Tater Tot Casserole is so cheesy and so easy! This delicious dish is filled with ground beef, green beans, cream of chicken, and cheese, then topped off with tater tots. Everyone will love this easy meal!
What’s in this Tater Tot Casserole Recipe?
This is the best tater tot casserole, made with green beans, ground beef, lots of cheese, and so much more for an amazing flavor. Then everything is topped off with tater tots!
- Ground Beef: I used 85% lean!
- Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, basil, and pepper add so much flavor to the beef!
- Green Beans: Add a pop of color, texture, and nutrition!
- Cream of Chicken Soup: Binds the casserole ingredients together and adds moisture and richness.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Creates a gooey, cheesy layer on top of the casserole!
- Sour Cream: Adds a touch of tanginess to the casserole.
- Ketchup: Adds a lightly sweet and tangy flavor.
- Soy Sauce: Adds a salty, umami flavor.
- Frozen Tater Tots: Form a crisp golden crust on top!
Pro Tip: Do not thaw the tater tots!!
Variations on Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole
There are so many ways you can change up this casserole. Try adding crumbled bacon for an extra smoky flavor and crispy texture. For a healthier casserole, add additional sautéed vegetables, like bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. For a southwestern take, try making my Mexican Tater Tot Casserole!
Minnesota is best known for tater tot hotdish, although it is a staple meal in much of the Midwest!
The cream of chicken soup should make this casserole plenty thick, but if yours seems a bit thin, try whisking together equal parts cornstarch and cold water, then stir it into the filling until thick.
If your tater tots aren’t crispy, they probably need a bit longer to bake. You can also try spraying or brushing on some cooking oil to help them brown more in the oven!
This casserole is a full meal all by itself, but you could also serve it with some buttermilk biscuits or coleslaw!
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover tater tot casserole tightly covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat covered with aluminum foil in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes, or until warmed through.
How to Freeze
This recipe makes a great freezer meal! If you want to make it ahead of time, prep and assemble the casserole according to instructions. Instead of baking it, let it cool, cover it with aluminum foil, then freeze up to 1 month. You can freeze it the same way after cooking if you have leftovers.
Serving Suggestions
With all of the ingredients in this casserole (beef, green beans, and tater tots), it’s a full meal on its own. But if you’d like to add something extra, I’d recommend serving it with another veggie side, a salad, or maybe some bread. Try this spinach salad and cornbread muffins.
5-Star Review
“Love it!” – Donna Rose
Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 15 ounces canned green beans drained (1 can)
- 10 ounces cream of chicken soup (1 can)
- 2½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 16 ounces frozen tater tots do not thaw! (1 bag)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish and spray with cooking oil. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain grease.1 pound ground beef
- Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, dried basil, and pepper. Set aside.1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- In a large bowl, mix together the drained green beans, cream of chicken, 1 cup of the divided cheese, sour cream, ketchup, and soy sauce. Add the ground beef to the bowl and mix together.15 ounces canned green beans, 10 ounces cream of chicken soup, 2½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ½ cup sour cream, ½ tablespoon ketchup, 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
- Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Make sure it’s evenly dispersed.
- Take frozen tater tots and arrange them in a single layer covering the beef mixture.16 ounces frozen tater tots
- Place the pan in the oven uncovered to cook for 25 minutes.
- Top tater tots with remaining 1 ½ cups of cheese over the casserole and return pan to the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the tater tots are golden brown. The sides should also be bubbly.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Cook and season ground beef ahead of time to cut down on prep time.
- Keep the tater tots frozen while prepping. They’ll cook fully in the casserole.
- Cook the tater tot casserole uncovered.
Nutrition Information
If preparing as a freezer meal do you cook from frozen or defrost first? I just wasn’t sure if it would make it weird defrosting it before baking as the tator tots would defrost too.
You can do it either way. Straight from frozen would increase the bake time to about an hour, whereas defrosting would put the bake time at 30 minutes.
Another good one! I was hesitant to use canned green beans but did anyway, and they were fine, but next time I might try chopped green chiles as another person suggested. I also might bake it at a higher temperature because we like our tater tots a little crispier. I also topped the cheddar with some Mexican blend cheese because it melts better than the cheddar I use (no idea why!).
Sounds amazing!
It’s called hotdish.
6th
I make this also except never with green beans, yuck! I use Bacon instead 😊 And it’s delicious ! just fry it up with the hamburger meat then drain almostajj of the grease but not
Sounds like a tasty substitute!
Been making tator tot recipe for years. Only I’m not a fan of green beans in it. I subsituted green chile instead. Try it it’s wonderful.
Definitely modify to your liking!!
Love it!
Thanks for stopping by, Donna!
If you don’t like Cream of Chicken Soup can you use Cream of Mushroom Soup, or; Cream of Celery Soup?
I don’t see an issue with it!
I have made this casserole many time with whatever creamed soups I had on hand. My family liked the broccoli rather than green beans.
I use cream of mushroom condensed soup and a bag of frozen carrots ,peas and and green beans ! No cheese! I took it at pot lucks and everyone absolutely loved it!
Yes that’s what I use! 😊