A hearty and comforting dish that combines ground beef, creamy soup, and crispy tater tots, baked to perfection for a delicious meal – tater tot casserole.
Tater Tot Casserole is the ultimate comfort food, combining seasoned ground beef, creamy soup, and crispy tater tots into one hearty, satisfying dish. It’s the perfect meal for busy weeknights or any time you’re craving something warm, filling, and delicious. This classic casserole is loved by kids and adults alike for its simple ingredients and irresistible flavors.
To make Tater Tot Casserole, start by browning ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Season the beef with salt, pepper, and any other spices you enjoy, such as garlic powder or onion powder. Once the beef is fully cooked, drain any excess fat, then stir in a can of creamy mushroom or cream of chicken soup. You can also add some sour cream for extra creaminess if desired. Mix everything until the meat and soup are fully combined.
Next, spread the beef mixture evenly into the bottom of a greased baking dish. Then, top the beef with a generous layer of frozen tater tots. You can arrange the tater tots in a neat, even layer, or scatter them for a more casual, rustic look.
Bake the casserole in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 25–30 minutes or until the tater tots are golden brown and crispy. For an extra cheesy version, sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top during the last 10 minutes of baking and return it to the oven until melted and bubbly.
Once done, remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving. This Tater Tot Casserole is a crowd-pleaser and can easily be customized with additional ingredients like vegetables, bacon, or a different type of cheese.
Perfect for feeding a hungry family or serving as a potluck dish, this easy and flavorful casserole is guaranteed to become a favorite in your meal rotation. Enjoy it as a filling dinner or even as a comforting breakfast the next day!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef lean
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 bag frozen tater tots
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until browned. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in the cream of mushroom soup and optional mixed vegetables. Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish.
- Top the mixture with an even layer of tater tots.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Then, sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the tater tots and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let the casserole cool for a few minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Easy to make! But I added some spice to it. Good recipe.
I love that you added some spice! What did you use? I think the original is perfect as is, but I’m curious about your twist!
Seems easy, but I wonder if it really tastes good with tater tots? Never tried it. 🤔
Yum! Gimme gimme! 🥔
I’m not sure about cream of mushroom soup, seems kinda weird to me. Might try with something else.
Tater tots are not real potatoes, just saying. 🤷♂️ I like real food.
This is the best thing ever! My kids loved it!
I’m so glad to hear that! It’s great to find a recipe that the kids actually enjoy. 😊
Sounds good, but isn’t it a bit unhealthy with all that cheese? I prefer healthier options.
Yesss
Yesss! This one’s such a comfort-food classic—cheesy and crunchy on top. 😄
Way too salty for me. I used reduced-fat cheddar and still—idk. Next time I’ll use low-sodium soup or add less cheese. Tots were good!
Honestly, I don’t think cream of mushroom belongs in a casserole. It was kinda soggy.
Soggy? I dunno, sounds like you did it wrong. This is a comfort food classic!
I think cream of mushroom is what makes it creamy and delicious! Maybe you just didn’t bake it long enough?
This is such a reliable weeknight casserole. I love that it’s basically 5 ingredients and a little oven time.
I followed it exactly and it was edible, but not amazing. The cream of mushroom soup flavor is strong and kind of salty. Maybe use low-sodium soup?
Yeah I agree—cream of mushroom soup can be super salty. I swapped to low-sodium once and it was way more balanced. Also adding a little pepper helps.
I did exactly like that too and it was… ok? not great. Next time I’m gonna mix in some onion or garlic powder. Maybe even use half the soup and top with extra cheese. Lol.
Tried it with a leaner beef and it still turned out a bit dry—next time I’ll add a splash of milk or extra soup. Flavor is still solid though.
Mine came out a bit too salty (I think because the cream of mushroom soup can be salty). Next time I’ll use low-sodium soup or add less cheese.
Hmm I think mine woulda been salty too if I used regular soup + a full cup of cheese. I usually add like half the cheese first, then the rest at the end. 30 min might also dry it out a lil so maybe cover it? Not sure tho.
Good catch—cream of mushroom soup is *definitely* salty. Low-sodium soup sounds like the perfect fix. Also, next time you could hold back a bit on the cheese until you see how it behaves!
Meh. Tastes like every other tater tot thing. I’d rather do a homemade sauce than canned soup.
Totally get that. I usually ditch the canned soup and do a quick homemade mushroom gravy so it actually tastes special. Still works great with the tater tots and cheese.
Why’d you put vegetables in this?!? I’m here for the tots and cheese!
Meh, just okay. I expected more flavor. Next time, I’ll add some spices!
I totally get what you mean! I added garlic powder and paprika to mine, and it was so much better!
I’m not usually a ‘cream of mushroom’ person, but I get why people love it here. It binds everything and makes it super savory.
Comfort food at its finest. Super easy, and the cheese-bubbly top is exactly what I want. I added a little garlic powder too and it came out great!
Yes!! That cheese-bubbly top is the best part. I love how simple this is—no fancy steps, just comfort.
Hmm I tried something similar but mine was kinda bland even with extra salt. Maybe the oven temp matters? Also I thought you had to cook the tater tots first? Either way, glad yours worked!
I followed it pretty much exactly. The tater tots stayed nice and crispy at the edges, and the mushroom soup flavor tasted rich. Next time I might add some garlic powder for extra punch.
Good flavor but mine turned out a little dry. Next time I’ll add a splash of milk or extra soup to keep it saucier. Still, the tater tots were perfectly golden.
Yum! ❤️
So comforting and easy—my whole family went back for seconds. I didn’t even bother with the mixed vegetables and it still tasted great. The cheese on top gets nice and bubbly!
Mine came out a bit dry even though I followed the time—maybe my tater tots were thinner? Still tasty, just not as creamy as I expected.
Five stars! I forgot to add the mixed veggies and it was still amazing. Also, the whole kitchen smelled like home.
Super quick dinner on a weeknight. I made it in a smaller dish so it was taller and baked a touch longer—still came out great. 10/10 comfort.
I’m skeptical about tater tots + cream of mushroom soup, but it surprised me. The texture is like a crunchy casserole. Would definitely make again for potlucks.
Not gonna lie, I’m skeptical. Cream of mushroom soup tastes… like soup. But the casserole smell was so good I tried it anyway and it was fine. Probably a family thing lol.
Totally get that skepticism 😄 Cream of mushroom can taste a little “soup-y” by itself, but once it’s baked with the tots and cheddar it really changes. If you want to level it up, I usually add a little garlic powder or pepper to the beef-soup mix.
Just okay. Wish it had more veggies in it, felt kinda heavy and not very healthy. But the kids ate it!
Pretty good and super easy—made it on a weeknight and everyone went back for seconds. I used 85/15 beef and still didn’t have much grease after draining.
Love hearing this! The 85/15 choice probably makes it even less greasy—nice. Did you add the mixed veggies or keep it classic?
Could you really bake for only 30 + 15? I thought it needed longer because the tots were still pale at 45 minutes, so I added like 10 more.
Not gonna lie, it was kinda meh. The veggies got soggy and the beef mixture was thick like paste. Tasted ok, just not my thing.