Cowboy Casserole (Creamy Tater Tot Casserole)

This Cowboy Casserole is creamy, full of hearty ground beef and is topped with crispy tater tots. And did I mention there's cheese? There is cheese! Don't worry, we also throw in some vegetables so this easy Tater Tot Casserole is a full meal!

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I grew up calling baked dishes like this casseroles.

After I entered the blogging world, I have encountered a lot of people who refer to these recipes as hot dish.

It must be a regional thing.

I grew up in the Northeast and I have a feeling that hot dish is more of a Midwest thing? Please let me know if this is correct or not in the comments. From here on in, I'll be calling it casserole.

Casseroles are great because they are a bit naughty! More often than not a casserole is going to contain some sort of creamy element as a binder (usually a condensed soup), a meat and cheese, lots of cheese!

Casseroles aren't just for dinner either. I recently discovered this Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole.

In the market for a new casserole baking dish? Try one of these:

• Classic Glass Pyrex Baking Dish with Lid
• Ceramic Baking Dish
• Stoneware Baking Dish

📋What Ingredients Are In Tater Tot Casserole

• Ground Beef
• Condensed Soups - I prefer the combo of cream of mushroom & cream of celery but you can certainly use two cream of mushrooms if you want
• Frozen Vegetables - The variety I use is a mix of carrot, corn and green beans but feel free to use other combinations
• Sour Cream
• Milk
• Onion & Garlic
• Cheese - Any cheddar blend will work here. I prefer the way a Monterey Jack melts so I tend to choose a mixture that contains Monterey Jack
• Tater Tots

🔪Assembling the casserole

Brown the ground beef and then add the onion and garlic.

Set that aside while you combine the soups, vegetables, cheese, sour cream cheese and milk.

Combine the ground beef mixture with the soup mixture and spread into baking dish.

It won't look very appealing at this point but trust me, we're getting there.

Place the tater tots on top of the mixture in a single layer and then top everything with cheese.

Bake it and then let it sit for just a few minutes before serving.

This recipe is ready in under an hour making it a great choice for weeknight meals.

🍲More casserole recipes

I love a lot of casseroles but these four dinner casseroles are my family's favorites.

Printable Recipe Card

Tater Tot Casserole

foodyschmoody

If comfort food is what you crave then this ground beef, condensed soup and cheese loaded tater tot casserole should be on your menu.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables prepared
• 28 ounce frozen tater tots
• 10.5 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 10.5 ounce can condensed cream of celery soup
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 cups shredded cheddar or cheddar blend
• Salt & pepper

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
• Place ground beef in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Once beef is no longer pink, drain excess grease, add onion and cook just until soft, stirring occasionally. Once onion is soft, about 3-4 minutes, stir in a pinch of salt and pepper and add garlic. Cook 1 minute more. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine soups, milk, sour cream, prepared vegetables and 1 Cup of the cheese. Once combined, stir in the ground beef mixture.
• Transfer mixture into prepared baking dish. Arrange frozen tater tots on top of mixture and then top with remaining cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven, 40 minutes, until bubbly and tots are crispy. Allow dish to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Keyword beef, casserole

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