Tater Tot Beef Casserole (Printable)

Comforting casserole with ground beef, veggies, and crispy tater tots baked to golden perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb ground beef

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, green beans)

→ Dairy & Sauces

05 - 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
06 - 1/2 cup whole milk
07 - 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

→ Topping

08 - 1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots

→ Spices & Seasonings

09 - 1 tsp salt
10 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
11 - 1/2 tsp paprika (optional)
12 - 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)

# How To Make It:

01 - Set the oven temperature to 400°F.
02 - Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain excess fat if necessary.
03 - Add chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet; cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
04 - Stir in frozen mixed vegetables and cook for 2 minutes.
05 - Add condensed cream of mushroom soup and whole milk; stir to combine and heat through. Season with salt, black pepper, and optional paprika.
06 - Remove from heat and incorporate 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese into the mixture.
07 - Spread the beef and vegetable mixture evenly into a 9x13-inch baking dish.
08 - Arrange frozen tater tots in a single layer on top of the beef mixture.
09 - Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
10 - Remove from oven; sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese over tater tots. Return to oven and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes until cheese melts and tots are golden brown.
11 - Optionally garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready in under an hour from start to table, which means weeknight sanity remains intact.
  • The tater tots get impossibly crispy while the cheese underneath creates this gooey, savory layer that keeps you coming back for seconds.
  • You can throw this together with pantry staples and frozen vegetables, so there's no exotic shopping list to stress over.
02 -
  • Drain the ground beef properly or you'll end up with a greasy casserole instead of a rich one—the difference is huge and worth the extra thirty seconds.
  • Those frozen tater tots must stay frozen until the moment they hit the baking dish, or they'll steam instead of crisp and the whole thing suffers.
  • Don't skip the second cheese layer—it's what transforms this from good to the-kind-of-casserole-people-request.
03 -
  • Arrange your tater tots in a single layer with no gaps—they protect the filling and crisp up best when they're touching just slightly.
  • Don't thaw anything unless you want soggy tater tots and a watery casserole; frozen vegetables and frozen tots are your friends here.
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