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The Ultimate Crispy Ground Beef Tater Tot Casserole

A hearty slice of tater tot casserole showing crispy tots, melted cheese, and ground beef filling.
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Make this classic tater tot casserole, featuring seasoned ground beef, a creamy mushroom sauce, and a perfectly crispy tater tot topping. It is a simple, family-friendly comfort food perfect for weeknight dinners.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.5 lbs ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  2. Brown the ground beef and chopped onion in a large skillet over medium heat until the beef is fully cooked and the onion is soft. Drain off any excess grease.
  3. Stir the cream of mushroom soup, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder into the beef mixture. Cook for 2 minutes until heated through.
  4. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in half (1/2 cup) of the shredded cheddar cheese until melted into the mixture.
  5. Spread the beef mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
  6. Arrange the frozen tater tots in a single, even layer over the beef mixture. Do not thaw the tots first.
  7. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly around the edges.
  8. Remove the casserole from the oven. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese over the tater tots.
  9. Return the casserole to the oven and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tater tots are golden brown and crispy.
  10. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before you cut and serve it.

Notes

  • For extra crispy tater tots, bake the tots uncovered for the first 25 minutes before adding the final layer of cheese.
  • You can substitute cream of chicken soup for cream of mushroom soup if you prefer.
  • This is a great make ahead tater tot casserole; assemble everything except the tater tots, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add 10 minutes to the initial bake time if baking straight from the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://dishicious.com/tater-tot-casserole-crispy-recipe/