid-friendly favorite: tater tots! But if this one-dish wonder never graced your childhood dinner table, it’s time to introduce your family to the best easy tater tot casserole recipe.
I like to serve it with a green salad, fresh fruit, or even a side of coleslaw. Warm biscuits or homemade dinner rolls on the side make it extra comforting.
🩷 Erica
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Beef: The base of the casserole. You can use lean ground beef to reduce the amount of grease.
- Onion and Mushrooms: Dice the onion and coarsely chop the mushrooms. They cook with the beef and give the filling extra flavor.
- Flour: Thickens the homemade gravy. Cornstarch also works as an alternative.
- Milk and Beef Bouillon: These make the creamy, savory sauce, so there’s no need for canned condensed soup.
- Salt and Pepper: Season the filling after adding the bouillon, which can already be salty.
- Green Beans: Drain canned green beans well before adding them to the filling. They’re optional.
- Cheddar Cheese: Shredded cheddar melts into the beef filling underneath the tater tots.
- Frozen Tater Tots: Use them straight from the freezer for a golden, crispy topping.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- Gluten-Free Option: To make this tater tot casserole gluten-free, replace the flour with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Whisk the cornstarch into some cold milk before adding it to the beef mixture to prevent lumps. Be sure to use gluten-free beef bouillon and check the labels on your frozen tater tots and any additional seasonings.
- Different Vegetables: Swap the green beans for corn, peas, or mixed vegetables. Be sure to drain any excess liquid.
- Extra Seasonings: Add Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, or a little ranch seasoning to the beef mixture for more flavor.
- Bacon: One reader loves adding chopped bacon to the top of her casserole.
- Ground Turkey: You can try ground turkey instead of beef, but the filling will have a slightly different flavor. Adjust the seasonings as needed.
How to Make Tater Tot Casserole
- Cook the ground beef. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the onion and ground beef until the beef is just browned. Add the chopped mushrooms and continue cooking until the beef is cooked through and the onion is translucent. Drain the excess grease.
- Make the homemade gravy. Sprinkle flour over the meat mixture and stir to coat. Slowly add the milk, stirring until the sauce is thick like gravy. You may not need all the milk. Stir in the beef bouillon, season with salt and pepper, and add the drained green beans if using.
- Layer the casserole. Spread the beef mixture evenly in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the filling, then arrange the frozen tater tots in an even layer over the cheese.
- Bake until golden. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tater tots are golden brown and crispy and the casserole is heated through. Serve hot.
Recipe Tips
- Add the milk gradually. You want the sauce to look like thick gravy, not soup, before transferring it to the baking dish.
- Drain the green beans well. Extra liquid from the vegetables can make the filling runny.
- Keep the cheese under the tater tots. This lets the tots brown on top instead of being covered with melted cheese.
- Don’t thaw the tater tots first. Put them on the casserole frozen so they hold their shape and crisp up in the oven.
- If the tots need a little more color at the end, broil briefly while watching closely so they don’t burn.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make ahead: Prepare the beef filling, let it cool, and assemble the casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate. For the crispiest topping, you can wait to add the frozen tater tots until just before baking.
- Storing: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking and use within 3 to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat portions in the microwave, or warm the casserole in a 350°F oven until it reaches 165°F in the center. The oven is better for keeping the tater tots crisp.
- Freezing: Assemble the unbaked casserole with the cheese underneath the tater tots, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking at 375°F until the center is hot and the tots are crispy. You can also freeze cooked leftovers for up to 2 months.
More Easy Casseroles
You can never have too many casserole recipes on hand for those busy weeknights. Here are some delicious comfort classics:
- Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
- California Breakfast Casserole
- Easy Chicken Casserole
- Cheesy Enchilada Casserole
- Chicken Broccoli and Quinoa Casserole
- Spaghetti Casserole
- Easy Lasagna Casserole
- Big Mac Casserole
If you make Tater Tot Casserole, I’d love to hear how your family enjoys it! Be sure to leave a rating and comment with your favorite variations. 💛
Easy Tater Tot Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 1 cup mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup flour, (or 3 tablespoons cornstarch)
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons beef bouillon
- kosher salt, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (12-14 ounce) can cut green beans, drained, optional
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 (32 ounce) package frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375-degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook onion and ground beef until beef JUST browned. Add mushrooms and cook until beef is cooked through and onion is translucent. Drain excess grease.
- Sprinkle flour over beef/mushroom mixture and stir until flour coats the beef.
- Slowly stir in the milk, stirring constantly until you reach your desired thickness (you want the sauce to have the consistency of a thick gravy). You may or may not need all the milk.
- Season with beef bouillon and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in green beans (optional).
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and pour beef mixture into the bottom of the dish, spreading evenly.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the beef mixture.
- Evenly layer tater tots over the cheese layer keeping them lengthwise down.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until tater tots become golden brown and crispy.
- Serve immediately while hot.
Notes
- Extra Flavor: Add Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, or a little ranch seasoning to the beef mixture if desired.
- Cornstarch Option: If substituting cornstarch for flour, whisk it into cold milk before adding it to the skillet.
- Make Ahead: Assemble, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking, or freeze tightly wrapped for up to 2 months. Keep the cheese beneath the tater tots as directed in the instructions.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat thoroughly to 165°F.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Love it and my grandkids love it too
One of them doesn’t like mushrooms or cheese but likes this – go figure ? I follow recipe exact. – where does the soup come into the recipe – I used real mushrooms and Fluor and milk like recipe lists – why isn’t soup listed?
Thank you so much, Cheryl! You’re right, this recipe uses mushrooms, flour, and milk to make the creamy sauce, so there’s no need for condensed soup. I’m so glad you and your grandkids love it!
This is such a childhood favorite. I love your version. It was delicious.
Such a family favorite! So easy to put together and so tasty too!
We love this tater tot casserole! We eat it for breakfast or dinner! We like adding a little chopped bacon on top.