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5 SECRETS TO GETTING DINNER ON THE TABLE...FAST!

You are here: Home / Fall / The BEST Tater Tot Casserole

The BEST Tater Tot Casserole

September 20, 2018

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Truly the BEST Tater Tot Casserole recipe around! Layers of amazing flavor combine for an easy and delicious dinner any night of the week! This fantastic casserole recipe will quickly become a family favorite! Love casseroles as much as we do? Make sure to try this Twice Baked Potato Casserole and Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole soon!

best-tater-tot-casserole-recipe-hamburger-green-beans

Best Tater Tot Casserole

Easy dinners are my favorite and  I’m a big fan of casseroles, as you well know 🙂 As a mom with two active boys, I’m all about fast and easy dinners that my boys will actually eat. The boys play sports year-round and with me or my husband always running in run direction or another with various practices, our family relies on recipes like this delicious and easy Tater Tot Casserole.

I love this easy tater tot casserole recipe because it takes only a handful of ingredients and most can be found in my pantry. I frequently have ground beef and tater tots in the freezer so this meal is one I can pull together quickly and easily.

You may have a Tater Tot Casserole before and chances are you were less than impressed. There are so many variations out there but I truly believe that this one is the best.

I make my tater casserole with green beans but if I don’t have those on hand, my second favorite is a tater tot casserole with corn. Both are delicious!

tater-tot-casserole-recipe-oven

What Ingredients Are In a Tater Tot Casserole

I start with really lean ground beef and brown it nicely before adding in diced onion and garlic. I season with salt and pepper and add some Worcestershire sauce before throwing it all into a prepared casserole dish. Now it’s time for the easy layers. A can of cream of mushroom soup goes on next. Please, use the “healthy” or “low-sodium” option. (This tater tot casserole with cream of chicken is also a good option.)

Next a can of green beans and again, low-sodium works perfectly. Finally lots of cheddar cheese followed by the frozen tater tots.

It really is that simple.

best-tater-tot-casserole-recipe-ground-beef-green-beans

Now, here’s the trick: season every single layer as needed. If you were serving green beans by themselves, you’d season them, right? So do it for the casserole too! The worst thing that can happen is taking a bite of a casserole and thinking it’s bland – yuck!

I don’t add cheese to the top because I want those tater tots perfectly crisp and crunchy. It’s essential to the overall texture of this casserole. Season the tater tots when the casserole is removed from the oven and get ready to enjoy a delicious dinner!

What You Need To Make This Tater Tot Casserole

  • With all those layers you need at least a 2-inch deep 8 or 9 inch baking dish. Square, round, oblong – doesn’t matter!
  • You don’t want large pieces of garlic in this casserole so you can either buy minced garlic or use a garlic press. This is the one my husband bought me for Christmas and I love it!
  • I think freshly grated cheese makes the cheese melt so much nicer so grab a cheese grater and get to work!
  • When dinner is this is, I think clean-up should be too! Make sure to spray your baking dish with a good quality non-stick cooking spray before assembling your casserole.

How To Make Tater Tot Casserole Recipe

best-tater-tot-casserole-recipe-hamburger-green-beans
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5 from 25 votes

The BEST Tater Tot Casserole

Truly the BEST Tater Tot Casserole recipe! Layers of amazing flavor combine for an easy and delicious dinner any night of the week!
Course Entree
Cuisine American
Keyword casserole
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 420kcal
Author Trish - Mom On Timeout

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean ground beef (the leaner the better)
  • 1/2 onion , diced
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 15 oz can green beans , drained
  • 10.75 oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups frozen tater tots
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375F.
  • Lightly grease an 8 or 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat.
  • Add the onions to the skillet and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until translucent.
  • Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for an additional minute.
  • Stir in Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Transfer ground beef mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
  • Top with cream of mushroom soup, followed by green beans, followed by the cheddar cheese. Make sure to season the green bean layer. 
  • Finally, top with tater tots.
  • Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until tater tots are golden brown and cheese is melted.
  • Serve immediately. 

Nutrition

Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 859mg | Potassium: 642mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 865IU | Vitamin C: 13.2mg | Calcium: 321mg | Iron: 3.4mg

best-tater-tot-casserole-recipe-collage

Easy dinner the family will love!

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5 SECRETS TO GETTING DINNER ON THE TABLE...FAST!

By Trish - Mom On Timeout September 20, 2018 Entree, Fall, Favorites, Popular Post, Recipes

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Comments

  1. Leanne says

    October 24, 2020 at 12:19 PM

    Okay. I haven’t made any Tater Tot Casseroles since the Turn of this century, and the last one I made had broccoli, I think? But this is seriously the BEST tot casserole I have ever had. You win the tots award for 2020, and I thank you. OH! Almost forgot. I used ground turkey for this and it still rocked!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      October 25, 2020 at 8:19 PM

      Lol! Winning! Ground turkey definitely is a great substitute in this recipe. Thanks Leanne!

      Reply
  2. Donna Watt says

    September 1, 2020 at 12:19 PM

    Iv been making this for so long. I remember helping grandma and now my girls love helping make. I pre cook the tots a little so they do come out crispy I also put a layer on bottom.

    Reply
  3. Richard says

    July 25, 2020 at 12:09 PM

    I added a layer of white cheddar mac and cheese under the tater tots, too. Love this recipe amf it is one of those foods that is bettet as leftovers.

    Reply
  4. Shanna says

    June 26, 2020 at 5:07 AM

    Good recipe my husband likes to make this he uses ground turkey, cream of chicken, and also puts some wild rice in with it we usually skip the veggie because honestly I have 5 children and none of them can agree on a veggie they all like lol!
    Very good recipe tho thank you for all your wonderful ideas!!

    Reply
  5. Dep Dog says

    February 17, 2020 at 12:34 PM

    Been making this dish for years also had it as a kid growing up. No tater tots back then mom used freshly shredded potatoes and a mixture of frozen vegetables peas carrots corn green beans no cheese used cream of potato soup and cream of celery. She made two big pans with 9 kids mom and dad Still a staple in my house

    Reply
  6. Jean says

    October 3, 2019 at 8:57 AM

    I have been making Tater Tot Casserole for over 30 years now. It’s a big hit with my husband and sons.
    My recipe is slightly different. I use French Style Green Beans, no cheese and before putting on the Tator Tots I put a layer of French’s dried onions.
    From your recipe I will incorporate Worcestershire sauce into my recipe. That sounds really good.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Rich says

      January 7, 2020 at 5:52 PM

      Guys love meat and potatoes. Mixed up.. all the better! Good recipe! I added a layer of crisp bacon.

      Reply
    • Kenneth Simons says

      February 11, 2020 at 8:05 PM

      Hello everybody! I have been making this casserole for 40 years now. And the way I learned it. You use cream of chicken cream of mushroom cream of celery. As well as the hamburger and the onions and cook them all together for about 45 minutes. It is. Absolutely incredible! But you have to use those different ingredients. They really make it. Have a great night.

      Reply
  7. Marina says

    September 8, 2019 at 6:03 AM

    What temp should I have the oven set at?

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      September 8, 2019 at 7:48 AM

      375F 🙂

      Reply
  8. Michelle says

    September 4, 2019 at 6:53 PM

    I made this one night when I didn’t have much to cook in the house. It was amazing and my kids ate it like it was the only meal they’d had in a week or something… Zero leftovers. I didn’t have Worcester and simply left it out… Still fantastic! About to make it again tonight!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      September 8, 2019 at 12:22 PM

      Oh my gosh, my boys love it too! So easy right? So glad it was a hit with your kids!

      Reply
  9. Jen says

    August 22, 2019 at 2:18 PM

    I make some additions of sour cream and using frozen mixed veggies. I also like to stir the layers togethwr to get some potato in the middle and crispies on top too, plus spreads all that cramy goodness throughout. I top with whatever cheese I have at the time. Family loves this.

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      August 22, 2019 at 4:35 PM

      Love, love, LOVE! Sounds amazing!

      Reply
  10. Debbie says

    August 1, 2019 at 8:18 AM

    I have a lot of pre-fried tatertots from a church dinner last night. Would it be a good idea to use them in the casserole?

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      August 3, 2019 at 8:14 AM

      Totally, that would be perfect!

      Reply
  11. Dicksie says

    July 1, 2019 at 3:42 PM

    Made this for dinner tonight and it is the best Tater Tot casserole. I was out of Worshteshire sauce so I adlibed and used sou saue. It made a huge difference!!! Thank you

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      July 11, 2019 at 8:37 AM

      Sounds like a fun twist – thank you!

      Reply
  12. Lily Blooms says

    June 28, 2019 at 7:57 PM

    Tater tot casserole is the ultimate comfort food. I use only cream of chicken soup because nothing can ruin otherwise good food like the pervasive taste of mushroom.

    As to the leanness of the beef: in the batch I just made tonight, I used one part lean meat to two parts 80% lean and even at that it isn’t as tasty as it is when I use all fattier meat. If I had used all leaner meat it would have totally ruined the whole thing. Lesson learned. I won’t make the mistake of using leaner meat again Using mozzerella cheese rather than cheddar is probably a better way to cut fat without sacrificing flavor. Regular meat, drained, with mozzarella cheese likely results in a much less greasy casserole than very lean meat with cheddar. I add seasoning to the cream of chicken soup with a bit of milk for easier spreading and that goes on TOP of the green bean layer and just under the cheese so bean blandness is never a concern even if I forget seasoning. I never use anything but green beans. Somebody brought us tater tot casserole with corn once after a death in the family and the disappointment compounded my grief. If it had had corn and peas in it I’d have wept openly and dug a grave in the yard to bury it in because, ew. Just ew. I never use canned beans, only frozen. I use French cut for faster cooking.

    A couple years ago I tried out an idea I had had while at work – tater tot casserole soup. Basically a potato soup with the casserole, ingredients, onions, green beans, cream of chicken soup, ground beef, mozzerella cheese, etc. It worked out quite well. The tater tots quickly fall apart into little shreds of potato as it cooks. I took it to a holiday soup supper and it was a hit.

    Reply
  13. Sheri says

    June 19, 2019 at 3:48 PM

    I made this casserole last night, my family is not a green bean family so I just substituted some frozen peas and carrots and some frozen corn. I doubled everything except the hamburger and cheese, used a 9 by 13 and I barely had any leftovers for lunch today. Delicious!!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      June 19, 2019 at 6:42 PM

      Great substitution Sheri! Basically any veggies will work with this casserole. So glad your family enjoyed it!

      Reply
  14. David G Russell says

    May 5, 2019 at 9:09 AM

    Great. I served it with a light salad and garlic breadsticks. Just what I was looking for to feed my sweetie and her 90 year old mother. Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      May 5, 2019 at 5:31 PM

      Fantastic! So glad you gave it a try David!

      Reply
  15. Melissa Griffiths says

    April 29, 2019 at 9:19 AM

    My kids would gobble this up!

    Reply
  16. Alana says

    April 17, 2019 at 3:39 PM

    I added some sour cream and corn to the recipe. It was delicious! Also used the mixed cheeses instead of just cheddar(bc it’s all I had) yummy! My new favorite go to recipe

    Reply
  17. Tracy says

    April 15, 2019 at 7:29 AM

    Made this recipe last night. Instead of can green beans I used French Style frozen green beans. And topped tater tots with fiesta blend cheese.

    Reply
  18. Daren says

    March 26, 2019 at 6:53 PM

    I made this yesterday, however my daughter doesn’t like green beans or cream of mushroom, so I used cream of chicken and broccoli instead. My daughter ate two bowls!!! Plus i added a little cayenne 😉

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      May 18, 2019 at 8:03 PM

      I love your substitutions Daren – fantastic!

      Reply
  19. Sheri says

    March 16, 2019 at 5:00 PM

    Tried this tonight…..super easy and very delicious! I only had cream of chicken so I was concerned about not having cream of mushroom, as recipe called for. It was STILL great!! I used a 2qt 8×13 dish….was worried about not being enough COC to spread over meat so I used a can plus half another…..also used much more cheese and tator tot crowns than the recipe called for. I can see playing with ingredients in the future such as corn ect…….thanks for sharing the recipe!!!!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      March 17, 2019 at 5:36 PM

      Yay! Success! And YES. Please customize to your liking, that’s my favorite thing about casseroles!

      Reply
  20. Tiff says

    January 29, 2019 at 4:25 PM

    I don’t typically leave reviews, actually this is my first time. My husband and I were extremely sceptical about this recipe after reading the ingredients, so much so that I had a plan B to order takeout lol. Neither of us have tried tater tot casserole before.
    The only thing I did differently from the recipe was omit the green beans and I must say we were both thoroughly surprised! This was phenomenal!! The combination of flavors were delicious!!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      July 11, 2019 at 8:38 AM

      LOL! I’m so glad you loved it!

      Reply
  21. Roxanne Williams says

    January 16, 2019 at 7:32 PM

    I made a Tator tot casserole last year. It wasn’t ur recipe. Anyway it was just ok. Nothing I thought about making again. I saw your recipe and decided to give your recipe a try. It was absolutely amazing and now I want it all the time. Thanks for the wonderful recipe. It was delicious!!!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      January 18, 2019 at 8:20 AM

      Oh wow! What a wonderful compliment! Thank you so much Roxanne!

      Reply
  22. Dominic Miller says

    December 17, 2018 at 4:59 PM

    So I am single dad with 2 growing boys (14/15)… They won’t stop begging for this recipe! Quick, simple, and delicious! Thanks Trish! Please don’t forget Dads need time out too!

    Keep up the great work and I am excited to see what recipe we choose next!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      December 21, 2018 at 2:06 PM

      Oh you are so right about that Dominic! Glad you guys are enjoying this recipe and Merry Christmas!

      Reply
  23. Cris says

    November 10, 2018 at 8:16 PM

    I used broccoli and cauliflower tots and mixed meat mixture with auju sause packet and omg delicious

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      November 14, 2018 at 8:47 AM

      That is such a fabulous idea! Need to try that next!

      Reply
  24. Mary Ann says

    October 31, 2018 at 11:22 AM

    This really is the BEST tator tot casserole and deserves the FIVE STAR rating!! My family loved it and asked if I’d make it again soon!! YUM!!!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      November 2, 2018 at 5:54 PM

      Mwah!! Thanks so much Mary Ann!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        March 11, 2019 at 2:52 PM

        Mom here with a very picky husband and very picky 5 kids. Pleasing them all is impossible! I came across this in a bout of dinner desperation and everyone loves it! We now have it for dinner about 2 or 3 times a month, sometimes weekly. My favorite thing about it, is that it is so easy to tweak and play with, so no matter what I have on hand, i can always throw this together and know my family won’t fuss about what’s on their plates. Thank you!

        Reply
        • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

          March 12, 2019 at 12:42 PM

          Oh my goodness! This just makes me so happy! And that’s exactly what we love about it, you can totally customize this to whatever you happen to have on hand. Thank you so much for stopping by!

          Reply
  25. Melanie says

    October 21, 2018 at 8:03 AM

    This was the best Gator Tot Casserole! I’m going to make the pumpkin cupcakes today!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      October 23, 2018 at 3:16 PM

      Thanks so much Melanie! Hope you’re having a great week!

      Reply
  26. Christi says

    October 4, 2018 at 8:36 AM

    Can’t beat a good tater tot casserole!

    Reply
  27. Katie says

    September 17, 2018 at 3:06 PM

    Great recipe. I tweaked it a little. I added an envelope of beefy onion soup mix and a little ketchup to the meat. I added a can of corn and used ore ida extra crispy tots.

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      September 19, 2018 at 8:55 AM

      Great adjustments Katie! I love this recipe because you can totally make it your own. Add some seasoning or spices, a different veggie, etc. Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Reply
  28. Kathy says

    August 20, 2018 at 8:46 PM

    Try using golden mushroom soup instead of cream of mushroom!! Delish!!!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      August 28, 2018 at 5:01 PM

      Excellent suggestion Kathy – thank you!

      Reply
  29. B. Burdick says

    August 19, 2018 at 4:35 PM

    Just made it, thank you it supplemented our recipe well. Oh! Turned out nice. I really browned the GB first with only some fried garlic. Then I added 1/2ea red/green bell peppers and half an onion, fried for 5 min. Then Season and add to buttered baking pan while warming up 1 can cream of broccoli and 1 can cream of celery. I sprinkled some parmesan on the beef mix and slathered the soup mixes on top then put a can of chopped black olives then the cheese, some papeika, then the tater tots. mmm

    Reply
  30. Randi says

    August 10, 2018 at 4:54 AM

    I made this but I didn’t have tator tots so I used the shred hash brown. Also included aneheim chili, sauted with the onion & garlic. My very picky husband loved it. Next time I might use whole kernal corn instread of the green beans. Can’t wait to try it with the tator tots.

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      September 8, 2019 at 12:24 PM

      Sounds like some seriously yummy modifications!

      Reply
  31. Dawn says

    May 22, 2018 at 7:31 PM

    Hi Trisha, I have never made tater tot casserole before. Your recipe was so easy for a busy mom’s life. I had my family be the guinea pigs before I made it for a potluck at work. I followed you directions exactly but I added mushrooms and bellpeppers to the hamburger and onion mixture. My family raved about it and my co-workers couldn’t stop saying how yummy it was. This recipe will go into my recipe box. Thanks again!!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      July 11, 2019 at 8:38 AM

      I love the additions of mushroom and bell peppers – I need to try this!

      Reply
  32. Rae says

    May 12, 2018 at 3:39 PM

    This will be my supper tonight. I’m using cream of celery soup in mine. But I’m now wondering how broccoli cheese soup would taste. Hmmm……..

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      May 18, 2019 at 8:04 PM

      I would say AMAZING 🙂

      Reply
  33. Carol Snyder says

    April 14, 2018 at 2:05 PM

    In your recipe to print, you don’t say where to add the Worcestershire sauce. I made this yesterday and got everything in the pan and looked up and saw the sauce sitting there – Oops! But it still tasted great! I had to chuckle about it. Next time I’ll add it.

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      April 19, 2018 at 7:57 PM

      You are SO right Carol! That is my bad 🙂 Just fixed it but I’m glad you loved it! It’s even better with the Worcestershire sauce 😉 LOL!

      Reply
  34. Laurie Ann Cox says

    April 12, 2018 at 10:19 AM

    Here’s our version. Layer of hamburger, frozen peas on top of that, sprinkle onion soup mix over the peas, layer of cream of mushroom soup topped with tater tots. The onion soup and mushroom gravy make a nice sauce, and also seasons the whole dish. I look forward to reading through the comments to see other peoples variations. Happy hotdishing everyone!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      April 19, 2018 at 7:59 PM

      Sounds amazing Laurie!

      Reply
      • Gina says

        October 23, 2018 at 7:16 AM

        I made Laurie’s version, but also added some green beans with the peas. And I mixed some Worcestershire sauce in the golden mushroom soup before pouring it over the veggies. I got a lot of compliments. My daughter had 3 helpings! It was delicious.

        Reply
      • T. Ford says

        October 29, 2018 at 3:47 PM

        For the Tater Tot Casserole, do you prepare the soup as per can instructions or use undiluted?

        Reply
        • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

          July 11, 2019 at 8:37 AM

          Undiluted!

          Reply

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