Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Tater Tot Casserole
Follow our complete, step-by-step, photo illustrated instructions to learn how to make this delicious Tater Tot Casserole. It’s quick and easy. Printable recipe included.
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This casserole uses Cream of Mushroom, Cream of Celery, and Cream of Chicken soup to give it a really delicious and in depth flavor. With the addition of ground beef, it’s a quick and easy Main Dish for lunch or supper.
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I hadn’t had this dish in a very long time, but just one bite, brought back lots of great memories of enjoying this casserole in my younger years.
My Aunt Lena, submitted this recipe as one of her favorites in our families “Stewart Family Favorites Cookbook” that was put together by members of my mother’s side of the family back in 1999. Aunt Lena was my mothers sister.
I’d been looking at this recipe for some time in that book, but just never got around to making it to post here on Taste of Southern. I’m not sure why it took so long. Especially after I might have gone back for seconds once all the photos of the finished dish had been taken. Don’t hold that against me. It was just really good.
I know there are lots of variations on how to make a Tater Tot Casserole. A quick search on the Internet will show you that. I just found this version to be pretty unique and different, so I’m glad to be able to share it with you.
Most such dishes show the tater tots on TOP of the dish. Aunt Lena placed hers on the bottom. Her recipe also uses three different types of soup, Cream of Chicken, Cream of Mushroom, and Cream of Celery. I found that to be a bit interesting compared to other recipes I’ve looked at.
And, with the addition of Ground Beef, this Tater Tot Casserole becomes a main course Entree that’s great for lunch, dinner, or to carry to the next potluck you get invited to. I think you’ll like it should you try it.
I always suggest you buy your cheese in a block and grate it yourself. It’s so much better than that cornstarch coated shredded cheese you can buy. Fresh grated gives it that pizza style pull where you end with a stretched out string of cheese from your plate to your mouth. So good.
The dish goes together quickly, and I’ve placed some of the leftovers in the freezer for later. It’s going to be really good on one of these cold winter days when I don’t feel like getting in the kitchen to cook. Smile.
So, ready to give it a try? Alright then, let’s head on out to the kitchen, and… Let’s Get Cooking!
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Tater Tot Casserole Recipe – You’ll need these ingredients.
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You will need a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish to make this casserole. Begin by giving the inside bottom and sides of the dash a thin layer of butter.
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Place a layer of tater tots on the bottom of the dish.
The recipe calls for a 2lb bag of tater tots. I used all but about 20 of them to cover the bottom of the dish. Keep it as a single layer, reserve the rest to garnish the top of the casserole once you’ve assembled it.
Adding the tater tots to the dish now will give them some time to thaw while we prepare the rest of the casserole. Just sit this aside for now.
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And, while we’re prepping, let’s go ahead and dice up the onion. Set this aside for now.
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Place the ground beef in a skillet. Place this over Medium heat on your stove top.
I’m using a 93% low fat ground beef for this particular recipe. It’s not going to produce much fat, so I will not have to drain it once it’s done.
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Go ahead and toss the diced onions into the skillet.
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Add the garlic powder. Or, if you have it, fresh garlic would be even better. Smile.
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Add the Thyme.
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Then, add the Oregano.
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Stir all the ingredients together and let the beef cook until it’s completely done.
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While the ground beef is browning, go ahead and grate the block of cheese.
I mention it often, but you will get much better results with your recipes if you grate your own cheese as opposed to buying the shredded cheese. The shredded cheese has cornstarch on it to keep it from sticking together, and it always seems to be a bit drier than a fresh block of cheese.
It will take you less than two minutes to grate this 8 ounce block, and I think it’s worth the little bit of extra effort. Smile.
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When the ground beef is done, spread it right over the top of the tater tots in your baking dish.
Don’t forget to drain your ground beef if needed before adding it to the casserole.
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Grab a medium sized mixing bowl and empty all three cans of soup into the bowl. We’re using the soups straight out of the can and not going to add any water to them.
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Stir the soups together until they are fully combined.
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Spread the soup mixture over the top of the ground beef.
I thought I had a photo of it, but I did add some black pepper on top of the soup. Just do this to taste as desired.
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Spread the cheese over the top of the dish. And, if you saved a few tater tots out, place them on top of the cheese for a bit of garnish.
Most tater tot casserole dishes add the tater tots last, but this one added them first. A few on top will let folks know what’s inside the dish should you be taking it to a potluck or church social.
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Place the casserole in an oven that has been pre-heated to 350F degrees. Let the dish bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the soup is bubbling hot and the cheese is fully melted.
Ovens do vary, so watch it carefully. The cheese melted right away on mine, but it took 30 minutes for the soup to get bubbly hot. I could hear it bubbling when I peaked at it in the oven.
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Remove the casserole when it’s done and place it on a folded towel or wire rack to cool slightly before serving. Waiting about 10-20 minutes will help it firm up some and be easier to scoop out of the baking dish.
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Enjoy!
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Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American, Southern
Description
Delicious Tater Tot Casserole. Great main dish for lunch or supper. Uses Cream of Mushroom, Cream of Celery, and Cream of Chicken Soup for added flavor.
Ingredients
2 lbs. Tater Tots
2 lbs. Ground Beef
1 Onion, medium, diced
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Thyme
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 can Cream of Celery Soup (10.5oz)
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup (10.5oz)
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup (10.5oz)
1 block Cheddar Cheese, grated (8oz)
Instructions
Lightly butter a 13x9x2 Casserole baking dish.
Add a single layer of the tater tots. Set aside.
Place ground beef in skillet over Medium heat on stove top.
Add the diced onion.
Add garlic powder.
Add thyme.
Add oregano.
Add black pepper.
Stir well and let beef brown until completely done.
Spread beef over tater tots in baking dish.
Place all three soups in a medium sized mixing bowl.
Stir well until fully combined.
Spread soup mixture over top of ground beef.
Spread layer of grated cheese over top of soup mixture.
Garnish with remaining tater tots.
Bake at 350F degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Dish is ready when cheese is melted and soup is bubbly hot.
Remove from oven when done. Place on folded towel to cool slightly.
Serve warm.
Enjoy!
Notes
Tater Tots should be fairly well thawed before placing dish in oven to allow for more even baking.
Keywords: tater tot, casserole, three soups, cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, cream of celery, ground beef, easy dinner ideas
Your Comments: Have you tried our Tater Tot Casserole?
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Be Blessed!!!
Steve
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Here’s a recipe you might also like: How To Bake Sweet Potatoes
Or, maybe this one: Sweet Potato Pie
Perhaps this one: Sweet Potato Casserole
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Category: Beef, Main Dishes
Hi!
Can I make this casserole the nite before ? I
looks delicious . Going to cook it up this week!
Thank you
Hey Steve is it ok if I substitute lean ground turkey for the beef. I don’t eat much red meat anymore. And this looks delicious.
Hi Audrey, I’ve never tried this with ground turkey, but don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I hope if you try it, that you’ll come back and share your results with us. I appreciate your visit today and I hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Steve,
This recipe looks delicious. It has all the stuff that I like for comfort food on these chilly November days. Can’t wait to try it! Oh….and b.t.w….would you happen to have a good recipe for persimmon pudding? I haven’t had this fall favorite in many, many years!
Thanks!
Bill
★★★★★
Hi Bill, I do hope you’ll try the casserole dish real soon. You know, before hot weather returns. Smile. It really is very good. I’ve been wanting to make a persimmon pudding for a long time, but I never seem to find any persimmons when they are available. I would imagine I could get some from the NC State Farmers market, but sadly I don’t get out that way any longer. They just seem to be really scarce in my neck of the woods. I hope you can find a good recipe for it though. Wish I could have been of help. Thank you for your visit. I will always be grateful for your support and I hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
This looks so good! I am going to make it later this week and will leave more feedback then. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us. It is nice to have real food to try and not just the hoity-toity things they have in books and on the tv.
★★★★★
Hi Suzanne, I just tell folks this is the food I grew up and grew OUT with. Smile. I’m thankful you’ve found Taste of Southern and hope you’ll try some of our recipes. I’m looking forward to hearing how the casserole turns out for you. Thank you for your visit today. I do hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Is the soup the condensed type, or “ready-to-serve”? I’ll have to make my own celery soup any way as I’ve never seen it here, but consistency would make a big difference to the finished recipe.
Hi Dorothy, I hope all is well in your part of the world. This IS condensed soup, but I used it straight out of the can without adding any water to the soups. Three cans of water would have made it a bit too juicy I suspect. Hope you get to try it. I always appreciate your visits and do hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Thanks Steve, I’m going to make up a big batch of celery soup (even though it’s summer here, what are deep freezes for?), anyway, even with daytime temperatures in the 90s it’s still nice to have stew or casserole for the evening meal!
Thanks for all the great recipes and the good cheer! I wanted to let you know that I ordered some Dukes Mayo from Amazon because you mention it so often. I’m in NH and we love our Cain’s Mayo. Don’t know if it’s available in NC. My brother lives in Hayesville, NC. We don’t travel, so I’ve not been there. You don’t need to publish this email. I just wanted to let you know I enjoyed the Dukes Mayo, it is somewhat similar to my Cains. Thanks for listening! Be well…Jeanne
Hi Jeanne, I hope you don’t mind that I published this. It’s always great to hear someone has tried our beloved Duke’s Mayonnaise. I glad you liked it. I’m not familiar with the Cain’s brand. They don’t carry it here that I’m aware of. I’ve been very near the Hayesville area a few times, but I’ve never been in the city/town itself. It’s on the way to Murphy which I’ve been to several times. Thanks for sharing your comments with us. I appreciate your visits and your support and I do hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I’m not able to pin this or other recipes to Pinterest today. Anyone else having that issue?