If you're looking for a hearty, crowd pleasing meal that's crazy easy to put together, this Tater Tot Casserole recipe fits the bill!
You know The Duggars as a lovable giant family with their very own reality show. But did you also know this ever-expanding clan can cook?
The Duggars Tater Tot casserole recipe is a family favorite and preparation is crazy simple. It's perfect for an easy, weeknight dinner.
How easy is easy? First you brown the meat, cover it withTater Totsthen pour over a mixture of soup and evaporated milk.
The result? Layers of delicious flavor that the whole family will love.
And best of all, the entire meal cooks in one dish, which means clean-up is quick and easy, too!
Duggars Tater Tot Casserole Ingredients
To make the Duggars tater tot casserole recipe you will need:
- Frozen Tater Tots
- Ground beef
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Cream of chicken soup
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Evaporated milk
One of the best things about this tater tot casserole is how readily available the ingredients happen to be.
Plus, many of these ingredients are things that are possible to keep on hand in the pantry or freezer at all times.
Stumped on what to make for dinner some Monday or Tuesday night?
If you keep ground beef and tater tots in the freezer and a couple cans of cream soup in the pantry, you're all set!
Tips for How to Make Tater Tot Casserole
Ok, wondering how to make tater tot casserole?
Honestly, this is such an easy recipe to make that it's hard to go wrong!
We have a few hints for making your casserole extra special, or for customizing it to suit your family!
Ground Beef
To make this tater tot casserole recipe, we suggest using a good quality lean ground beef.
That said, you don't necessarily have to stick to ground beef - ground pork, chicken and turkey all work well, too.
Boost the Flavor
For a more robust flavor, add finely diced onion and garlic when browning the beef.
For an even bigger pop of flavor, add a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce in there too!
TheWorcestershire sauce will really add a lot of rich flavor to the ground beef.
Like it a little spicy? Mixing a packet of taco seasoning with the meat is a great way to put a flavorful spin on this dish!
Add Some Veggies
There are no rules here, so feel free to throw in whatever your family enjoys!
We find that green beans work well and so does canned or frozen corn.
In fact, if you use taco seasoning to flavor the meat, adding corn to the mix really helps bring that Mexican flavor to the dish!
Just about any cooked vegetables (or frozen veggies, thawed first) will do!
Make it Cheesy
To add some gooey deliciousness to this casserole, you can include a layer of cheese.
You can either add it after the soup (but before the Tater Tots), or you can sprinkle it right on the top.
The only issue with putting the cheese right on top of the Tater Tots is that they won't crisp up as much. Try it both ways and see what you prefer!
You can use regular cheddar, or - if you're going for that Mexican flavor - try a nice shredded taco cheese or spicy pepperjack instead.
Make a Vegetarian Tater Tot Casserole
You could easily make this a vegetarian Tater Tot casserole by swapping the meat for a bean-basedvegetarian chiliinstead. How delicious would that be?
Other options include using a plant-based ground beef alternative, which tastes particularly delicious when browned up with taco seasoning.
How to Make The Duggars Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
- Brown the ground beef by first adding it to a large skillet. Use a spatula to break it up as it's cooking
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste, continuing to cook until browned through
- Depending on your ground meat, if there is a lot of fat and grease left after cooking, carefully drain off the fat, being careful not to burn yourself
- Add cooked ground beef to the bottom of a 9x12 baking sheet
- Cover the ground beef with Tater Tots
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together milk, Cream of Chicken and Cream of Mushroom soups until well combined
- Pour the soup mixture over top of the Tater Tots and ground beef
- Bake at 350° for 45 - 60 minutes until the Tater Tots are nice and crispy and the mixture is bubbling
How Long to Cook Tater Tot Casserole
When determining how long to cook tater tot casserole, the size of your baking dish will be the determining factor.
A wider baking dish that isn't as deep may take as little as 45 minutes.
If you're using a deeper dish that isn't as wide, we find it can sometimes take around 60 minutes.
A good rule of thumb when deciding how long to cook tater tot casserole is to start checking the casserole around 35 to 40 minutes.
You can then check it every five minutes or so until it's done and perfectly golden brown on top.
How to Make Tater Tot Casserole Ahead
You can assemble your casserole up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate it until you need to cook it.
Another option is to freeze it. The best option is to freeze it unbaked - follow all the steps in the recipe, then once you've added the soup, cover the dish and put it in the freezer.
Remove it from the freezer 24 hours before you plan to serve your casserole and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator, then bake as directed.
You might also enjoy our yummyCheeseburger Tater Tot Casserolerecipe.
Breakfast Casseorole Recipes
Casseroles aren't just for dinner! In fact, this tater tot casserole is delicious for breafkast.
Looking for a more traditional breakfast? Try these yummybreakfast casseroles!
- ThisSouthwestern Breakfast Casserole Recipeis delicious and even a bit spicy
- If you love a Mexican flavor combination, thisEnchilada Breakfast Casserole Recipecan't be missed
- Love the ease of baking in the toater oven? Try ourToaster Oven Egg Bake Recipe
- If you love cheese and potatoes as much as we do, dry thisCheesy Hashbrown Potato Casserole Recipe
- Finally, ourTortilla Breakfast Casserole Recipeis a forever fan favorite!
