Craving a cheeseburger but tired of the same old bun? Try switching things up with this delicious Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole. It’s an easy dinner option that the whole family will love.
Casserole recipes can be a winner for the entire family. They are filling, hearty, and can make great leftovers. They are also a great opportunity to make dinner fun and exciting. Take this Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole recipe, for example, my family loves burgers and tater tots, so it only made sense to take the idea and transform it into something a little more fulfilling for the family.
Ingredients in this casserole recipe
The ingredients in this easy casserole dinner recipe are pretty straightforward and easily accessible at most grocery stores:
Ground beef: Most burgers are made with beef, and so is this casserole recipe. You can also substitute the recipe with ground turkey.
Frozen Tater Tots: Tater tots are pretty inexpensive, and adding them to this dish will be a huge win for the kids.
Sharp Cheddar Cheese: I don’t know about you, but I love cheddar cheese on my burger. You can also use American Cheese instead if you prefer.
Dill Pickles: On my burger, all I typically want is cheese, mustard, lettuce, and pickles. Add the pickles to this casserole is perfect for us pickle lovers.
Diced Tomatoes: I am typically not a fan of having tomato on my burger, but this recipe makes sense.
Making this casserole recipe
The hardest part of making this recipe is keeping calm while this casserole cook. Aside from that, it is a matter of cooking the beef, making the cheese sauce, and giving the layers plenty of flavor through a robust collection of seasonings and spices.
Step 1: Cook the onions and bell peppers. Then, add and cook the ground beef—season with Worcestershire Sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder.
Step 2: Make the cheese sauce by making a roux with cheese, milk, and flour.
Step 3: Add the diced tomatoes, pickles, and ketchup to the ground beef mixture.
Step 4: Add the ground beef mixture to the casserole dish, top with tater tots, pour the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese, and bake!
Commonly Asked Questions
Yes. This can be prepared to be a freezer meal. You can place the casserole in an airtight container, or you layer the casserole dish with aluminum foil once the meal has been made, you can put it in the freezer and place it in freezer to set up.
I’m sure you could take the approach the same way you would a shepherd’s pie and use mashed potatoes. I haven’t tried this method, but I am sure it would be a good alternative.
Similar Recipes
If you like easy weeknight recipes like this casserole dish, you will love the ones below:
- Steak and Potato Casserole
- Cheesy Taco Skillet Casserole
- Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Bake with Rice
- Chili Cornbread Casserole
Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 8–10 1x
Description
Make this easy Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole for dinner tonight! This Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole will “wow” your family!
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 tbsp. butter
- 1/4 c. flour
- 2 c. milk
- 4 c. sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 lb. ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 tbsp. salt
- 1/2 tbsp. pepper
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/8 c. Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 c. Ketchup
- 1/3 c. dill pickles, diced
- 2 lb. tater tots (slightly unthawed)
- 1/3 c. diced tomatoes
- chives, garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees.
- In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat and add the chopped onion and green bell pepper. Allow the onion and bell pepper to cook for 3-5 minutes until they become translucent.
- In the same pot, add ground beef. Mix the beef into the onion and pepper while breaking up the ground beef. Allow the beef to cook for 10-15 minutes or until completely cooked.
- Drain the beef, removing access fat, and return the beef to the pot—season with salt, pepper, onion powder, Worcestershire Sauce, and ketchup. Mix the seasoning well into the beef. Now, add the pickles, diced tomatoes, and stir. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan on low to medium heat melt the butter. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour. Once you have whisked in the flour, it will appear lumpy. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking to remove the lumps.
- Once the milk has been added, and it begins to steam, add 2 cups of the sharp cheddar cheese. Constantly stir until the cheese has fully melted and the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a rectangular 9X13 casserole pan, pour the beef mixture evenly into the dish. Add the tater tots lining them in rows on top of the beef. Next, pour the cheese sauce over the tater tots. Sprinkle the last 2 cups of cheese. Bake in the oven uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Allow the casserole to cool before serving.
Notes
- I suggest buying 2 8 oz. blocks of sharp cheddar cheese and grating them yourself because the melting quality is better.
- Turn this into Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole by adding bacon.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
The video shows a smaller serving I feel. Also the tomatoes in the video are added to the beef mixture not placed on top of the taters. It was hard to know how much onion to add as there are many different sizes. But I think my end product was good.