Your family is going to devour this yummy Tater Tot Casserole! Stuffed with ground beef, cheese and corn then topped with the potatoes and more cheese, everyone will be fighting for seconds!
If you love this recipe you'll love this cheesy beef noodle casserole as well!
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So simple, made with everyday ingredients you have on hand. It takes just minutes to make, so it's a great weeknight meal as well. You can even make and freeze it!
🗒️ Ingredients
For the exact measurements, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- tater tots - diced hash brown potatoes would work just as well.
- ground beef - you can certainly substitute ground turkey or chicken to lighten this meal.
- cream of mushroom soup - cream of chicken or celery would work! I'm also really tempted to try cheddar cheese soup, yum!
- montreal steak seasoning - make your own or store-bought, either will work!
- shredded cheese - the recipe calls for Colby, but cheddar, Colby Jack or even mozzarella would be delicious.
- cream style corn - using cream style eliminates the need for milk. If you don't have cream style substitute with canned corn (drained) or frozen corn - you'll need about 1 ½ cups. Plus ½ cup of heavy cream.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!
- Preheat the oven, spray the casserole dish with non-stick spray. Brown the ground beef, add the onions and seasoning. Sauté until the onions are soft.
- Add the cream of mushroom soup and corn, simmer to combine.
- Pour mixture into prepared 9x13 casserole dish.
- Top with cheese reserving about half for the top.
- Spread the tater tots on top in one even layer. Top with remaining cheese and bake the cowboy casserole until hot and bubbly - enjoy!
🙋♀️ FAQ's
Nope, not at all! You add them frozen to the casserole dish.
Substitute with cream of celery, asparagus or cream of chicken soup.
Yes, Cowboy Casserole makes a great freezer meal! Prepare the casserole as per instructions, but do not bake. Seal well and freeze. Remove from the freezer the night before and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bake for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
👍 Tips
- Use a 9x13 casserole dish, you'll want it to be at least 2 inches deep.
- You can lighten up this casserole by substituting ground chicken or turkey. In addition the condensed mushroom soup can be substituted with cream of celery or chicken.
- If you prefer super crispy tater tots - baked them first and add them to the casserole fully baked about halfway through cooking.
Place the casserole under the broiler for 3-5 minutes for the top to get toasty and golden brown. Watch it closely, so it doesn't burn.
📓 Variations
- Make it Tex-Mex by adding a can of chopped green chilies!
- Mixing in a can of drained green beans, makes this a complete one pan meal.
- Make it even heartier by adding a can of kidney beans!
Serving suggestions
I made a big batch of pan fried vegetables to serve as a side with this meal. It's the best combination! A bright fresh garden salad and homemade cloverleaf rolls would be amazing as well.
Related recipes
I have several great casseroles on the blog I hope you try soon!
- Unstuffed Pepper Casserole has all the flavor of stuffed pepper, with none of the fussy prep work. We love this recipe!
- A real favorite is this recipe for Rotel Chicken Spaghetti - it's creamy and cheese, filling & delicious!
- Frito Pie is the best walking taco recipe around. Kids big and small love this meal!
- Creamy Beef Noodle Casserole is another family favorite. It's cheesy and delicious and my buddy's granddaughter ate two heaping servings - kid tested and approved!
I hope you give this a try soon, I think you'll enjoy it as much as we do!
Recipe
Cowboy Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 32 oz. Tater Tots frozen
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- 15.5 ounce cream corn
- 10.75 ounce cream of mushroom soup
- 1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning
- 2 cups colby jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Spray an 9x13 with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown the ground beef. Drain the fat and add the diced onion and steak seasoning. Saute for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the mushroom soup and cream corn. Simmer for 2-4 minutes to combine the flavors.
- Pour the meat mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with half the cheese. Spread the potatoes in an even later over the top, sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Optional: Broil the casserole for 3-5 minutes. The top will turn golden brown and crispy. Just watch it closely so it doesn't burn.
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