Tater Tot Taco Casserole is going to be your new favorite way to enjoy taco night!
This easy casserole has layers ground beef and veggies topped with Tater Tots & cheese.
Once this Taco Tater Tot Casserole is baked and bubbly we top with with our favorite taco toppings to make this a meal that the entire family loves!
There’s a good reason my kids have dubbed this the BEST Tater Tot Casserole!
This was so easy to make (yay for me) and a HUGE hit with the family… even with little Miss I-don’t-like-melted-cheese-lasagna-casseroles-or-spaghetti. (Double yay for me)!
In fact, she had two helpings!
This cheesy tater tot casserole is made with veggies (like peppers and corn) with a zesty beefy taco inspired sauce and it is super easy to make!
The whole thing is crowned with Tater Tots and baked until they’re golden and crispy on top… adding the sauce and cheese at the very end keeps them from getting soggy as they do with some casseroles!
How Do You Make Tater Tot Casserole?
I’ve been making Tater Tot Casserole for as long as I can remember.
It’s almost like shepherd’s pie in a way with a saucy meaty layer, a potato layer (tater tots in this case) and a bit of cheese all baked until bubbly and hot!
This recipe starts with a layer of seasoned lean beef (I usually use a Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe). I then add in either frozen (or fresh) veggies and sometimes beans. This helps stretch out the meal and is the perfect way to use up any veggies I have in the fridge.
While this is Taco inspired, you can mix in any sauce from mushroom soup to gravy (or in this case, a delicious taco inspired mixture). We’ve even made an awesome Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole and Classic Tater Tot Casserole with mushroom soup.
Allowing the tater tots to cook for a while first (before adding the final toppings/cheese) helps to keep them crisp and delicious!
Are hash browns and tater tots the same thing?
While they’re not technically the same thing, you can certainly use either for this tater tot casserole (or even sub in mashed potatoes if you have them on hand)!
We serve this with a deliciously fresh Cucumber Avocado Salad for a perfect weeknight meal!
As far as we’re concerned, you can’t go wrong with any Mexican inspired dish in my house.
The zesty seasonings in the meat, baked with cheese until bubbly and hot and an array of fresh crisp toppings! Add whatever your toppings you love, we usually do sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes but this is great with jalapenos, avocados and of course more cheese!
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ounce taco seasoning 1 packet
- 1 cup enchilada sauce divided
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels thawed
- 1 ½ cups bell pepper red, yellow or green, diced
- 15 ounces canned black beans 1 can, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 16 ounces frozen tater tots
- ⅓ cup salsa
- toppings as desired see notes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Brown ground beef, onion and garlic over medium high until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
- Stir in taco seasoning, ½ cup water, ⅔ cup enchilada sauce, corn, bell pepper & beans. Cook until thickened (about 5 minutes).
- Transfer the beef mixture to a 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 ½ cups cheese and arrange tater tots on top.
- Bake 30 minutes. Combine salsa and remaining ⅓ cup enchilada sauce. Spread over tater tots and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted & bubbly.
- Serve with desired toppings
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
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Repin this Fantastic Casserole!
I am looking to try this recipe tonight! It sounds absolutely delightful. I do have a question- I am not a big fan of enchilada sauce. Is there something I could use as a substitute instead?
Hi Shannon, while I have only made the recipe as written, another reader said that they didn’t have enchilada sauce so added ⅔ cup taco sauce and ⅓ cup salsa and it turned out well for them. Let us know if you try it!