American
Tater Tot Casserole
Seasoned ground beef under a layer of tater tots, baked until the tots are deep golden and the filling bubbles. The beef is cooked to 160°F before it goes in the dish.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Brown the beef to 160°F first. The oven is for the tots, not for making raw beef safe.
- Drain the fat or the tots sit in grease.
- One even layer of tots browns. A piled layer steams.
- It is the weeknight casserole people mean when they say hotdish.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 375°F.
- 2
Brown the beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the beef reaches 160°F and no pink remains. Drain the fat.
- 3
Stir in the salt, pepper, chili powder, soup, milk, and 1 cup of the cheddar.
- 4
Spread the filling in a 9-by-13-inch dish. Cover the top with a single layer of frozen tater tots.
- 5
Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until the tots are deep golden and the filling bubbles at the edge.
- 6
Sprinkle on the remaining cheddar and bake 5 minutes more, until it melts. Rest 5 minutes.
Pro tips
- Do not thaw the tots first. Frozen tots crisp. Thawed ones can turn mushy.
- If the edge bubbles early and the tots are still pale, move the dish to a higher rack.
- A green salad next to it is enough. The casserole is the meal.
Easy substitutions
- cream of mushroom soup
- cream of chicken soup
- cheddar
- colby jack
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Reheating
Warm covered at 350°F until the center is hot, about 20 minutes. Uncover at the end if you want the tots crisp again.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Budget friendly · Oven, Stovetop
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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