This Easy Tater Tot Casserole is an easy, low-cost meal that the entire family will love. It's a classic Midwestern Recipe that can be whipped up in under an hour, making it a go-to recipe for those busy weeknights.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I'm a meat and potatoes guy through and through. So it's only natural that one of my favorite meals growing up would be made with beef and tater tots. Then add green beans and top it off with cream of mushroom soup and Worcestershire sauce. You've got a delicious dinner winner!
Ingredients
Meat: All you'll need is some lean ground beef. And if you like ground beef recipes, you should check out this Copycat Tastees Loose Meat Sandwich recipe.
Vegetables: A single Yellow Onion, Canned Green Beans, and a bag of Frozen Tater Tots will do it.
Liquids: Nothing more than some Worcestershire Sauce and Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Extras: I like adding Beef Tallow to my Tater Tot Casserole(See Expert Tips).
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This recipe doesn't take long to prep, so go ahead and get the oven preheating to 375°f. At the same time, while the oven is preheating, start by browning the ground beef in a 12" Cast Iron Skillet. Once the meat has browned, strain the fat and set it aside.
Place the diced Onion in the same skillet and cook until they begin to brown, then add the garlic. Sauté the mixture for about 3-4 minutes or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Next, return the ground beef to the Skillet and stir to combine.
Add the Worcestershire Sauce and Tallow, stirring and cooking until the tallow has melted. The tallow is entirely optional, but I will say this. Because I use regular ole lean ground beef and strain the meat, it loses some beefy flavor. I like the beefy flavor, but only the GOOD beef flavor. By adding tallow, you're getting the taste of beef from a higher-end source. But again, unlike making a Philly at home, the tallow isn't necessary for this recipe.
Season the meat mixture with a bit of salt and Pepper. Then, evenly spread it around the cast iron skillet using a spatula, making it flat and compact. Top the meat mixture with cream of mushroom soup, then the green beans.
Salt and Pepper again.
Now top the whole thing evenly with frozen tater tots. Bake the entire Skillet for 35 minutes at 375°f on the bottom rack.
Lastly, set your oven to broil at 400°f, move the Skillet up, and broil until the Tater Tots are golden brown.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to have plenty of Worcestershire Sauce on hand. I love to lay it on heavy on my bowl.
- Beef Tallow adds an extra beefy flavor but is a more pure form of beef fat. I use lean 93/7 ground beef and add a little organic grass-fed beef tallow for more flavor.
- Be sure to drain the ground beef thoroughly. This will keep your tater tot casserole from getting mushy.
- Don't forget the broiling step. This adds a nice color and crunch to the top of your tater tots.
Recipe FAQs
Tater Tot Casserole, AKA Tater Tot Hotdish, originated in the upper midwest states of Minnesota & North Dakota.
Hotdish dates back to the '30s during the great depression. At that time, meat was high-priced and hard to come by, making this an easy and affordable meal for families. They would include ground beef, pasta or potatoes, and canned veggies like peas, corn, tomatoes, etc.
If your tater tot casserole is soggy, this could be due to a few factors, including not baking it for a long enough period of time, not draining all of the grease from the ground beef, not draining the liquid from canned vegetables, or not crisping the top under the broiler.
Tater tot casserole is made of ground beef, onions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, cream of mushroom soup, green beans, and tater tots.
The main difference between tater tot hotdish and tater tot casserole is where in the midwest you are from. Tater tot hotdish is from the northern midwestern states like Minnesota while tater tot casserole is what the same dish is called in Nebraska.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Yellow Onion, diced
- 2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Tbsp. Beef Tallow Optional
- 15 OZ Canned Green Beans
- 2 - 10.75 OZ Canned Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1 Bag Frozen Tater Tots
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°f.
- Brown ground beef in a 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet and drain excess fat.
- Place onions in the Cast Iron Skillet and brown over medium heat.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant for about 3-4 minutes.
- Return ground beef to Skillet and stir to combine.
- Add Worcestershire Sauce and Tallow, stirring until melted.
- Season with Salt and Pepper.
- Top with Cream of Mushroom Soup.
- Add a layer of Green Beans and season with a little more pepper.
- Lastly, top the whole Skillet with Tater Tots and season with salt and Pepper.
- Bake for 35 minutes on the bottom rack.
- Move Skillet to the top rack and broil at 400°f until Tots are golden brown.
- Serve with a bottle of Worcestershire Sauce, and ENJOY!
Video
Notes
- Be sure to have plenty of Worcestershire Sauce on hand. I love to lay it on heavy on my bowl.
- Beef Tallow adds an extra beefy flavor but is a more pure form of beef fat. I use lean 93/7 ground beef and add some organic grass-fed beef tallow for more flavor.
- Be sure to drain the ground beef thoroughly. This will keep your tater tot casserole from getting mushy.
- Don't forget the broiling step. This adds a nice color and crunch to the top of your tater tots.
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