Tater Tot Casserole with Ground Beef is a hearty family dinner made with seasoned ground beef, mixed vegetables, cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese, and a crispy layer of golden tater tots. Everything bakes together in one dish for an easy comfort food meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights
I love this casserole because it’s simple, filling, and made with ingredients my family already loves. The creamy beef and vegetable filling underneath the crispy, cheesy tater tots makes this one of those dinners everyone is happy to see on the table. 🥔🥩🧀
Why I Love Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef: I use 1 pound of ground beef for a hearty, flavorful filling. Ground turkey is a great substitute if you want something a little lighter.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup: Cream of mushroom soup creates the creamy sauce that holds the casserole together. Cream of chicken soup works just as well if you prefer its flavor.
- Mixed Vegetables: Frozen mixed vegetables make this casserole quick and convenient. You can also use freshly chopped vegetables or your family’s favorite combination of corn, peas, carrots, and green beans.
- Garlic and Onion: Garlic powder and onion powder keep prep simple. For even more flavor, substitute fresh minced garlic and finely chopped onion.
- Tater Tots: Frozen tater tots create that crispy, golden topping everyone loves. There’s no need to thaw them first. Hash browns can also be used for a different texture.
- Cheddar Cheese: Cheddar gives the casserole plenty of cheesy flavor. Freshly shredded cheese melts best, but Monterey Jack is another delicious option.
- 💙 Optional Add-Ins: Cooked bacon, sautéed mushrooms, diced onions, jalapeños, or a little Worcestershire sauce can be added to the beef mixture for even more flavor. 🥔🥩🧀
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How To Make Tater Tot Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned and no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Season the beef with the garlic powder and onion powder.
- Drain any excess grease. Add the cooked ground beef, cream of mushroom soup, and frozen mixed vegetables to the prepared casserole dish. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
- Sprinkle about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the beef mixture. Arrange the frozen tater tots in a single layer over the cheese.
- There’s no need to thaw them first.
- Bake uncovered for 40 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the tater tots are golden and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle additional shredded cheddar cheese over the tater tots.
- Return to the oven for 3–5 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted.
- Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. 🥔🥩🧀
Tips & Tricks
- Arrange the tater tots in a single layer so they bake up golden and crispy instead of becoming soggy.
- There’s no need to thaw the tater tots or frozen vegetables before assembling the casserole.
- Drain the ground beef well after browning to keep the casserole from becoming greasy.
- For extra flavor, sauté ½ cup diced onion with the ground beef instead of using onion powder.
- Use freshly shredded cheddar cheese for the best melt and creamy texture. Don’t cover the casserole while baking.
- Leaving it uncovered helps the tater tots get crispy.
- For extra-crispy tater tots, broil the casserole for 1–2 minutes at the end, watching it closely so they don’t burn.
- Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving so the creamy filling has time to set.
- Add cooked bacon, jalapeños, mushrooms, or a splash of Worcestershire sauce to the beef mixture when you want to change up the flavor. 🥔🥩🧀
Frequently Asked Questions
More Casseroles I Love
Easy Tater Tot Casserole
This Tater Tot Casserole with Ground Beef is an easy family dinner made with seasoned ground beef, mixed vegetables, cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese, and crispy golden tater tots. It's a hearty, cheesy comfort food casserole that's perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
- 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken soup)
- 10 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables (or fresh chopped vegetables)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (or 2 cloves minced garlic)
- 1 tsp onion powder (or 1/2 cup finely chopped onion)
- 32 oz bag frozen tater tots (or hash browns)
- 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese (or Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned and no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks.
Season the beef with the garlic powder and onion powder. Drain any excess grease.
Add the cooked ground beef, cream of mushroom soup, and frozen mixed vegetables to the prepared casserole dish. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
Sprinkle about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the beef mixture.
Arrange the frozen tater tots in a single layer over the cheese. There's no need to thaw them first.
Bake uncovered for 40 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the tater tots are golden and crispy.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle additional shredded cheddar cheese over the tater tots.
Return to the oven for 3–5 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted.
Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. 🥔🥩🧀
Notes
There's no need to thaw the frozen vegetables or tater tots before assembling the casserole. Drain the ground beef well to prevent the filling from becoming greasy. Arrange the tater tots in a single layer and bake the casserole uncovered for the crispiest topping. Freshly shredded cheddar cheese melts best, and you can broil the casserole for 1–2 minutes at the end if you'd like the tater tots extra crispy. Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving so the filling has time to set. 🥔🥩🧀
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