I have been wanting to make Hamburger Hotdish Tater Tot Casserole for so long now, and I finally got around to making it! There is nothing I love more than a canned mushroom soup casserole and when you add crispy tater tots on top? Whoa Nellie, this is a new favourite!
What is Tater Tot Casserole?
This tater tot casserole is very much like a Shepherd’s pie, you make a creamy ground beef and vegetable filling, or bottom layer and then you top it with tater tots. This is a Midwest dish that is also known as Hotdish, or Hamburger Hotdish, the name varies with whomever you ask!
Dear Midwestern United States, I love you and your casseroles. First it was my Johnny Marzetti casserole that has been an absolute hit on my website and now it’s a hamburger hotdish with tater tots. Hamburger hotdish can be classified as a casserole that uses a canned cream soup mixed with vegetables and then you place some sort of potato product on top. You can make hotdish with mashed potatoes on top or like this one with Tater Tots. Give me all of the Tater Tots, please and thanks!
How to Make Tater Tot Casserole
The first step to making this casserole is preparing the ground beef mixture. Fry it up and then drain the grease from it, or the casserole will be too greasy.
You are going to now prepare the vegetables that you will mix with the cooked ground beef and the soup mixture This is up to your personal preference. I like to use the frozen vegetable medley that has peas, carrots, corn, Lima beans etc. You can use green beans only in your Tater Tot Casserole, or just peas and carrots. What ever your family likes, you can put in as this point.
You then mix together the ground beef, vegetables and the soup. Place this as the first layer, followed by cheese, then the Tater Tots, Bake and enjoy!
Ingredients in Tater Tot Casserole
The basic ingredients for tater tot casserole are ground beef, onions, vegetables of choice, cream soup, cheese and of course, tater tops on top! You can add many other things to this dish and use different soup of choice if you want. I like garlic in mine
Can I Make Tater Tot Casserole With Green Beans?
You can absolutely make this tater tot casserole using green beans for the vegetable. This would make it very much like a green bean casserole, with of course, tater tots on top! Sounds like the perfect casserole for green bean lovers that is a main meal and not just a side dish.
How Long Do I Cook Tater Tot Casserole?
Since the bottom of the casserole is already cooked ( you fully cook the ground beef ) and are simply heating up the vegetables, soup and ground beef mixture, it is mainly all about the tater tops on top. This casserole takes a good 50 minutes to bake up, you need to get the ground beef mixture bubbling and the tater tots crispy!
Hamburger Hotdish / Tater Tot Casserole Tips & Tricks
- Use a low sodium soup if you are wanting to cut the salt in this recipe and skip the salting of the ground beef.
- You can substitute in any soup that you want! I mean really, let your imagination go wild! If you have a favourite canned soup, use it in this hotdish.
- It’s all about getting those Tater Tots on top crispy! You are only heating the inside of the casserole as you completely cook the ground beef before you put it in the casserole. Cook those Tater Tots until they are as crispy as you want them to be.
- You can top the casserole with the cheese AFTER the Tater Tots are cooked and crispy. Do not add it before or your tater tots will never crisp up!
Now of course this is a dinner that is best left to when you want a really awesome treat, when you are wanting comfort food to the MAX. It’s canned soup and Tater Tots you guys, it’s not fine cooking or healthy cooking. But once in a while? Treat yourself to a Hamburger Hotdish with Tater Tots. It’s divinely comforting and perfect for when you want a taste of the Midwest!
More Casserole Recipes
These are some of the best casserole recipes here on The Kitchen Magpie, tried and tested!
- Classic American Goulash
- Sour Cream Ground Beef Noodle Casserole
- Shipwreck Casserole
- Cheesy Beef Dinner Skillet
- Mom’s Cottage Cheese Lasagna
Happy Cooking!
Love,
Karlynn
Hamburger Hotdish – Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
Ground Beef Mixture
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 large white onion diced
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Filling
- 4 cups frozen mixed vegetables
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cups shredded cheddar or mixed cheese
Tater Tot Topping
- 1 800 grams bag of frozen Tater Tots
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 350 °F.
- In a large skillet, fry the onion in the oil until it is soft and translucent. Add in the ground beef, fry until completely cooked through. Drain the fat, mix the garlic. Fry until golden, around 2-3 minutes, then add some salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a 9×13 baking pan or oven safe pan of equivalent size.
- Combine the vegetables and the soup. Pour over top of the hamburger. Sprinkle the cheese on top evenly.
- Place the tater tots in an even layer on top of the soup mixture.
- Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until the tater tots on top are crispy and browned. Remove from the oven and serve.
Notes
- You can change up the soups that you use in the mixture if you are bold!
- You can also sprinkle MORE cheese on top at the end and let it melt in the oven if you wanted cheesy tater tot casserole.
Nutrition
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Hannah E Waight says
After visiting my relatives in Minnesota and enjoying their delicious hotdishes at a wedding, I’ve been trying to find comparable recipes to make at home. This was delicious! On the recommendation of previous reviews, I added 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, a sprinkle of ground mustard and topped the tater tots with seasoned salt. So comforting and delicious! I was concerned because the mixed veggies I got in my grocery order included Lima beans, great beans, carrots and peas but it turned out great. Thanks for the great recipe!!
Tammy R says
This is a great recipe for feeding 50 people! So easy and affordable, even the kids loved it. Thanks a bunch
Michele D says
Recipe is great for a freezer dump type of casserole but two tips. First, if your frozen veggies have ice on them, run cold water over them in a colander so that you don’t end up with water in your casserole. Second, the meat mixture is very bland. I suggest adding a tbsp of Worcestershire sauce to it to give it more flavor. I also added a tsp of dry mustard to give it some more oomph. It needs jazzing up and then it’ll be good so add what you think will season it to your liking (herbs, etc)
Annie says
So I was raised in Minnesota, Casseroles are what other states call Hotdishes, MN says hotdish. Tater Tot hotdish/casserole in MN uses mixed veggies or corn, Wisconsin uses green beans. My mom was from Wis. She used green beans….all of our family uses green beans. It actually has a discussion of rights and wrongs with the new members that marry in many times.
Sue says
Could I use diced fresh veggies?
Could I use frozen hash browns?
Just wanting to use some things I already have in my frig & freezer. Thanks
Michele D says
I almost think fresh would be better in this, and the hash brown potatoes would work the same. Go for it
Karen says
I. In the middle of making the tater tot dish and I am 1 can of mushroom soup. Any suggestions
Lucille Livengood says
Hey Karlynn
On the very first I would like to appreciate you to maintain such a great website having two children. I like the way of your writing because you have given suggestion in the form of answer’s which is more than helpful.
Also, I like no.1 tips, as I am going to Gym and my trainer told me to cut the salt. SO I think this worthy for me.