How can I tell when my Tater Tots Casserole is done cooking?

Everything in this simple casserole is already cooked, but the key to knowing when it’s done is checking to see that it’s hot and heated through. After baking it uncovered for the last 15 minutes, check to see if the casserole is bubbly around the edges and the cheese on the Tater Tots has melted. These are indicators that both the filling and tots are hot throughout.

Tater Tots™ Casserole

Name: Tater Tots™ Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs ground beef; 1 bag (32 oz) Ore-Ida™ Tater Tots™ frozen potatoes; 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup; 1 can green beans, drained; 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Prep time:10 min
Total time:1 hr 10 min
Ingredients:7
Servings:8

By Edited by MandyUpdated 03/02/2026

Tater Tots™ Casserole

Prep time:10 min
Total time:1 hr 10 min
Ingredients:7
Servings:8
Calories per serving:

Is it a hotdish or a casserole? Midwesterners call it hotdish, while other parts of the country call it a casserole. Whichever term you use, this hearty supper dish has its roots in the pages of a Southern Minnesota church cookbook. The first casserole recipe started as a farm wife’s solution for an inexpensive meal. It contained ground beef, tomato soup, macaroni, and peas.

Our recipe takes advantage of ready-to-use ingredients, so prep and clean up are a breeze. There’s a perfectly seasoned ground beef mixture under a comfy layer of cheese-topped Tater Tots —that everyone in the family will love. This hot and hearty dinner is a great choice when the weather turns cold. Because of its quick prep and delicious flavor, it’s a perfect meal for busy weeknights when you need to fill tummies fast.

Recipe Ingredients

Only 7 ingredients are needed to throw this easy Tater Tots Casserole together. Below is why each one is an important player in this well-loved classic casserole.

Ground Beef: Provides the backbone of this recipe and makes it a main dish recipe. You can use whatever lean-to-fat ratio of ground beef you prefer, or you could use ground turkey, chicken, or pork instead.

Cream of Mushroom Soup: This condensed soup becomes the sauce for the casserole without having to add or prepare any other ingredients. You could substitute cream of celery soup instead, or you could use condensed cream of chicken soup if using ground turkey or chicken.

Seasonings: Salt and pepper are all you need to season the ground beef filling. This is good news for kids or adults that love a casserole that isn’t overly seasoned.

Green Beans: These are a simple, genius way to add veggies into a casserole! You can swap in 2 cups of cooked broccoli florets or stir-fried frozen veggies for the beans if you like.

Tater Tots™: For this recipe, a 2-pound (32-ounce) bag of crispy tots will be plenty. They bulk up the dish in terms of heartiness and are responsible for the light, crisp texture on the top of this yummy casserole.

Cheddar Cheese: This ingredient not only adds another layer of flavor but using it on top of the potato puffs just adds to the swoon-worthiness of this comforting dish.

How to Make Tater Tots Casserole

It’s so easy to make this beloved dinner recipe; anyone can learn how to make Tater Tot Casserole. With these guidelines and the complete recipe below, you’ll have a mouthwatering dinner on the table before anyone can ask, “what’s for dinner?”

1. Brown the Ground Beef

Brown the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it’s no longer pink, breaking it up with a large spoon. This will take 7 to 9 minutes. Place it in a colander over a bowl to drain the fat from the meat.

2. Mix the Filling

Use the same skillet (or a medium bowl) to mix the beef with the salt and pepper and drained green beans until they are well mixed. Pour the filling into the baking dish. We prefer to use a glass or ceramic baking dish for casseroles as metal pans can cause the edges of the food to get too crispy and dried out.

3. Top the Casserole

Sprinkle a bag of crispy tots over the casserole, covering as much of the ground beef mixture as possible. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the tots.

4. Bake the Casserole

Cover the dish with aluminum foil for most of the baking, so that the casserole can get hot and bubbly all the way through. Remove the foil for the final 15 minutes of baking to allow the Tater Tots to crisp up.

5. Serve and Enjoy

Serve the casserole right away so that the tots don’t continue to absorb moisture from the filling. Nothing is sadder than eating soggy tots!

How to Store (and Reheat) Tater Tots Casserole

Leftover hamburger casserole is delicious for a quick, hot lunch or dinner when you’ve got a busy evening ahead.

Refrigerator Storage

Wrap any remaining baked and cooled hotdish right in the glass baking dish with plastic wrap or foil, or spoon it into food-safe storage containers. Cover and refrigerate 3 to 4 days.

Freezer Storage

Freezer storage isn’t recommended for this dish; the Tater Tots will become soggy as they absorb moisture from the filling during the freeze and thaw steps.

Reheating Directions

Spoon a serving of the leftover casserole onto a microwavable plate. Cover loosely and microwave on medium (50%) about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until heated through. The Tater Tots will have a softer texture than when served freshly baked, but the flavor will still be delicious.

Other Casserole Recipes

Casseroles are a filling and economical way to get a dinner on the table. It also doesn’t hurt that they are easy to prepare and something the entire family can get excited about. When you’re ready for another delicious dinner, try one of these from our list of top-rated casserole recipes.

Beef Tortilla Taco Casserole: A terrific ground beef recipe, this Mexican-inspired hot dish would be a terrific way to change up Taco Tuesday.

Chicken Pot Pie Casserole: Creamy chicken and veggies are tucked under a crescent roll crust for an easy way to enjoy the flavors of a pot pie without all the work.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole: Leftover cooked chicken teams up with pasta, ranch dressing, and bacon in a cheesy casserole with a luscious Alfredo sauce “gravy.”

Sausage Biscuits and Gravy Casserole: Whether you enjoy this for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this easy casserole is the ultimate comfort food.

Frequently Asked Questions

No one likes eating soggy tots! Ensure they don’t get soft with these easy tips.

Keep the Tots in the Freezer

Leave them in the freezer until you’re ready to top the filling in the casserole dish. Thawed tots can lead to soggy tots.

Uncover the Casserole

Remove the foil from the top of the casserole before finishing the baking. This will help to crisp up the tops of the tots.

Serve It Right Away

As the casserole sits, the Tater Tots can continue to soak up moisture from the filling below. Serve this casserole when it comes out of the oven, so the tots have the best texture.

It’s all a matter of what region of the country and/or what your family of origin called it when you grew up! Minnesotans in particular, but other Midwesterners, too, refer to it as a hotdish. Other areas of the country call it a casserole. No one is wrong. Both terms describe a dish of usually meat or poultry, starches, such as potatoes or rice, and veggies in a sauce or gravy that are baked together in the oven.