Description
Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole brings comfort straight from Grandma’s kitchen to your dinner table. Hearty ground beef, crispy tots, and melted cheese create a crowd-pleasing meal your family will devour in minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef
Cheese and Dairy:
- 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup
Vegetables and Seasonings:
- 1 small onion
- ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt (for topping)
Starch:
- ½ lb frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grab a large skillet for browning the meat.
- Sauté 1 ½ lbs ground beef with the diced small onion over medium heat until the meat turns completely brown and onions become translucent.
- Drain any excess fat from the beef mixture to keep the casserole from becoming greasy.
- Transfer the beef and onion combination into a 9×9-inch casserole dish, spreading it evenly across the bottom.
- Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt directly over the meat layer for added flavor.
- Scatter 1 ½ cups of sharp cheddar cheese across the meat in a uniform layer.
- Carefully spread the 10 oz can of cream of chicken soup over the cheese to create a smooth surface.
- Arrange ½ lb of frozen tater tots across the top of the soup layer in neat rows.
- Dust the remaining ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt over the tater tots for extra seasoning.
- Cover the entire dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F.
- Remove the foil and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes until the tater tots turn golden and crisp.
- Pull the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving hot.
Notes
- Drain beef thoroughly to prevent a soggy casserole bottom and ensure crispy tater tots.
- Choose full-fat cheddar for maximum meltiness and rich flavor that coats each layer perfectly.
- For a lighter version, swap ground beef with ground turkey and use low-fat cream of chicken soup.
- Let the casserole rest 5-10 minutes after baking so layers set and cheese stabilizes for easier serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Category: Casseroles
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 412 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg