

I think the best part of making a childhood dish isn’t for the taste, but for the comforting memories that we shared with our parents. They share my enjoyment in this dish and we all enjoy the leftovers for lunch. The kids know that when Dad is away, this casserole is likely popping up for dinner. Whenever my husband, Jordan, is out of town traveling, this recipe pops up on our meal plan. I might be a bit fanatical about lining up the tater tots. If you pour the bag, try to make sure the tater tots are in a single layer so that they all cook evenly. You can line up the tater tots in neat little rows OR you can pour the entire bag on top of the casserole. Depending on the configuration of your tots, you may have 3 or 4 tater tots left afterward.
Best tater tot casserole full#
Once you have all your ingredients under the cheese, it’s time for the final step- the tater tots! This Tater Tot Casserole recipe uses almost a full bag of tater tots from the store. Make it Taco themed! (Taco Seasoning, Taco Cheese, etc.).My favorite ways to change-up this casserole: Click here for all the ideas to use up ingredients that you already have in your pantry or freezer. However, over the years, I’ve used sliced cheese, grated cheese, and pretty much whatever we have in the fridge.Ĭan I Mix Other Ingredients into Tater Tot Casserole?Ībsolutely! You can mix in more than 23 other items! You could add them as a layer before topping everything with the cheese. Growing up we used pre-packaged American cheese slices. Next, you’ll want to lay down a single layer of cheese. Once you have your ground beef leveled, top with one can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup. If you only have a pound of ground beef, I would use a smaller pan and monitor the bake time to make sure the internal temperature still reaches 160 degrees. I’ve learned that for a 13″ x 9″ pan, you’ll likely need about 1 and a 1/3 pounds to 1.5 pounds of meat. I don’t think 1 pound is quite enough to cover the entire pan and keep satisfy your family.
Best tater tot casserole how to#
How to Make Tater Tot Casserole (Plus Mix-in Ideas!)įirst, you’ll layer your ground beef in a 13″x 9″ casserole dish. It doesn’t need a roux, prepping veggies, or even cooking the raw beef. You can have it prepped in about ten minutes and have it baking while you work on other to-dos around the house. Its simplicity is perfect for whipping up on a weeknight.

25 Easy Slow Cooker Recipes for Busy Families.or any other adjective that generally describes food that’s good for you.īut it’s pretty darn great for this overworked mom’s soul. So this tater tot casserole definitely isn’t fancy. My mom always relied on recipes that were easy enough for her to cook every night ( whoa, mom) and easy on the budget to feed us all, well. So we didn’t have fancy meals or dishes that were hard to pronounce. Growing up, my parents always worked a lot. What is the one recipe you remember the most from school nights as kid? Was it not the most comforting meal ever? Have you noticed that you’ve forgotten about that dish since you’ve become a parent?īut this week I am ‘righting the wrong’ and serving up my childhood favorite casserole– and it’s so simple! Please see my Disclaimer for more information) Your whole family is going to be begging for this recipe – adults and kids alike! It’s a quick family dinner and you’ll make it again and again.Here is an easy comfort food dinner recipe for everyone’s favorite tater tot casserole! It’s only a few ingredients and perfect for families! Love casseroles, you’ll LOVE this then! I remember sampling it when I was little too, but it’s been about 30 years! This easy tater tot casserole is just as good as I remember it.Ĭrispy, cheesy, and delicious. and I knew this tater tot casserole was going to be a big hit around here and I would have to make it first. Let’s be honest about why grandma liked to make it: 1) it was easy, with only four ingredients, and 2) in was inexpensive.Īfter going back through through my family’s recipe cards, I found a lot of easy casseroles. This turkey casserole was a favorite of my mom’s growing up, and my grandmother loved to make it too. One of those recipes was this simple tater tot casserole recipe. Many years ago, when we lived in Kentucky, my mom made me transcribe some of my grandmother’s recipes from various scraps of paper to actual recipe cards.
