If you love a good old-fashioned casserole, you might also like our Tuna Noodle Casserole, Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole, and Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Casserole. When we visited Minnesota and North Dakota I picked up a couple of those church collection recipe books. You know, the spiral bound kind where women from a community submit their best recipes that are compiled and then sold as a fundraiser? I love finding those treasures because they are full of classic comfort food and the recipes are typically the best of the best that have been tried and tested by generations. They are also such a fun peek back in time. This easy tater tot casserole is my favorite version of one of the most popular dinner recipes in those books and of course I had to include it to represent Minnesota and North Dakota for my American Eats series where I’m sharing the foods each state is known for.
What is tater tot hotdish?
“Hot dish” is a Midwest term for a hearty casserole that usually has a creamy sauce and is a complete meal with protein, veggies, and some kind of potato, pasta, or rice. It’s the original one-dish dinner! This easy tater tot casserole recipe is one the whole family will love with crispy tots, lots of cheddar cheese, and other simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand. It’s even popular with picky eaters! We all need easy dinners like this every now and then! Rather than use the can of cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup that so many casserole recipes call for, we’re make a simple sauce in the same pan used for browning the ground beef. It’s hardly any extra time and we love the taste.
Ingredients for Tater Tot Casserole with Ground Beef
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Ground beef – We like to use lean ground beef like 85/15 for this recipe. Onion Tater tots Garlic – You’ll need a couple cloves of minced garlic or garlic powder to season the casserole. Butter Mushrooms Flour Chicken broth or beef broth Half-and-half Veggies – frozen corn, fresh or frozen green beans… Cheese – shredded sharp cheddar cheese Worcestershire sauce Salt Black pepper
How to Make Tater Tot Casserole (Easy!)
Easy Tater Tot Casserole Recipe Variations
Change the veggies – You can really use any vegetables you like in this dish but other popular choices are broccoli florets, chopped bell peppers, or even just a bag of frozen mixed veggies. Use a different protein – Feel free to swap out the ground beef for cooked, shredded chicken (a rotisserie chicken works great) or ground turkey instead. Other dairy options – The half-and-half gives a nice silky texture and rich flavor to the homemade cream of mushroom soup, but heavy cream or sour cream can also be used. See recipe notes for suggestions. Add additional seasoning – The flavors of this particular casserole are pretty basic but you can jazz it up by sprinkling some Italian seasoning or Creole seasoning over the ground beef while it’s browning.
Tater Tot Hotdish Recipe Tips
It doesn’t take much to be successful throwing together one of these casseroles. But don’t get rid of the yummy brown bits from the bottom of the skillet after browning the ground beef. That’s called “fond” and it’s loaded with flavor. Just leave it and it will become part of your sauce.
What to Serve with Tater Tot Casserole
This beauty of this easy weeknight dinner is that you really don’t need to serve anything else with it, but if you want a side dish for tater tot casserole, you can’t go wrong with a nice side salad or some fresh fruit like a sliced watermelon. Something like cornbread or crusty garlic bread would also be a delicious option. And be sure not to forget the ketchup. It might be controversial to serve tater tot casserole with ketchup but kids (and grown-ups) love it!
How to Store Ground Beef Tater Tot Casserole
This easy recipe for makes enough to feed a crowd (like most hot dish recipes!) so be sure to store any leftovers in the fridge covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, you’ll get the best results if you carefully transfer the leftovers to a smaller baking dish that fits in an air fryer, taking care to keep the tater tot layer on top, and reheating at 350°F for 10 minutes until heated through and the tots are crispy on top. Or reheat in a 350°F over for 15-20 minutes until hot. You can also just use the microwave, but the texture won’t be quite as good.
Can I freeze ground beef tater tot casserole?
Yes! Casseroles make a great freezer meal because you can assemble and bake them later so they are great to have on hand for busy weeknights or taking to a friend in need of a meal. Just assemble and cover with aluminum foil before freezing, then freeze for up to 2 months. You can bake straight from frozen by just adding an extra 30 minutes to the bake time and making sure the tater tot casserole has had a chance to heat all the way through.
More like this Simple Tater Tot Casserole
Pizza Casserole Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole Chicken Spaghetti Casserole Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • New Jersey • New York • Oregon • Puerto Rico • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Wisconsin
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Casserole
Tuna Noodle Casserole
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