Description
Tater tot casserole is Midwest comfort food at its most honest. A layer of seasoned ground beef and vegetables topped with frozen tater tots and cheese, baked until everything is crispy and bubbling. It is not trying to be anything other than exactly what it is, and it is perfect for that. Kids lose their minds over this one.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (10.75 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 bag (32 ounces) frozen tater tots
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking into crumbles, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the onion and cook 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Drain any excess fat.
- Stir in the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, corn, peas, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix until well combined.
- Spread the beef mixture in an even layer in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Arrange the tater tots in a single layer over the top, packing them tightly together.
- Bake 40 minutes until the tots are golden and crispy. Sprinkle the cheddar over the tots and bake another 5 minutes until melted.
- Top with sliced green onions and serve hot.
Notes
- Pack the tater tots tightly together — the crispy layer should be continuous, not sparse, for the best texture.
- Cream of mushroom soup from a can is the classic binder here and it works. This is not the place to get fancy.
- You can swap the ground beef for ground turkey for a leaner version without losing the spirit of the dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 920
- Fat: 32
- Carbohydrates: 48
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 28
- Cholesterol: 85