Go Back

Tater Tot Casserole

The original 1990s tater tot casserole from my handwritten recipe book. Raw ground beef, two cans of soup, diced onion, and a bag of tater tots — no browning, no precooking. Layer it, bake it, and let the oven do the rest.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Serving Size 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs ground beef (raw) not browned
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 small onion (diced)
  • 1 can 10.5 oz cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can 10.5 oz cream of celery soup
  • 1 small bag frozen tater tots
  • 0.5 can water (use one of the empty soup cans)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
  • Press the raw ground beef into the bottom of the dish in a thin, even layer. Do not brown it first — it cooks through during the long bake.
  • Sprinkle the salt evenly across the meat, then add black pepper to taste.
  • Scatter the diced onion evenly over the seasoned meat.
  • Spread the cream of chicken soup over the onion layer, all the way out to the edges.
  • Scatter the tater tots across the top in a single layer. Neat rows are optional — it tastes the same either way.
  • Dollop the cream of celery soup over the tater tots and spread it out as best you can. It's a little harder to spread over the tots, but you can do it.
  • Fill one empty soup can about halfway with water and pour it gently over the top of the casserole. This keeps everything from drying out during the long bake.
  • Bake uncovered at 350°F for 1 hour 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly and the beef is cooked through.
  • Let it rest a few minutes before serving — it comes out piping hot.

Video

Notes

  • Soup swaps: cream of chicken and cream of celery are the original combination, but cream of mushroom works, and so does two cans of the same kind. Use what's in your pantry.
  • Homemade soup: a homemade cream of chicken soup works beautifully here if you'd rather not use canned.
  • Low-fat soups: the 98% fat free versions work fine. The recipe calls for regular, but either will do.
  • Add vegetables: stir mixed vegetables or corn into the meat layer to turn this into more of a cottage pie — meat, veggies, and potatoes in one dish.
  • Add cheese: some folks top theirs with shredded cheddar. Add it over the last few minutes of baking.
  • Brown the beef version: if you'd rather brown the ground beef first, drain it and reduce the bake time — check it at about 45 minutes.
  • Make ahead: assemble and refrigerate, then bake when ready. A cold dish may need a little extra time in the oven.
  • It won't look pretty in the pan, especially once you start scooping. That's normal. It still tastes wonderful.