Tater Tot Hotdish

Tater Tot Hotdish is a delicious and easy casserole made with ground beef, veggies, cream of cheddar and mushroom soup, and spices for a family favorite meal!

Looking for an easy and flavorful dish that’s pure comfort food? You have to make this Tater Tot Hotdish! It’s a delicious casserole made with ground beef, veggies, Worcestershire sauce, cream of cheddar cheese soup, cream of mushroom soup, and spices for a family favorite meal!

This yummy dinner recipe is a cross between Shepherd’s Pie and a Tater Tot Casserole. You’ll love the creamy beef and veggies filling loaded with flavor and topped with crispy tater tots and cheddar cheese!

What Is A Hotdish?

As the book states – don’t call it a casserole. But, let’s be honest, for those of us who don’t know what a hotdish is, that’s the easiest way to describe it.

It’s a very popular comfort food dish in the Mid West, especially in Minnesota. It’s usually made with a starch, meat, veggies, and canned soup.

And it’s not healthy, in case you were wondering.

How To Make A Tater Tot Hotdish?

This recipe is really easy to make. You’ll begin by making the filling, then topping with tater tots and cheese (if you want it) and then baking it!

  1. Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F. Then, add the ground beef, diced onions, and spices to a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
  2. Once you brown the ground beef, remove from heat and drain any excess fat.
  3. Add in the ketchup, corn, green beans, Worcestershire sauce, soups, and sour cream and mix until evenly combined. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
  4. Transfer the beef mixture to a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  5. Top the mixture with a layer of tater tots so they cover the whole dish.
  6. Sprinkle the tater tots with shredded cheese and bake for 50 minutes.

How Long To Bake?

This recipe takes around 50 minutes to bake. The mixture should be visibly bubbling under the tater tots and the cheese should be melted.

Is It Gluten-Free?

You might think so given that there’s no flour listed in the ingredients, however, there is gluten in this Tater To Hotdish recipe. The soups and tater tots both contain gluten. You might be able to find some gluten-free alternatives for these ingredients, but I’ve never tested the recipe with them.

Can You Make This In Advance?

Yes and no, you can prepare the filling and pour it into the baking dish, then let it come to room temperature and wrap and place it in the fridge. Then top it with the tater tots just before baking.

Tater tots bake best from a frozen state. If you’re really in a time crunch, you can prepare and bake the whole dish. Again, let it come to room temperature before putting in the refrigerator.

Reheat it in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. The texture might not be as good if you do it this way.

Can You Freeze It?

Yes, you can! You’ll want to prep the hotdish in a disposable aluminum pan and then cover it with plastic wrap and then cover with aluminum foil. Make sure to write the date on it.

When you’re ready to enjoy it, simply remove the foil and plastic wrap and pop it in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour.

Shelf Life

  • Refrigerator: 4 days covered in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
  • Freezer: 4 months – see freezer notes above.
Tater Tot Hotdish

Tater Tot Hotdish

Yield: Serves 8 people
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Tater Tot Hotdish is a delicious and easy casserole made with ground beef, veggies, cream of cheddar and mushroom soup, and spices for a family favorite meal!

Instructions

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • ½ yellow onion diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 (14oz.) can green beans drained
  • 1 (14oz.) can sweet corn kernels drained
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 (10oz.) can cream of cheddar soup
  • 1 (10oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F
  • Add the ground beef, diced onions, and spices to a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until the beef is browned. Stirring frequently. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat.
  • Add in the ketchup, corn, green beans, Worcestershire sauce, soups, and sour cream and mix until evenly combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Transfer the beef mixture to a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
  • Top the mixture with frozen tater tots so they cover the whole dish.
  • Sprinkle the tater tots with shredded cheese and bake for 50 minutes.

Notes

To Freeze: You’ll want to prep the hotdish in a disposable aluminum pan and then cover it with plastic wrap and then cover with aluminum foil. Make sure to write the date on it. When you’re ready to enjoy it, simply remove the foil and plastic wrap and pop it in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour.

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I’m Jennifer Schlette, a Registered Dietitian and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. I love cooking, reading, and my kids! Here you’ll find the healthiest recipes & substitutions for your cooking. Enjoy, and be well, friends!

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