It doesn’t matter if you call it a hotdish, or call it a casserole, this Tater Tot Casserole is completely delicious! No canned soup is needed to make a creamy, meaty, potato-y comfort food dish that the whole family will love.
In the upper midwest, hotdish is a big deal. These hearty dishes packed with meat, cheese, and creamy soups are topped with layers of tater tots and enjoyed at home, church and school potlucks, and family get-togethers.
I’m so glad that the concept of casseroles with tater tots didn’t just stay in Minnesota. People all over have realized how amazing this meal is, and how simple it is to make. This is a kid friendly meal that everyone in the family will enjoy.
I don’t love using canned soups in recipes if I don’t have to. They aren’t very cost effective, and I can’t control the flavor and ingredients. So I’ve developed this tater tot casserole recipe without using cream of anything soup. Instead, we’ll make a creamy sauce from scratch that tastes so much better. You are going to love it!
Another take on this dish is my easy cowboy casserole, it’s creamy, beefy, filling, and delicious! Your family will also devour my recipe for chicken tater tot casserole just as quickly.
Want to make something in the slow cooker? Try my easy Crock Pot Tater Tot Casserole instead!
Need more casserole inspiration? Try my Creamy Tuna Casserole, Walking Taco Casserole, or Cheesy Chicken Fajita Casserole. Neither of these used canned soup either.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- No Canned Soup – Cream soups can be handy, but they aren’t necessary when making a casserole like this one. We’ll use some basic ingredients to create a creamy base from scratch.
- Filling – Serve a crowd with this hearty dish, or make it at home and enjoy leftovers the next day. The heavy, solid ingredients in tater tot casserole make it super filling.
- Comfort Food – Creamy, meaty, salty, and topped with potatoes. That is one formula for the perfect comfort food meal.
Ingredients in Tater Tot Casserole
- Ground Beef: This recipe uses two pounds of 80/20 ground beef.
- Seasonings: Salt and Pepper are all you need from the spice cupboard here.
- Onion, garlic: These aromatic vegetables give this dish a home cooked feel and flavor.
- Flour: This will be used to make a fresh, thick, creamy sauce for our casserole.
- Milk: Without the canned soup, we’re making a cream sauce using milk.
- Beef Broth: This adds flavor and depth to the meat mixture, as well as moisture for the sauce.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This savory, umami flavoring goes really well with beef.
- Mixed Vegetables: For convenience, use frozen vegetables. I use a blend that includes peas, carrots, green beans, and corn. Any frozen vegetables will work in this recipe. Peas and carrots are great, or just peas, or just green beans. Use what you like!
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar is perfect for this recipe. Shred your own or use bagged cheese.
Tip!
- Whenever possible, it’s recommended you freshly grate your cheese from a block as it melts much better. Pre-shredded packaged cheese comes with anti-clumping agents (which is why it’s not clumpy when it comes out of the bag) which stop it from melting as nicely.
- Tater Tots: The star of the show are these beauties, crispy and browned on top of the casserole.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Tater Tot Casserole Without Cream Soup
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and grease a 13×9 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Cook Beef: In a skillet, cook ground beef until it’s no longer pink. Drain fat and remove from the pan to a plate for later.
- Make Sauce: In the same pan, add the onion and cook until softened. Next add the garlic and saute for just a minute. Add flour, and cook it for 30 seconds. Add milk, broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk and cook until the sauce has thickened.
- Combine: Stir the beef and frozen vegetables into the sauce and remove from heat.
- Layer: Layer the beef in the casserole dish, followed by cheese. Then arrange the tater tots on top in a single layer.
- Bake: Bake as directed in the recipe card below. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool slightly before serving.
Success Tips
- For a beautiful presentation, serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley or chives.
- The sauce comes together very quickly. Measure out your ingredients before you start cooking so that you can focus on cooking. This is called “mise en place” and is a very good habit to get into whenever you’re cooking a recipe with a lot of steps.
- A three quart dutch oven or oval casserole dish can be used instead of the rectangular 9×13 dish. Arrange the tater tots in a circular pattern if you do this.
What to Serve with Tater Tot Casserole
This casserole is a hearty meal all on its own. No need to make side dishes, unless you want to!
Try serving a Simple Tossed Green Salad, or a classic Caesar Salad on the side.
For dessert, try another midwest favorite, and make a dessert salad like my Watergate Salad or Ambrosia Salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can very easily make a vegetarian tater tot casserole using this recipe. Simply replace the ground meat with a plant based protein product such as Beyond Beef or Impossible Burger or just sauteed mushrooms. Use vegetable or Mushroom broth instead of beef broth.
Tater tot casserole takes about 45 minutes to fully bake, and might take a bit less or more time depending on your oven. You will know that the casserole is done when the center of the dish is hot and the tater tots are nicely browned.
This could be because your dish isn’t close enough to the top of the oven. If the casserole is warmed through and you’d like the tater tots to be crispier, turn the oven to broil and crisp them up that way. Keep an eye on the broiler though, they will burn quickly!
Yes, you can! Create your casserole, following the recipe instructions right up until it’s time to bake. Let everything cool to room temperature, and then seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.
When you’re ready to enjoy your casserole, simply bake as directed. You can bake it from frozen, just allow extra baking time.
I think you’ll be making this recipe over and over again, so enjoy!! Pin this recipe so more people can make it too.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Tater Tot Casserole (No Canned Soup!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (900g) ground beef 80/20
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk
- ½ cup (120ml) beef broth Note 1
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup (150g) frozen mixed vegetables corn, carrots, peas, green beans
- 8 ounces (225g) cheddar cheese shredded, Note 2
- 32 ounce (900g) bag frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- In a skillet, cook ground beef until it’s no longer pink and cooked through. Drain fat. Remove onto a plate and set aside.
- Add onion, and cook until softened (2-3 minutes), add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds – 1 minute.
- Add flour, and cook it for 30 seconds then add the milk, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Stir in the beef and frozen vegetables and remove from heat.
- Layer the beef in the casserole dish, followed by the cheese, and arrange the tater tots on top in a single layer.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack, and cool for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley or chives.
Notes:
- Beef broth can be substituted with beef, chicken, or vegetable stock.
- Whenever possible, it’s recommended you freshly grate your cheese from a block as it melts much better. Pre-shredded packaged cheese comes with anti-clumping agents (which is why it’s not clumpy when it comes out of the bag) which stop it from melting as nicely.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Paula Powers says
Perfect ratios, excellent flavor and came together beautifully! MN native here who loves a quality Tator Tot Casserole . My Grandmother and MIL are smiling from heaven as the ‘casserole tradition’ lives on! Thank you. 💕
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you so much for sharing. I’m so glad that this recipe helped you to carry on the tradition. Enjoy!
Tracey says
Can this be frozen for later? Any advice how to do that?
Little Sunny Kitchen says
It can! Bake the casserole, let it cool, then store in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. When you’re ready to enjoy your casserole, simply bake as directed.
Nicole F says
It may have been something I did wrong, but while it tastes amazing, I did not get my tots very crisp. I used Ore Ida brand and gluten free flour. The flavor is good (I had to use chicken broth) I also used a jarred garlic and minced onion(I have a texture thing and can’t use normal stuff)
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Next time you can try putting the tots under the broiler for a bit to crisp them up. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe otherwise!
Chelsey says
Can you use a dairy free milk like oat milk ?
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work! Any unsweetened milk should be fine.
Jeanette says
I’ve made this several times and there are never any leftovers! My boys love it.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I am thrilled to hear it! Thank you so much for the fantastic feedback.