Tater Tot Casserole is an incredibly easy dish to make and everyone always loves it!
Layers of tater tots, meat and veggies are covered in a simple sauce and cooked until hot and bubbly. It’s easy, creamy and oh so yummy!
The best part is, this tater tot casserole is so versatile depending on what is in your fridge!
I love casseroles from Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole to Homemade Mac and Cheese, there’s just something so comforting about a hot and bubbly meal coming out of the oven. While this easy Tater Tot casserole isn’t the prettiest dish ever, it definitely tastes amazing!
Of all of the versions out there, I definitely think this is the best Tater Tot casserole because it’s so easy to put together yet really delivers on flavor (well, this and of course Mexican Tater Tot Casserole).
I start with a layer of tater tots on the bottom of a slow cooker (I use a 4QT CrockPot for this recipe), and top it with a layer of ground beef. I use frozen veggies right from the freezer meaning no prep required and then top with another layer of Tater Tots.
A quick and simple sauce is added with a bit of cheese and it all cooks to perfection in the CrockPot. Easy peazy right?!
Once cooked, this Tater Tot Casserole is absolutely delicious and actually reminds me of a cottage pie (which is the same as Shepherd’s Pie with beef instead of lamb). Surprisingly enough, cooking this in the slow cooker you still get the crusty bits on the edges (which is one of my favorite parts).
While I use frozen veggies, you can use fresh veggies in this recipe too! The frozen makes it easy because they don’t require any prep, I just give them a quick rinse in a strainer and pour them into the slow cooker. If you’re using fresh veggies, there is no need to pre-cook them, just dice them fairly small and they’ll cook along with the rest of the dish.
The whole dish will take you literally just minutes to put into your slow cooker and you can use whatever you have on hand! I’ve added lean ground beef and frozen vegetables into this tater tot casserole but use up any leftover beef, chicken or turkey you might have!
While I most often cook this in the slow cooker, of course Tater Tot Casserole can be baked in the oven to golden perfection as well. Simply place the beef layer in a 9×13 pan (or any casserole dish will do) and top with veggies and then Tater Tots. Sprinkle with cheese and sauce and bake at 400°F for about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
This easy Slow Cooker Tater Tot casserole is a complete meal in itself but we usually serve with a nice fresh green salad and some crusty bread!
Tater Tot Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bag of Tater Tots approx 32 ounces
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cups mixed vegetables fresh or frozen
- 10 ½ ounces cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Brown ground beef and onion over medium heat until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
- In a bowl mix together soup, milk, garlic powder, dry mustard and salt and pepper. Set aside
- Place half of the Tater Tots into a greased 4qt slow cooker.
- Layer beef, mixed vegetables, remaining tater tots and finally cheese.
- Pour sauce over top, cover and cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 7 hours or until heated through.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner
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I made the Tater Tot slow cooker recipe but my tater tots all cooked down so you could not see them. It was still delicious but I would have liked to have whole tots. Is it because I cooked on high?
Hmmm, sounds like they may be overcooked Jolene. Did you cook on high for 3 or 4 hours? You may want to reduce the cooking time closer to 3hrs to see if that helps keep those yummy tater tots intact.
I love your cooking I would like to you
Could you make this recipe with cauliflower tater tots?
That sounds like a delicious idea Sabrina!
Do you use regular cream of mushroom soup or condensed?
Thanks!
This recipe uses condensed cream of mushroom soup.
These recipe’s are easy because I’am busy I can use my crock pot. Thank you for the recepipes.
You are very welcome Nancy! So happy these recipes work for you.
Can I use canned vegetables?
Sure Jackie. That should work just fine.
Recipe please
You’ll find the recipe for Tater Tot Casserole if you scroll down the Tater Tot Casserole page, or if you hit the “jump to recipe” link at the top of the page. Enjoy Denise!
Easy and delicious recipes,..Love it
Thanks Char! Glad to hear you love them!
I love to eat just look at me
I hope you find lots of recipes to try and enjoy Marilyn!
Looks delicious!
Thanks Dody!
Sounds great
Thanks Wilma!
This is awesome chow
Thanks Todd!
I made this for dinner last night and my whole family loved it- my husband had two huge helpings!
I was just curious if the serving size and nutrition information is accurate. When I did the math, I got a total calories amount of over 4,000…yours comes to around 2,400. Just want to make sure I’m budgeting for the right amount when eating this :)
Thank you for letting me know Michelle, there was an error in calculation on our end. I apologize for the mistake, I’ve updated the recipe and it should read correctly now.
My friend is allergic to mushrooms, so would it be ok if I used cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom?
I have only tried this recipe as written, but I am sure it would be delicious with cream of chicken soup. Let me know how it turns out!
My family really enjoyed this meal and it was super easy. I like how you put the calories on the bottom, but not knowing the serving size made it difficult.
Happy to hear that you enjoyed the casserole! The recipe makes 6 servings.
Excellent! My family and I are vegetarians so I substituted beef with veggie meat. I also sautéed chopped onion, green pepper and more carrots to add with the frozen vegetables.
That sounds great Debbie! I’m so glad your family loves the casserole.
Made two of these in the oven. One shredded chicken and one beef. Big hit, quick, easy, and a crowd pleaser. Thanks you for sharing.
You’re welcome. So glad everyone loved it Alli!
Why layer? You don’t layer Beef Stew or Chili in a Slow Cooker. I put everything in a mixing bowl, except the cheese, mixed and dumped in a 6 Qt. Slow Cooker. This filled the Slow Cooker to the top. I cannot see this fitting into a 4 Qt. I added the cheese during the last hour of cooking on LOW. It did settle after cooking. Sauce was too watery.
Next time, I plan on using 2 lbs of ground beef or frozen meatballs and some fried mushrooms, 2 cans of soup with 1/2 cup of milk and some more veggies. Might be a tight fit in my 6 Qt., but I do have an 8 Qt. so it should fit.
Other than that, this is a keeper.
I layer because the bottom layer of the slow cooker gets a little bit crispy/crusty. The photos (and video) of this recipe were cooked in a 4qt slow cooker so it does fit in mine (which is round in shape).
Love the idea of using meatballs, thank you for sharing!
What can I substitute for the beef to make this dish vegetarian?
I have seen soy crumbles in the store (which are a beef substitute). I’ve only made this with beef so I can’t say for sure how it would work out for you, please let us know how it goes!
How much cream of mushroom?
In the oven do the tater tots still go on the bottom?
Thank you
This uses a 10.5 oz cream of mushroom soup. When baking I place the tots on top of everything.