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A cozy and flavorful cheeseburger tater tot casserole comes together in one pan for an easy weeknight dinner! Melted cheddar cheese and crispy potatoes top a ground beef filling that includes tomatoes, onions, ketchup, mustard, and pickles.
If you love tater tot casserole recipes as much as we do, be sure to try this chicken tater tot casserole, a tater tot breakfast casserole with sausage, bacon, eggs, and cheese, and this classic tater tot hot dish, too!
Why You’ll Love this Easy Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
- One Pan. If you have a cast iron skillet (or another oven-safe skillet), this meal comes together in a single dish. And if you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, no problem — just transfer the mixture to a baking dish before adding the tots. One-skillet dinners mean fewer dishes to wash at the end!
- Kid-friendly. As far as your kids are concerned, this might be second-best only to a fast food burger! They get all of their favorite familiar flavors in a homemade supper — ground beef, ketchup, and crispy fried potatoes. You’ll love that there are some added veggies, too.
- Make Ahead. If it’s more convenient, you can assemble the filling in advance and then just add the tater tots right before baking. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for this tater tot cheeseburger casserole. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Lean ground beef: for the casserole filling. You can sub with ground turkey or ground chicken if you prefer.
- Yellow onion and garlic: for savory flavor.
- Canned petite diced tomatoes: add flavor and texture to the dish.
- Tomato sauce: the binder that brings the filling together.
- Ketchup: for a hint of sweetness.
- Yellow mustard: adds a touch of bright, acidic tang.
- Worcestershire sauce: for salty umami flavor.
- Dill pickles or dill pickle relish: another classic cheeseburger ingredient. Omit the pickles if you don’t like them.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: to enhance the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: every cheeseburger casserole needs plenty of cheese! You can sub with Velveeta, Monterey Jack, Colby, Colby Jack, Swiss, or just about any other good melting cheese.
- Tater Tots: these frozen mini hash brown potatoes create a flavorful, crispy topping on the dish. You do not need to thaw the tater tots before adding them to the casserole.
How to Make Cheeseburger Casserole with Tater Tots
A cheeseburger casserole with crispy fried potatoes on top — what’s not to love?! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in pickles and cheese.
- Arrange tater tots on top of the filling.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Add extra cheese on top, and bake for 5-10 more minutes.
- Garnish with optional toppings and serve!
Serving Suggestions
Here are a few sides that go best with tater tot casserole:
- Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
- Wedge Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Southern Caesar Salad, Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, House Salad with Candied Pecans, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Marinated Vegetable Salad, or Classic Caesar Salad
- Cast Iron Cornbread, Sour Cream Cornbread, Southern Cornbread, Pumpkin Cornbread, Cake Mix Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, Sweet Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Corn Sticks, Broccoli Cornbread, Honey Butter Cornbread, or Cornbread Muffins
- Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins or Blueberry Corn Muffins
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Easy Drop Biscuits, 7UP Biscuits, or Cheddar Biscuits with Chives and Bacon
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- Corn Salad, Jiffy Corn Casserole, or Fried Corn
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Refrigerator Dill Pickles, Cucumber Salad with Vinegar, Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad, or Cucumber Dill Salad
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower or Roasted Broccoli
- Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon or Roasted Root Vegetables
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
- Southern Succotash
- Southern Collard Greens or Sweet and Spicy Collard Greens
- Fried Okra
- Broccoli and Cheese
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Okra and Tomatoes
- Southern Squash Casserole
- Fried Cabbage with Apples and Onion, Braised Red Cabbage, or Roasted Cabbage
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: you can cook the filling for the casserole up to 3 days in advance, and then keep it covered in the fridge until ready to use (or in the freezer for up to 3 months). When you want to bake the casserole, heat the meat mixture on the stovetop in a saucepan or skillet until it’s simmering, then add the tater tots and bake as instructed.
- Storage: leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months; however, the tots may not be as crispy when reheated.
- How to Reheat: warm leftovers in a 350°F oven until hot and bubbly, about 20-25 minutes. Tent loosely with foil if the potatoes start to get too dark before it’s warmed through. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for about 1 minute.
Recipe Variations
- Add other vegetables to the casserole. For instance, try corn, frozen cut green beans, frozen mixed vegetables, or sliced fresh mushrooms. Canned vegetables will work, too.
- Any variety of cheese is fine. In lieu of the shredded cheddar, try American cheese, Swiss cheese, Colby, Monterey Jack, cheddar Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese.
- Swap out the ground beef and use ground turkey or ground chicken instead.
- Make it a bacon cheeseburger tater tot casserole by adding cooked, crispy bacon to the filling.
Tips for the Best Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
- If you don’t have a cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof large skillet), transfer the hot filling to a 3-4 quart casserole dish before adding the tater tots on top.
- Bake the casserole long enough so that the tater tots get really brown and crispy. This will help to prevent a soggy casserole.
- You do not need to thaw the tater tots before assembling the casserole.
- If you’d like the topping even crispier, transfer the dish to the broiler for a couple of minutes at the very end. Keep a close eye on it, though — the potatoes can burn quickly.
- For even more flavor on top, sprinkle French fried onions over the tater tots during the final 5-10 minutes (at the same time that you add the extra cheese).
- Garnish the casserole with chopped fresh herbs or sliced green onion for a bright, flavorful finishing touch. Good options include fresh parsley or chives. You might also like to add some more of your favorite burger toppings, such as diced red onion, extra pickles, chopped lettuce, or a drizzle of ketchup or mustard.
More Easy Ground Beef Casserole Recipes to Try
Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
A cozy cheeseburger tater tot casserole is the perfect one-dish weeknight meal!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons total) (or use ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish or chopped dill pickles (optional)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese, divided
- 21 ounces (about 5 cups) frozen tater tots (or more or less as needed)
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or chives; sliced green onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof skillet), brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until the meat is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Drain off excess grease.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat so that the mixture is gently simmering. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in chopped pickles (if using) and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Arrange the tater tots in a single layer on top of the beef mixture. Transfer to the oven and bake until the tater tots are golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheese on top and continue baking until the cheese melts, about 5-10 more minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chives.
Notes
- If you don’t have a cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof large skillet), transfer the hot filling to a 3-4 quart casserole dish before adding the tater tots on top.
- Bake the casserole long enough so that the tater tots get really brown and crispy. This will help to prevent a soggy casserole.
- You do not need to thaw the tater tots before assembling the casserole.
- If you’d like the topping even crispier, transfer the dish to the broiler for a couple of minutes at the very end. Keep a close eye on it, though — the potatoes can burn quickly.
- For even more flavor on top, sprinkle French fried onions over the tater tots during the final 5-10 minutes (at the same time that you add the extra cheese).
- Garnish the casserole with chopped fresh herbs or sliced green onion for a bright, flavorful finishing touch. Good options include fresh parsley or chives. You might also like to add some more of your favorite burger toppings, such as diced red onion, extra pickles, chopped lettuce, or a drizzle of ketchup or mustard.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the casseroleCalories: 461kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 27gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 1137mgPotassium: 951mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 662IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 265mgIron: 4mg
