Description
Whip up this pizza tot casserole when your crew craves comfort food that brings everyone to the table with smiles. Crispy tater tots, bubbling cheese, and zesty pizza toppings create a crowd-pleasing dinner that satisfies hungry bellies in one simple baking dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 32-oz bag tater tots
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup pepperoni, sliced
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 15-oz jar pizza sauce
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ cup onion, diced
- ½ cup green bell pepper, diced
Seasonings:
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Warm your oven to 425°F and coat a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Brown 1 lb ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, crumbling it into small pieces as it cooks.
- Drain any excess fat from the beef, then return meat to the skillet.
- Add ½ cup diced onions and ½ cup green bell peppers to the beef, sautéing for 3-4 minutes until vegetables soften.
- Season the beef mixture with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper.
- Pour the entire 15-oz jar of pizza sauce over the beef, stirring to combine completely.
- Spread the seasoned beef mixture in an even layer across the bottom of your prepared baking dish.
- Distribute 1 cup sliced pepperoni evenly over the beef layer.
- Create a single layer of frozen tater tots across the entire surface of the pepperoni.
- Generously sprinkle 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese over the tater tots, covering them completely.
- Slide the casserole into the 425°F oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until tots turn golden and cheese melts thoroughly.
- Allow the casserole to rest for 5 minutes after removing from the oven to help it set before serving.
Notes
- Add extra spice by mixing red pepper flakes into the ground beef for a kick that your family will appreciate.
- Swap ground beef for ground turkey or plant-based crumbles to make the casserole lighter and more diet-friendly.
- Use cauliflower tots instead of regular tater tots to reduce carbohydrates and add more nutrition.
- Allow the casserole to rest for a few minutes after baking to help it set and make serving easier without falling apart.
- Prep Time: 10-12 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Casseroles
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 470 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 870 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg