Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole is a staple, kid friendly recipe in my kitchen. This easy hotdish recipe is the best because it is loaded with ground beef, corn, cheese and crispy tater tots. This is referred to as tater tot hotdish recipe here in Minnesota, but whatever you call it, don’t you dare skip out on the last ingredient because it makes all the difference….
In the spirit of being totally open and honest with you, I present to you the first recipe in the 12 years of my blog history that uses a condensed soup: Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole. While I am not a huge fan of this prepared product, I do appreciate the aid that it gives to those who are just learning to cook, like my children. My kids like to use them in some of their favorite recipes because it makes things fairly simple for them in the preparation process.
My kids make dinner a few nights a week and if I allowed them to, they would make this Tater Tot Casserole every single week. This recipe is definitely kid friendly!
Although, since we are Minnesotans, I should really re-title it a Tater Tot Hotdish recipe. You don’t call them casseroles up north apparently and I still find that weird. It took me years of living here in the land of 10,000 lakes to figure out what the heck a hotdish was!
Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole Recipe VIDEO
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The Best Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole and Hotdish
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
Cheesy tater tot Casserole is always an easy dinner recipe idea and super kid friendly with those crispy potatoes all over the top!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 can corn or green beans, drained
- 3/4 C low fat sour cream
- 1 can low fat cream of mushroom soup
- 3/4 C skim milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 C shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 lb bag tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray.
- Heat a large skillet on high and add your ground beef or turkey. Season with the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Cook on high, breaking it up into pieces as you go until the meat is completely cooked.
- Add the sour cream, soup, milk and corn or green beans. Mix until combined.
- Pour mixture into the 9×13 pan. Top with the shredded cheese.
- Add the tater tots to the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle a bit of salt over the tater tots when you take the casserole out of the oven.
Notes
**For a freezer meal, prepare as instructed but do not bake. Freeze, well wrapped. To cook it, bake at 350 for 60 minutes if frozen, or as instructed if thawed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 th
- Calories: 461
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 1273 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
Keywords: easy casserole recipe, hot dish recipe
As a mother who failed to teach her children to cook, kudos to you for doing so. I should have. Now my son is texting, asking how to prepare this and that. He hasn’t a clue. And I can’t give him hands-on lessons as he’s living and interning in Boston. Parent fail.
Thankfully the girls have taught themselves without too many difficulties.
As for those over-boiled eggs, I can only imagine the mess.
I like to tease my older kids that they were the experiment and that the younger three have a much better Mom than they did. There is no way to learn how to be a Mom besides doing it so I guess that is one advantage of having six kids….at least some of them get the benefits of my earlier mistakes 🙂
I too left eggs boiling and stepped outside to speak with a neighbor…..back in the kitchen to check on eggs that by some magical happening were no longer in the pot……they were splatter all over my ceiling….talk about atomic eggs!
Definitely atomic 🙂
Me too, boiled eggs on the ceiling, fortunately it cleaned up, and i didn’t burn down the house, but not the same fate for the pot, it went into the garbage.
You could have turned it upside down in the grass over night and it would have cleaned up fine. My grandma taught me this many many years ago.
We have tater tot casserole like 4 times a month. A true staple in our home. BUT your recipe was amazing! I would have never thought to put the green beans inside the casserole! We always had them as a side!!! Great great great!
Thanks so much Sarah!
Hi Carole! Is it better to use 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup or regular cream of mushroom soup?! Wasnt sure if it would make a difference flavor wise!
Hi Amy! Either will work perfectly fine
It really looks good, but i’m trying to give her the receipt to her!
Hi Debby! Just use the print button by the recipe
Just found this recipe on Pintrest and would love to try. I am only cooking for two. Is it possible to get half a recipe haha
You can always make a full recipe and freeze half of it 🙂 Carole
Got it in the oven right now! Can’t wait to taste it!
Glad you gave it a try Valencia! -Carole
I have made this casserole twice now and love it!!!! I even did it in the dutch oven camping and it was a huge hit. Thank you so much 🙂 -Maddie
So glad Maddie! Thanks for coming back and letting me know how it went for you -Carole
Never made it! And only had it once…but guess where? The women’s correctional institute! No i wasn’t a fellow offender, i was an intern in the clinic. And I am also from Minnesota. Thanks for the recipe!!
That is awesome Jennifer!
Planning to try my first tater tots casserole and yours sounds yummy!! Do I not drain the grease off the meat before mixing??
Katie- welcome to the world of tater tot casserole :). You can certainly drain your ground beef if you would like to
It was a hit! Very affordable and next time I will add more veggies!
Glad it was a hit Maria
So yummy. My mom always made it with golden mushroom soup. It’s a must try if you haven’t!
I will definitely have to try it with the golden mushroom version! Thanks Michelle – Carole
Mom of six here too, and this got the thumbs up! The sour cream is one of those “why didn’t I think if that before” ingredients. Thanks for another dish to add to our rotation!
Hello fellow busy momma Laura! So glad you enjoyed this recipe and please look around a find a few more
I made it yesterday! It was delicious, definitely will be making it again!
Love to hear that Maria! I’m sure you can find a bunch more recipes to try out if you look around
Made this tonight. Made a few substitutions based on what I had on hand. Used Alexia sweet potato tots, frozen mixed veggies (which I thawed) and substituted plain greek yogurt for the sour cream. Thanks for the recipe!
Love those substitutions Cindy! Glad you made it work
Oh man. I wish I would have read this sooner. I was short on sour cream and didn’t know what else to use. Oh well, it’s in the oven now so we’ll see how it turns out.
I”m sure it will be great!
I wonder how tomato soup would taste
If you give it a try Michelle, come back and let me know how it turned out because that is intriguing
I’m gluten free and mushroom soup is hard to find. Would Alfredo sauce work ? Really want to make this
I’m sure it would Loni!
We love tater tot casserole! I prebake the tater tots – it makes a big difference in texture to me!
Oooo, I love that idea Robin. I will have to try that out next time!
I’m a terrible cook, but I made a deal with my husband that if I could be a stay at home mom, that I would learn. I’m trying, but still at the stage where the easier the recipe is, the better (I still manage to screw things up sometimes tho, lol). This one looks pretty easy (thank you or that!) but I have a question that might seem stupid but can make all the difference. Do I use frozen tater tots or thawed ones? Also, my toddler is a picky eater–which is where recipes with tater tots comes in handy–and he might not go for cream of mushroom soup. Can I substitute pretty much any cream soup? Thanks!
That is an awesome deal Katie and good for you learning how to cook! Yes, the tater tots should be frozen and as long as the cream soup goes well with the beef, yes! Take some time to look around and I know you will find some more easy recipes to give a try
Awesome! I have a friend who gives her teenage daughter a new recipe every month to learn – meatloaf, spaghetti sauce, salad dressing, cheesecake….. she makes a different recipe each week to learn how different ingredients change the recipe. Then she puts them all in a binder so that when her daughter’s off on her own, she’ll not only have the recipes, but know how to prepare them.
That is a great idea Johanna! It is so important to teach our kids how to cook
How many servings please? I love freezer meals that you can eat now and freeze for later.
It makes a 9×13 pan so I guess it depends on how big your servings are! It feeds our family of 8
I am cooking for a harvest crew of 7 hungry teenage boys & men. Do you think I should make two recipes of this?
If your teens and men are anything like mine, YES 🙂
Going to give this a go tonight. But without the green beans… I hate them! I keep trying to like them and just can’t get the hang of it! I’ll see what else I have kicking around!
Use corn instead Lana and you will love it
this recipe served as my inspiration tonight, substituted for what I had on hand, but turned out great! I used chicken & bacon, cream of chicken soup… all else the same, but had a “loaded-baked-potato” kinda vibe.
will definitely try it as written next time
I think your version sounds delicious Emma! Thanks so much for coming back and sharing – Carole
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS WITH THE WORLD!!
I am a Mom of 4 and we have 6 of us in all here at home. This was such a perfect find for its affordability, yield, and simplicity. I have one child who’s very interested in cooking and for my first time making this -I made it myself- I definitely see my son being able to make this with limited guidance. I really appreciate you busy Momma’s who take the time to aid to others. LESS THAN 20 MINS LEFT AND I’M A DROOLIN’!!
Can’t wait to make other recipes you have shared and will share!
I’m so glad KtMae! I love hearing comments like yours because they keep me going 🙂 Carole
This is my first recipe to make from your blog and my family loved it! So much better than the last tater tot casserole made. :-/
Hi Valerie! Thanks for coming back to let me know. Take some time and look around and I know you will find a bunch of recipes to give a try. My Top 10 Recipes are linked at the top of this page and are a great place to start :). Carole
Hi Carol! This is in the oven as I’m typing this and let me tell you it smells amazing, can’t wait to try it! I don’t have 6 kid’s just two boys but my 9 month old keeps me on my toes and this recipe was just the thing I needed today! Can’t wait to see what the hubby and kids think of it! Thanks a bunch 🙂
I’m so glad you have it a try Candace!! No such thing as “only two” when it comes to kids 🙂 Any number is a handful! -Carole
Is there anything I could replace the cream of mushroom soup with?
You could certainly use any other type of condensed cream soup of your choice. You could also make a homemade bechamel sauce if you don’t want to use a condensed soup, but since my kiddos are the ones who make this recipe, they like the easiness of the soup! -Carole
Thank u so much,this recipe saved me in a pinch,its a late dinner, the kids are in the way home from Vacation bible school, I hv three, it’s in the oven,I’m sure it will be a hit can’t wait,thank u so much!!!!!!!
You are so welcome Darrita! -Carole
I like to add about 4 oz canned sliced olives, mushrooms (drained) and 1/2-3/4 cup diced orange/yellow bell peppers, 1/2-3/4 cup fresh chopped sweet onion, 1 can cream of celery soup and about a 1/4 cup of bacon bits; instead of the sour cream, milk and corn or green beans. I always saute the mushrooms, olives, onion and peppers together with minced garlic and black pepper, then brown ground beef with the result. ( I use 7% GB so it never needs drained) A little more work, but definitely worth it in the end. I have had people rave about it, even a cpl years after they have had it.
Hi Virgil and thank you so much for all your great tips! I can tell just by reading your changes that your version must be really amazing! Carole
Do you think that if I made it on a Saturday and left it unbaked in the fridge it would be good to bake on Tuesday?
Absolutely Tamara! You could even prepare it up to the point of baking, then freeze it for an easy freezer meal -Carole
Great recipe. I decided to use rotisserie chicken instead and it was delicious. Can’t wait to make it with ground beef.
I love the idea of using chicken instead of beef Stacey! -Carole
I love your recipe! I substituted the cream soup for a gluten free version and it was amazing. A new gluten free meal for our house 🙂
Awesome stuff Tracy! So glad you were able to make it GF -Carole
I Google tatertot hotdish and got yours. Thank you I do not have kids and looking for kid friendly recipes. I am from mn so definitely hotdish.
Hope you enjoy the hot dish Mo 🙂
Up late looking for a yummy recipe for tomorrow’s dinner. I’m excited because I just so happen to have ALL the needed ingredients on hand to make this (surprisingly!!). The exception being the cheddar cheese. I DO happen to have sliced Kraft singles (aka “American”), as well as sliced Swiss AND sliced Provolone. I’m thinking that the American cheese would be my best bet. What do you think?
I will post again with the results after I’ve made it and received the verdict from my fam!
♡•~CAN’T WAIT~•♡
I think any of those cheeses would work well so just pick the one you love the most! Thanks for saying hi Mitzi 🙂
Do you think I can freeze leftovers as an individual servings? We have a lot leftover that I was thinking about freezing for lunches for my toddlers. Wasn’t sure how it would be freezing/thawing/reheating. Thanks!
Absolutely Katie!
I’ve had it before and very good. Don’t have the receipt and was telling my twin sister about it. but can’t get the receipt for her.
So you have a few options. Easiest is just to send her the link to this recipe. Or you can print her off a copy to give to her by using the print button. Or when you click on the print button, you have the option to save it as a PDF, which you can then email to her.
We make tator tot casserole all the time. I live in Wisconsin and it is half and half.. Hot dish or casserole!
I love tater tot casserole because it is so versatile. I’ve used broccoli cheese soup and added broccoli and chicken instead of beef.. I always use frozen veggies instead of canned..makes a huge difference.
As another poster said, I also cook the tots beforehand too. I tend to use potatoe rounds because they crisp up easier and faster.
Great tips Tammi! Thanks so much for taking the time to share them with my readers
Saw this on Pinterest and I want to try to make it for my church group. I’m 26, single and not a great cook but I want to learn. My Bible Study are my guinea pigs until I get married. Haha.
Doubled the recipe and used organic ground turkey. It was delicious. People gobbled it all up. Thank you for a winning recipe. 🙂
Awesome! Thanks for coming back to let me know
I hope it turns out well for you Sadie!
Fantastic and tasty dinner! Will be making again for sure. Based on a comment, I cooked the tater tots for 10 mins before adding on top and it turned out great. Thanks so much!
You are more than welcome Amanda!
I make tator tot casserole for my boys, but I use cream of celery instead of cream of mushroom and it is VERY good!
I’ve done that a few times as well Jessica and agree that it is a yummy version!
Just made for dinner tonight unfortunately before I read l these great suggestiond. I added some worchestershire sauce & capers. My husband loved it but I lost 88 lbs three years ago so unfortunately TT casserole is not part of my diet
That is awesome Patty! Congrats on all your hard work
This was a big hit in my home!
So happy to hear it Stephanie! Take a peak at my Top 10 Recipe link at the top of the page for some more great recipes to try out.
We love this casserole in Iowa too, although I don’t use cream cheese……I use cheddar cheese soup instead……I’m going to try it your way tonight!! 🙂
Oops! I meant sour cream!! That could have been interesting!!
That would be interesting Amy 😉
I tried it and it was amazing!!! I made it the second time and didn’t have sour cream, Shi I used French onion dip!! OMG!!!!!! Sooooooo good you should try it at least once!!!!
That sounds like an amazing accident Talisa! Will definitely try next time
Thank you so much Carol for this recipe- I’ve had it book marked for months and I make it 2-3 times per month. I am a young mother, it’s easy enough to make and my kids absolutely love it every time. Thank you, I haven’t found a single tator tot casserole that can compare. As all cooks do, we tweek most recipes to our liking. This is the only recipe I use that I only make one change- I add a bag of beefy lipton onion soup with the milk, before adding the soup, corn, & sour cream. This is a compliment to you. Thanks again!
I love that my readers make recipes work for them and use creativity to make them better!
Carole- I used a modified version of your recipe for supper tonight! So good- I wrote it about it on my sight and gave you a shoutout with a link to your page! Check it out here: http://www.maxandrosies.com/2016/01/07/tator-tot-casserole-for-two/
Thanks so much for sharing!!
Looks great Jessica!
Hello, I would love to try your recipe. I know this sounds like a silly question, but how many ounces or mls is a can of campbell’s soup in the US? I live in Australia, and I think we have smaller cans over here. Thanks for your help 🙂 I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hey Simone! It is an 11 ounce can.
Its me, my hubby and 5 kids under 10 years and I have made this, with my little one’s help, at least twice a month..it is a must make and I will never try it any other way lol. Thank you so much for this simple but super delicious recipe!
Awesome Brandy! Glad I could help out a busy mama 🙂
I just made this for dinner tonight. The only substitute I made was swapping out the corn or green beans with 2 small cans of mushrooms. It turned out awesome. Thanks for the great recipe!
Great substitutions Sue 🙂
Tried this for the first time tonight. An easy crowd pleaser! I turned the oven to broil for 5-10 mins at the end of cooking that gave the tater tots a nice crunch. Definitely will try different variations of this again! Thanks for the post.
Love that broiler tip Stephanie!
On the recipe list of ingredients you just say 1 can corn or green beans but you don’t mention what size can? 8 oz, 11 oz 15 oz it does make a difference I need the information b4 I try to make it
Hi Holly! Just a regular 14 or 15 ounce can works great
I have this in the oven now. Question… It didn’t say to drain the grease from the meat. Was that on purpose? I drained it anyways. Hope I didn’t mess it up lol.
Hey Brandy! Either way is perfectly fine. I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Just took this to a potluck and came back empty handed. Delicious! I did add to the recipe. I used 2 lbs of ground beef. Cooked that up with one chopped onion and about 4 cloves of garlic. After it was done cooking I added a few shakes of worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, pinch of thyme and rosemary. Put the whole casserole together and placed in the fridge for a few hours so the tator tots thawed in the fridge. I baked it for about 35-40 mins. Thanks for a yummy recipe!
Thanks for sharing your version of the recipe Lori!
Just made this tonight using ground turkey & cream of chicken soup. Tasted great & everyone loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
You are so welcome Kathy!
What size can of soup?
Hi Michelle! Just the standard 14 ounce can.
Instead of using green beans I use a can of corn! It really makes it sweet and gives better texture to the gooey center. 🙂
Yep, that’s what the recipe calls for and we love the sweet as well.
Has anyone tried it with sausage? Kinda like a breakfast dish………..
I would love to make this for my stamp club……………it’s an early morning meeting.
Have you tried sausage, for a breakfast type casserole?
Here is a great breakfast version Linda! https://www.mykitchenescapades.com/2014/09/breakfast-tater-tot-casserole.html
Thank you soooo much for this recipe!!! My daughter literally fights us every night about dinner and this time she was quiet and eat all of her food. Then was super proud to say she finished her dinner!! The whole reason I made it was because my husband really enjoyed it as a kid and I wanted to see if it worked for mine!! And it did!! My husband told me I needed to make a bigger dish, little did he know I put half in tonight dinner and did a freezer meal for next week! Let’s just say this was the most successful recipe this month, possibly even year!
I’m so glad Crystal! Thanks for coming back and letting me know
Hey I love this recipe and I decided to do a few freezer meals out of it but I am just wondering if your freezer meal directions are off? 350 for 50 mins and my meal is still super cold and partially frozen. Just hoping we can adjust that for future readers!
Hey Britaney! Thanks for the feedback on the time. I will make that adjustment in the time for the frozen version!
This recipe was so delicious and easy to make! Instead of making it with green beans I put in peas and corn! Super good- thank you for the recipe
Howdy Gwendolyn! We use corn as well and my kids love it that way.
Hi there. May be a silly question, but do you drain the hamburger before mixing everything together?
Not silly at all Erin! For me, it depends on what type of ground beef I buy. I usually buy 93/7 for the lower fat content but if the price is right, I will buy the higher fat content and then do drain it. Doesn’t really matter one way or the other 🙂
My toddler loves tater tots and I was just going to bake some for supper but I wasn’t feeling it tonight. Thought, I wonder if there is such a thing as a tater tot casserole, came across this. It’s in the oven now. I do have a question, sorry if I missed it, but should it be covered in the oven or not? I have it covered and was thinking maybe uncover it for the last 10-15 minutes to get the tater tots brown. Thanks!
Hey Sarah! I do not cover it while baking. I don’t want the tater tots to steam. I hope it turns out for you!
I made this recipe for my family. I substituted the cream of mushroom soup for cheddar cheese soup. It turned out amazing! The kids loved it! This recipe i’s definitely one of my favorites!
Thanks for sharing your version of my recipe Allison! Glad it worked so well for you!
Willusing whole milk make much of a difference? I do get 1% on occasions too but we don’t use skim milk at all
Hey there Liz! It will just be a creamier result and there is nothing wrong with that 🙂
Could I put it together and then refridgerate it overnight to throw in the oven when I get home? Or does it have to be frozen?
Thanks
That would work perfectly Allison! Enjoy
My kids and hubs loved this, especially my picky eater. Thank you!
I love hearing comments like this one Shelly! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Why would you post a recipe without the number of servings?
Useless.
Hey there Sue! A simple, polite question of how many does it serve is all you needed to post. Because my mom taught me to be kind to those who are not kind to me, I will answer your unasked question. It serves between 8-10. You are welcome.
Mine is in the oven right now! I’ve probably made this casserole three or four times by now! Incredibly easy, and delicious too. I personally substituted cream of mushroom for cream of onion (not a fan of mushroom), and I do not add any salt. I also use corn, as the sweetness of the corn helps to counterbalance the saltiness. Sometimes I use 2 cans of corn (my sister really loves corn). I’m glad I found this treasure on pinterest. Now permanently a part of the recipe rotation in my household.
Thanks so much Abby for coming back and sharing your experience with my recipe!
You call this “The Best Tater To Casserole”, and it is! I’m 54, and have been cooking since I was 10 or so. So. . .I’m always looking for new ways to feed everyone. This is amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Why, thank you Bernadette! I’m thrilled to hear it 🙂
Two questions: About how many servings and how long can it be frozen?
Hey there Judy! This makes a 9 x 13 inch pan full so it depends on how large your servings are. I would say easily 8 servings. You can freeze it for up to 3 months.
I’ve made your recipe so many times since I found it a few years ago. My twins (who are now 16) came back from church camp telling me about this awesome thing called a tator tot casserole that was served while they were there. I hopped on Pinterest and immediately found yours and I’ve been making this exact recipe ever since! In fact, it’s in the oven this very moment. Perfect every time!
Thank you Allison for your great comment! It is a standard here as well 🙂
I don’t have sour cream or any substitutes that I can think of. 🙁 Will this still taste ok without it? Thanks!
Hey there Emma! Yeah, it will be ok. Any chance you have any plain yogurt? The sour cream helps enhance the canned cream soup.
Hi! Could I use ground pork in it? What do you think?
Hi Stephanie! I bet that would be awesome.
I just finish to cook this dish… my family love it.
We are from Chile.
Thank you for the recipe
★★★★★
Glad you loved it Jessica!
Always a favorite at our house! We love the use of corn and cheese.
★★★★★
Thanks for coming back Donald and leaving your review! They help out so much 🙂
I created this recipe over time in homage to the original from Opie’s BBQ in Spicewood, TX. Some things to note: Ore-Ida tater tots have lots of salt and seasoning; typically off-brand do not. I would probably add over a tsp for off-brand tots.
★★★★★
So easy to make, yet very flavorful. Everyone..kids and adults..loved it!
★★★★★
Have you ever gotten so excited about a recipe?! Well, today I m SO excited to share this Tater Tot Casserole recipe that we made last week. I m so ecstatic to share it because it was LOVED by the whole family and ended up tasting so cheesy and delicious. In fact, my husband and sisters claimed it the best casserole they had ever tried. How s that for quickly becoming a family favorite?!
★★★★★