Description
A comforting and cheesy tater tot casserole featuring ground beef and Rotel tomatoes with green chiles. This hearty American classic is layered with a creamy beef mixture, crispy tater tots, and melted cheddar cheese, perfect for a family dinner or casual get-together.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef Mixture
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
- 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
Topping
- 1 bag frozen tater tots (about 32 ounces)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F to prepare for baking the casserole.
- Cook ground beef: In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain off any excess grease.
- Sauté aromatics: Add diced onion and minced garlic to the beef in the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Season and mix: Season the mixture with salt, black pepper, and chili powder. Stir in the drained Rotel tomatoes, condensed cream of mushroom soup, and sour cream until thoroughly combined.
- Add cheese to beef mixture: Fold in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly into the beef mixture.
- Assemble casserole: Spread the beef mixture evenly in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Then, arrange the frozen tater tots in a single layer on top of the beef mixture.
- Bake: Place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the tater tots are crispy and golden brown.
- Add remaining cheese: Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the top of the casserole and return it to the oven for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese has melted.
- Rest and garnish: Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes to set. Garnish with chopped green onions before serving.
Notes
- For extra heat, use hot Rotel tomatoes or add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to the beef mixture.
- You can substitute cream of chicken soup in place of cream of mushroom if desired.
- This casserole freezes well before baking—freeze assembled casserole and bake when ready to enjoy.
