My kids do not stop requesting this Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole Recipe; it's simple comfort food at it's finest and perfect for busy weeknights. Best of all: it's ready in under an hour!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Cheese Burger Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
- Ingredient Information and Substitutions
- How To Make Tater Tot Casserole
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tips For Making Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole
- What To Serve With Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
- Other Awesome Casserole Recipes
- Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Why You'll Love This Cheese Burger Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Sometimes you just need a good casserole. Or in this case, a good tater tot casserole. I don't care how refined you are, it's impossible not to love tots. And on a busy weeknight, especially in chilly winter weather, there is nothing like a stick-to-your-bones casserole to warm you up!
This recipe for tater tot casserole was inspired by another time-honored American tradition; a classic cheeseburger and fries. But made that much more comforting by putting it in casserole form. What's not to like?
I think in the midwest this is called a Hot Plate. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I am a born-and-bred Western, NY gal after all. Here's why it's amazing:
- Ready in under 1 hour
- Very kid-friendly
- Warm and cozy for a chilly night
- Simple, easy-to-find ingredients
Ingredient Information and Substitutions
- Meat- Putting the "bacon" and "burger" into this recipe you have ground beef and bacon. I use 80/20 ground beef but you can totally use a leaner mix if you prefer.
- Veggies- Chopped onion brings tons of flavor and peas are also a tasty addition and add a little extra nutrition.
- Cheese- Shredded sharp cheddar is my preferred cheese for this. You can do American cheese if that's your preference or even pepper jack to give it a little kick.
- Liquid- The liquid components of this are cream of mushroom soup and beef broth. This is thickened with cornstarch.
- Seasoning- I seasoned this with a combination of Kosher salt, ground black pepper and plenty of chili powder.
- Tater Tots- Tots line the top of the casserole for the perfect, crispy golden-brown potatoes in every bite! The exact amount will vary by the shape of your baking dish, but it's somewhere around 60 aka a regular size bag will be fine.
How To Make Tater Tot Casserole
Step 1- Cook the bacon and onion
Cook up 3 slices of bacon in a large sauté pan and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Once cooled crumble or chop the bacon and set aside.
Sauté onions in the leftover bacon grease.
Step 2- Cook and season the beef
Add the ground beef to the pan and break it up with a wooden spoon. Once cooked add in the seasonings and cornstarch and mix well.
Step 3- Add liquids and simmer
Stir in the broth and cream of mushroom soup and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken and then stir in the peas.
Step 4- Assemble the casserole
Pour the beef mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle shredded cheddar and crumbled bacon evenly over the top.
Step 5- Add tater tots and bake
Place the tater tots on top in a single layer until full covered and bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. Cool for a couple minutes and devour!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! They're grated and formed into the cute "tot" shape we all know and love!
I don't have a preference- I love them all!
I wouldn't encourage you to freeze it before baking but you can freeze it after baking- cool completely, wrap well and thaw before reheating. It will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Yes- my best advice is to assemble but don't bake until you're ready to serve.
Tips For Making Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole
- Don't skip the bacon! The grease really brings it all together.
- If your kids aren't big onion fans, mince the onion extra small for great flavor but minimal texture.
- Let the meat cook a tad more after you add the seasonings. It'll deepen the flavor.
- Make tight rows of tater tots and try not to press them in too much. You want them to gently rest on top of the filling so that as much of the tater tot tops is exposed to get perfectly golden brown.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Dice onion and grate the cheese
- Leftovers and storage- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, microwave in 30-second bursts.
What To Serve With Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
I love to serve this alongside a green salad, like my BBQ Salad or my Summer Bounty Salad if you like a bit of sweetness in your salad. For cooked veggie sides, Garlic Green Beans are so darn delicious as well as these Roasted Fall Veggies.
Other Awesome Casserole Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Skillet
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 pound ground beef, 80/20
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 14.5 ounces beef broth
- 10.75 ounces cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 ⅓ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 60 frozen tater tots, this will vary based on your pan but it ends up being around ½ a regular size package
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Cook bacon in a sauté pan over medium heat until crispy, around 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel lined plate.
- Add onions to the pan and sauté stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes to soften.
- Add ground beef to the pan and use a wooden spoon to break it up. Sauté for 5 minutes or until brown, stirring often. Drain well.
- Add chili powder, salt, pepper and cornstarch to the ground beef mixture and stir to combine.
- Add beef broth and cream of mushroom soup to the pan and mix until well combined.
- Simmer for 5-10 minutes to reduce slightly, stirring often. Stir in peas.
- Transfer to a 9" x 9" baking pan.
- Top with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and then crumble the bacon on top.
- Line the top of the casserole with a single layer of frozen tater tots to cover.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until tater tots are golden brown and and the casserole is bubbly. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Don't skip the bacon! The grease really brings it all together.
- If your kids aren't big onion fans, mince the onion extra small for great flavor but minimal texture.
- Let the meat cook a tad more after you add the seasonings. It'll deepen the flavor.
- Make tight rows of tater tots and try not to press them in too much. You want them to gently rest on top of the filling so that as much of the tater tot tops is exposed to get perfectly golden brown.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Dice onion and grate the cheese
- Leftovers and storage- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, microwave in 30-second bursts.
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