Tater Tot Cowboy Casserole

4.50 from 2 votes

Tater Tot Cowboy Casserole is an easy dinner recipe for busy nights! The cozy one dish meal is full of ground beef, green beans and potatoes.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword Cowboy Casserole, ground beef casserole, Tater Tot Casserole

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Resting Time 10

Total Time 1

Servings - 8 people

Calories 390.3kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Cook beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, until meat is no longer pink (about 5-7 minutes). Drain.
In a separate bowl, whisk together condensed soups and milk.
Add soup mixture, corn, and green beans to the cooked beef; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste (I used ½ teaspoon salt and a dash of pepper). Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top. Finish with a layer of Tater Tots.
Bake casserole, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes (or until the inside is hot and bubbly and the Tater Tots are crispy and golden brown). If using French-fried onions, add them to the top of your casserole during the final 15 minutes (this will allow them to get browned and crispy without burning).
Allow the casserole to rest for about 5-10 minutes before serving.

For a filling that includes even more vegetables, use larger cans of corn and green beans.
There's no need to thaw the Tater Tots before adding them to the top of your casserole.
You can use ground turkey or ground chicken in lieu of the ground beef if you prefer.
Just about any condensed soup flavors will work. You can use two cans of cream of celery, two cans of cream of mushroom, two cans of cream of chicken, or any combination of the above!
Instead of the Tater Tots, make the Cowboy Casserole with mashed potatoes. Simply spread a layer of store-bought refrigerated mashed potatoes on top, and bake according to recipe instructions.
Can you freeze Cowboy Casserole? Yes! To freeze the Tater Tot hotdish, assemble as instructed, and then wrap tightly with foil before baking. The casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Leftover casserole will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat a baked casserole, warm it in a 325 degree F oven (uncovered) until heated through.
Prepare the Cowboy Casserole in a slow cooker! The Tater Tots will not have the same crispy exterior, but the dish will still taste delicious. Place the ground beef filling into the bottom of a Crock Pot. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours. Instead of adding the cheese before the Tater Tots, wait to sprinkle the cheese over the Tater Tots during the final 30 minutes of cooking time.