Budget-Friendly Recipe

This delicious, easy creamy cheesy Tater Tot casserole is the perfect food to make when you have a lot of hungry people to feed. Add some meat and vegetables, and you have what’s also known as a Tater Tot hotdish. Sometimes I add green beans or peas to the casserole for extra nutrition and flavor.

I highly recommend reading this entire post before you begin preparing the recipe. However, if all you want is the list of ingredients with full directions, please either click on the jump-to-recipe button above or scroll to the bottom of this post.

Ingredients

You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry. Of course, the main thing you’ll need is a pack of frozen Tater Tots.

Here are all of the ingredients you’ll need:

• Tater Tots
• Cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom soup)
• Sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
• Milk
• Melted butter
• Garlic powder
• Onion Powder

For the topping, you’ll need shredded cheese, crushed potato chips, and bacon bits. I prefer medium or sharp cheddar, but use whatever cheese you have.

Directions

After you preheat your oven and spray your casserole dish with nonstick spray, it’s time to put the ingredients together. First, combine the soup, sour cream, milk, butter, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir until well mixed.

Carefully fold in the frozen Tater Tots until they are all coated. If they’ve thawed, even just a little bit, be careful not to break them.

Next, pour them into your casserole dish and spread them out as evenly as possible in a single layer. If you want more of a crust on the bottom, use a large skillet instead of a baking dish. The skillet I prefer is a large cast iron skillet.Heat the skillet before you add the ingredients to speed the process.

Even if you don’t add anything else, this will still be delicious. But wait! There’s more! Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t stop at delicious. I like to take it to the next level whenever I see an opportunity.

Next, sprinkle the shredded cheese over the mixture. Even if you stop here, it will be wonderful. But keep going! After the cheese (lots of cheddar cheese), sprinkle the crushed potato chips for more flavor and texture. Now you probably think it’s as good as it can get. But there’s one more thing!

Finally, top off your casserole with crispy bacon bits or diced ham. I used bacon because that something I always have it on hand in various forms (regular bacon, thick-sliced bacon, and packaged bacon bits). As you can probably imagine, this is going to be one of the most delicious things you’ve ever tasted!

Bake this casserole for about 45 minutes and serve it with any meat and vegetable or this yummy Greek olive and feta salad.

Tater Tot Casserole with Meat

Another one we enjoy is this hamburger Tater Tot casserole. It’s perfect for those times when you have a lot of hungry people. If you prefer, you can use ground turkey instead of hamburger meat. Make the hamburger with extra cheese for a cheeseburger Tater Tot casserole. Add a side salad and dessert, and you have a complete meal.

We really like a Tater Tot casserole as a side with chicken. One of our most recent favorites is this air fryer boneless chicken breast. The outside turns out crispy, while the inside stays juicy.

More Variations

If you want to add other ingredients, go right ahead. Here are other things I sometimes add:

• Green peppers
• Onions
• Jalapeno peppers
• Peas and carrots (frozen or canned)

This dish is good for any meal, including breakfast. Serve it with a side of toast or biscuits for a real treat. It’s a great way to start the day!

Whenever I host a sports watching party, I like to include this casserole. It’s a delicious side with any beef, chicken, pork, or fish dish. This time we had it with these scrumptious Buffalo wings. For the ultimate comfort food dinner, enjoy this casserole with some of this yummy meatloaf from Julia’s Simply Southern.

Quick Tips

Here are some ways to take your Tater Tot casserole from delicious to out-of-this-world amazing:

• Drain excess fat from the meat. Do this immediately after browning it.
• Season the cooked meat. Add salt, pepper, and other spices before you add it to the casserole.
• Preheat the oven. Do this before you bake the casserole.
• Add more Tater Tots. Sometimes extra people show. up for dinner, especially if you have teenagers. I’ve never heard anyone complaining about having too many Tater Tots.
• Sprinkle more cheese over the top. I like to use several different types of cheese when I have them. And cheese lovers will appreciate the extra cheesiness.
• Decorate the top of the casserole. After baking the casserole, add your favorite garnish, such as parsley, sliced black olives, or bacon bits.

Tater Tots – the Perfect Comfort Food

I love serving casseroles that the whole family enjoys. Not only do I know that they’re eating the food they like but they’ll have great memories of sitting at the table with the people they love. Trust me when I say people will want seconds of everything. If you have kids, especially teenage boys, you can count on them asking for seconds … maybe even thirds!

For a meal that only takes a few minutes of prep, this is an easy casserole packed with ingredients you can find at any grocery store. Just don’t be surprised if the entire thing disappears in minutes because it’s such a delicious casserole!

What to Serve with a Tater Tot Casserole

As I mentioned, you can serve this delicious cheesy casserole with any meat you like. It’s wonderful with beef, pork, chicken, or seafood. It’s especially good with these crispy air fryer chicken thighs. The creamy cheese balances the crunch of the chicken in the most delightful way.

If you can stand an entire plateful of deliciousness, serve it with this slow cooker pork tenderloin. Add a side salad or some steamed green beans, and you have something your family will ask for again and again. This casserole is the perfect side dish to go with this air fryer barbecued chicken. The balance of flavors will send your tastebuds into orbit!

Be sure to make enough for leftovers the next day … because you can’t have too much of this cheesy Tater Tot casserole. It’s that good!

How to Store Leftover Tater Tot Casserole

Chances are, you won’t have leftovers. However, if you do make more than you can eat, this hearty casserole is just as good the next day. Either cover the casserole dish in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and put it in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze leftover Tater Tot casserole. Just make sure it’s in an airtight container that doesn’t allow air to seep in.

Easy Side Dish or Main Dish for Large Crowds

When you have a lot of hungry mouths to feed, make this budget-friendly but delicious cheesy Tater Tot casserole. Everyone will leave the table happy and well fed.

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