Traditional Tater Tot Casserole – Easy Cheesy Recipe

Tater tot casserole is a creamy ground beef and potato casserole, definitely a tried and true comfort food, at least in the Mennonite culture.

It’s very simple to make and so delicious!

There’s even veggies involved, so this makes a wonderful one dish supper; a complete meal the whole family is sure to enjoy.

It’s a lovely day in the midwest.

The sun is shining, fluffy white clouds are floating lazily by, the cicadas are singing, a slight breeze is blowing…it’s lovely indeed.

Too lovely to be inside, really.

But guess what, we still need (and want!) to eat!

Tonight’s going to be another of those busy weeknights, so easy dinners like this hearty casserole are perfect!

This is an old family favorite, a very easy casserole recipe, great for beginners in the kitchen.

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Supplies you may need

• Frying pan – we use our non-stick skillet nearly every day!
• Wooden utensils – these are essentials in our kitchen; plus, they work great with non-stick surfaces.
• Colander or strainer – super handy to use to drain grease from cooked ground beef
• Small mixing bowl – with which to mix the sauce.
• Can opener – you may need one of these, depending on the brand of mushroom soup you have.
• Measuring cups and spoons – to measure ingredients of course. (I feel like this one is self explanatory!)
• Casserole dish – we like our Pyrex baking dishes and use them alot!
• Cooking spray – spray that baking dish in hopes of easier cleanup when it’s all said and done.

Ingredients

Onion – a large onion,  finely diced.

Ground beef – a package of your choice of ground beef.

Salt and pepper – regular salt and ground black pepper for a little extra flavor.

Cream of mushroom soup – a can of cream of mushroom soup from the store or you can make your own cream of mushroom soup.

Sour cream – regular full fat sour cream.

Green beans – a package or can of green beans (or your choice of vegetable!).

Cheese – pre-sliced American cheese.

Tater tots – crispy tater tots are my favorite part of the whole casserole!

How to make our creamy, cheesy Tater Tot Casserole

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet or frying pan, cook and brown the ground beef with the diced onion. Add however much salt and pepper you desire while it’s cooking. Then drain off the excess grease and place browned ground beef in a small mixing bowl.

If your choice of vegetable (we use green beans) is uncooked, you’ll want to cook it first, before adding to the casserole.

Place the cream of mushroom soup and sour cream in the mixing bowl with the ground beef and mix thoroughly to create the creamy sauce.

Grease your baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or butter. Then spread the ground beef mixture evenly in the bottom.

Spread the green beans evenly on top of the meat mixture.

Next, add a single layer of pre-sliced American cheese.

On the top, layer tater tots as thick as you wish. (Some folks arrange them in a perfect, even layer of tater tots, others like myself just pile them on!) You might not use the entire 2 pound bag of tater tots, and yes, we used frozen tater tots.

Finally, bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for one hour until the casserole is bubbling a little and the tater tots on top are a lovely, crispy golden brown.

Serve and enjoy!

Customize your Tater Tot Casserole

Green beans is the standard vegetable ingredient in Tater Tot Casserole, though any frozen vegetables are fine as long as they are cooked. (Who wants to bite into a crunchy green bean!?) Use your favorite, or whatever you have on hand. Canned green beans (or other vegetables) are fine too, just remember to drain them before adding to the casserole!

This is a standard Mennonite recipe for easy comfort food, without alot of extra spice and flavor. However, a little bit of garlic powder, diced bell pepper, maybe a splash of Worcestershire sauce could all be great ways to add a little extra flavor.

Ground turkey or pork can be substituted for ground beef. A different canned soup such as cream of chicken soup works ok in place of cream of mushroom soup.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 3-6 months.

This casserole can be prepped ahead of time for the next day and stored in the refrigerator until ready to bake. It also makes a great freezer meal! Simply assemble the casserole then freeze before baking for up to 6 months. (Less than 3 months is ideal!)

Have you made Traditional Tater Tot Casserole?

Leave a comment below! We’d love to hear about it.

Inspire your friends

Thanks for visiting our small town!

Stay awhile and explore more delicious recipes…

Creamy Mac & Beef

Taco Potato Casserole

Pizza Casserole

’til next time,

Julie