Tater Tot Casserole

I am a self-taught cook. I started cooking around 18 years old. I stood in the kitchen and watched my mother, who was my biggest inspiration at the time, cook.

November 5, 2022

Tater tot casserole is a classic comfort food. It is not only incredibly easy but also budget friendly. It is an easy and quick dinner recipe that everyone will love. If you want to feed a large gathering on a budget then go for tater tot casserole. It is savory, creamy and crunchy. Tater tots give an appealing look with crunchiness on the outside and tender on the inside. The filling is made of ground beef, cheese, vegetables and cream of mushroom. It is so rich and flavorful. The good news is you do not need any fancy ingredients and it only needs about 30 minutes to prepare. With only handful of ingredient most of which you can easily find in your pantry and freezer you will end up making yourself an amazing casserole. There are many variations but this one truly turns out to be the finest. To make best tater tot casserole choose the dish of right size because if it is large the liquid will evaporate leaving behind dried out casserole or if it is too small the liquid will be bubbling over the top and we do not want that. For this recipe a 12×8 inch dish would be perfect. Spray the dish with cooking oil. If you doubt the beef mixture is dry you can double the quantity of mushroom soup or add ½ cup milk to get creamy and moist casserole. You can get creative with this casserole and add in more vegetables of your choice and you can also add the cheese of your choice. While picking

Preparation time: 10 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 tablespoon ketchup
3 cups frozen tater tots
1 tablespoon Worcester sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

In a skillet add ground beef and onion over medium-high heat and cook until meat is browned. Drain excess liquid.
Mix the beef, cream of mushroom soup, ketchup, Worcester sauce, frozen veggies and shredded cheese in a bowl. Season with salt and ground pepper as you like. Mix together everything.
Transfer this mixture to baking dish and spread it. Now add tater tots on top of the beef mixture.
Pop it in oven and bake at 425F for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the casserole and bake for another five minutes. If you just want your tater tots perfectly crispy then you can skip adding cheese over top. When tater tots turn golden brown and you see bubbles in your casserole that means it is done.
Take it out of the oven and don’t forget oven mitts.
Serve this wonderful casserole immediately.

Note: If you have leftovers, cover the casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate. It will be good for 3-4 days. To reheat, microwave in portions for 2 minutes on high or heat in oven at 350F for 30 minutes. If you want to make ahead then prepare the casserole layers but do not add tater tots at this stage because they will turn soggy. Add tots when you will bake. Cover with plastic wrap then foil and freeze. When you are ready, bake it in oven at 450F for 60- 90 minutes. It can be freeze for up to 1 month.