Tater Tot Casserole
The trick to a tater tot casserole that doesn't collapse into salty mush is building the sauce from scratch instead of opening a can. A fast skillet of browned cremini mushrooms, beef drippings, and milk thickens into a gravy that's richer than the condensed-soup original but stirs together in the same few minutes. Pile it under a full layer of tater tots and a blanket of sharp cheddar, and the oven turns out crispy golden tots on top with a bubbling, savory beef-and-vegetable filling beneath.
Dinner · Comfort Food, Beef, Fall, Make-Ahead • 1 hr
Nutrition (per serving)640Calories·36gFat·44gCarbs·32gProtein
Per serving. Values are approximate and calculated from USDA FoodData Central.
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds lean ground beef (85/15)
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, and green beans), thawed and drained
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 (32-ounce) bag frozen tater tots
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
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Steps
- Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat.
- Add the onion and mushrooms to the skillet and season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and the mushrooms have released their liquid and browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
- Pour in the beef broth and milk and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder.
- Fold in the mixed vegetables and 1 cup of the cheddar until the cheese melts and everything is evenly coated. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper.
- Pour the filling into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheddar over the top, then arrange the tater tots in a single, snug layer.
- Bake until the tater tots are golden brown and crisp and the filling is bubbling around the edges, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes so it sets up enough to scoop. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Tips & Variations
Make Ahead
Assemble the casserole through step 7 up to 1 day ahead, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Bake straight from the fridge, adding 10 to 15 minutes to the bake time and tenting loosely with foil if the tots brown too fast. The beef-and-gravy filling can also be made 1 to 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated until you're ready to top and bake.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers, covered, for up to 4 days. To freeze, cool the baked casserole completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a 350°F oven, covered, until warmed through, uncovering for the last 5 minutes to re-crisp the tots. For individual portions, the air fryer re-crisps the tots better than the microwave.
Substitutions
The classic shortcut is two (10.5-ounce) cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup whisked with ¾ cup milk in place of the flour, broth, milk, and mushrooms — you lose the fresh mushroom depth but save a few minutes. Ground turkey or a plant-based ground substitute work in place of beef; add 1 tablespoon of oil if the pan looks dry. Swap the mixed vegetables for an equal amount of corn, peas, or green beans. Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack stand in for the cheddar. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and confirm the tater tots are gluten-free (many brands are).
Nutrition
Per serving: ⅙ of the casserole
Reviews
Reviews coming soon! In the meantime, let us know what you think of this recipe.
