Celebrate taco Tuesday with something different, like this delicious Taco Tater Tot Casserole recipe! With just 6 simple ingredients, this one skillet meal is made with items you likely already have in your fridge and pantry. This tater tot taco casserole is the ideal weeknight dinner idea!
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Now that I’m the one in charge of making and preparing most of our weeknight dinners, I decided to combine two childhood favorites dinners; tacos and tater tot casserole. This awesome one skillet meal is perfect for busy weeknights, as it only requires 6 simple ingredients.
Traditionally, a tater tot casserole recipe is made with ground beef, however, you can substitute ground turkey. With simple frozen tater tots from the frozen foods section and a few other ingredients, the prep time is minimal making it perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.
What do I need to make taco tater tot casserole?
- Lean ground beef – use your preferred meat to fat ratio – 90/10 is a good option for this recipe. You can also substitute ground turkey for this recipe.
- Taco seasoning – try my homemade taco seasoning as it offers a healthier option that doesn’t include fillers or preservatives.
- Can of Ro*Tel with chilies – this can be found near the canned tomatoes in your local grocery store.
- Frozen Tater Tots, (you’ll use about 1/2 – 2/3’s of a package) – you can also use mini tater tots if regular size is unavailable.
- Shredded Mexican blend cheese – you can also use mild cheddar, sharp cheddar or Colby jack cheeses.
- Preferred Toppings of your choosing: fresh tomatoes, cilantro, lettuce, sour cream, or olives
(For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions please scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of this post.)
How do I make a taco tater tot casserole recipe?
In a medium skillet, brown 1 pound of lean ground beef. Drain off any excess fat. You can also use ground turkey, if you desire.
To the ground beef, add the taco seasoning, 1 can of Ro*Tel with diced chilies, and water. Stir together and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes or just until the liquid reduces and becomes saucy.
Tip for choosing taco seasoning
To keep your ingredients on the up-and-up I would definitely recommend making your own taco seasoning. My Simple Homemade Taco Seasoning is fantastic. The flavor is excellent and has no artificial fillers, unlike most store-bought mixes.
Can I use taco sauce in taco tater tot casserole?
Taco sause can definitely be used instead of taco seasoning. I would recommend using approximately 1/2 cup of taco sauce to season the ground beef in your tater tot taco casserole. Looking for a homemade taco sauce recipe? This recipe is great to keep on hand for mixing in ground beef and topping your tacos.
The ground beef mixture will still have a bit of liquid, but most of this will evaporate off during baking. The Ro*Tel with chilies adds a really great flavor to the taco meat, and also sneaks in a vegetable that your kids may or may not notice.
If you and your family enjoy Taco Tuesday, check out my recipe for the easiest 10-Minute Ground Beef Tacos and my easy Beef Quesadilla Tacos!
What cheese is best for taco tater tot casserole?
Shredded Mexican blend cheese is ideal for this taco tater tot casserole recipe. Top the ground beef mixture with a generous amount of shredded cheese. Feel free to go with your preference, as you can also use shredded mild cheddar, sharp cheddar or Colby jack cheeses.
Buying shredded cheese is one of those time-savers that I’ve happy adopted. It is slightly more expensive, but saves quite a bit of time in the long run over having to shred the cheese yourself.
Adding frozen tater tots to the seasoned ground beef
To the top of the cheese, simply toss on frozen tater tots to your casserole. You will use about 1/2 of a package of your standard frozen tater tots. You can also use mini tater tots.
As soon as you’ve covered the top of the cheese with tots, the casserole is ready to go into the oven. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until tater tots are golden brown.
What toppings are best for tater tot taco casserole?
Feel free to top your tater tot casserole with all of your favorite taco toppings. Here are some good options:
- sour cream
- shredded cheese
- diced tomatoes or pico de gallo salsa
- fresh diced cilantro
- chopped lettuce
- Loaded Guacamole
- hot sauce
- sliced jalapenos
- Black bean corn salsa
FAQ’s about making tater tot casserole:
Ground beef that has been browned and drained of excess fat is traditionally used in tater tot casserole.
Tater tot casserole will need about 20-25 minutes to bake. This will allow the tater tots on top of the casserole to brown and crisp.
Bake tater tot casserole at 425 degrees. This will allow the cheese to melt and the tater tots to brown and crisp.
Use a simple oven-safe skillet, like a cast-iron skillet for making tater tot casserole. You’ll be able to brown the ground beef directly in the skillet, add the remaining ingredients and bake the casserole all in one pan.
Love a simple, delicious casserole recipe? Check out our other casserole ideas:
- Chicken Tater Tot Casserole
- Chicken Broccoli Potato Casserole
- Healthy Unstuffed Peppers
- Healthy Easy Taco Casserole
- Taco Mac and Cheese
- Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
- Beef Enchilada Casserole
If you love this easy Taco Tater Tot Casserole, be sure to check out some of my other Tex-Mex recipes:
- Healthy Chili Lime Shrimp Tacos
- Easy Salmon Tacos Recipe
- Baked Chicken Tacos
- Easy Baked Mini Tacos
- Ground Beef Enchiladas
- Sour Cream Enchiladas
- Loaded Steak Nachos
- How to Build the Ultimate Taco Bar
Here’s the easy recipe for this Cheesy Taco Tater Tot Casserole:
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Cheesy Taco Tater Tot Casserole
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet oven safe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 3 Tbsp. taco seasoning or 1 envelope
- 1 10 oz. can, Ro*Tel with diced chilies
- 1/4 c. water
- 3-4 c. frozen tater tots about 1/2 – 2/3 package
- 1 c. shredded Mexican blend cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef. Drain off any excess fat. To the browned ground beef, add the taco seasoning, Ro*Tel and water. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes, and remove from heat.
- Even sprinkle on the shredded cheese over the top of the ground beef mixture. To the top of the cheese, add the frozen tater tots. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until tater tots are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Top with your favorite taco toppings, like sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
A perfect twist on taco tuesday! thanks for sharing on the What’s for Dinner link up!
Looks awesome! Anything with a tater tot is great with me! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Have a great week!
Kim
My kids will love this one. Will have to work it into our taco night!
Sounds delicious! I do love a bit of Tex Mex and this recipe ticks all the boxes 🙂 T
hanks for bringing this along to Fiesta Friday! I hope you enjoy the party.
Ginger x
Wow! This looks fantastic!
Adding this to my menu plan. Thanks for sharing at the Monday Funday Party! – Emily
Oh I love this! Looks so yummy! Thank you for sharing it over at Food Friday! 😀