Tater Tot Casserole Recipe (Your New Family Fave!)

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Who remembers this one from childhood? A kid-friendly take on Shepard's Pie, tater tot casserole is a simple one-pot dish that feeds a crowd and can even be made (and frozen) in advance. For this updated version, we've included a DIY substitute for the can of Cream of Mushroom soup that most recipes call for. If you want to stick with a can of soup, just skip that step.

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Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews, founder of Foodlets.com

Things You'll Need

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • 1 onion, diced

  • Optional: 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 cup frozen peas

  • 1 cup frozen corn

  • 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup or DIY substitute (see recipe below)

  • 32-ounce bag frozen tater tots

  • Salt & pepper

Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews, founder of Foodlets.com

Getting Started

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

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Dice the onion.

Brown the ground beef with onions until the beef is no longer pink. (No need for extra oil in the pan.)

Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews, founder of Foodlets.com

Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce here if you like the flavor.

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Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews, founder of Foodlets.com

Tip

If you have a large oven-safe skillet, use it to cook the ground beef and onion mixture in. Then pile on the remaining ingredients and pop the whole thing into the oven. You'll dirty fewer dishes than you would by using a separate casserole dish for the baking step.

Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews, founder of Foodlets.com

Prep DIY Substitute for Cream of Mushroom Soup

Things You'll Need

  • 3 tablespoons butter

  • 3 tablespoons flour

  • 1/2 cup chicken broth

  • 1/2 cup half & half

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder


Place butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat until nearly melted.

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Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews, founder of Foodlets.com

Add flour and cook for 2 minutes. Keep stirring, even as the mixture bubbles.

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Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews, founder of Foodlets.com

Slowly pour in the half & half and chicken broth, whisking vigorously as you go.

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Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews, founder of Foodlets.com

Stir until the mixture is completely smooth. Add the garlic powder and remove from heat.

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Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews, founder of Foodlets.com

Assemble the Casserole

If you have a large skillet, layer the peas and corn right on top of the ground beef mixture. Otherwise, transfer the meat to a 9x13 casserole dish and add the layer of vegetables.

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Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews, founder of Foodlets.com

Then add the layer of cream sauce, or soup, and top with tater tots.

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Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews, founder of Foodlets.com

Cover completely with the tater tots before sprinkling with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews, founder of Foodlets.com

Bake Until Crispy

Put the prepped casserole into the oven, baking at 425 degrees Farhenheit for about 30 minutes. For an extra crispy top layer, use the broiler for the last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking time.

Craving More Casseroles?

Casseroles make meal time so much easier! Make any one of these dishes in advance and enjoy throughout the week:

Easy to Make Taco Casserole

Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews

Cheesy Potato Casserole

Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews

Chile Relleno Casserole

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Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews

Spicy, Juicy, Gooey Southwest Chicken Casserole

Image Credit: Ashley Manila

Homemade Mac & Cheese Casserole

Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews

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