Taco Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
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This scrumptious taco tater tot casserole recipe includes a layer of tater tots loaded with your favorite taco flavors, like taco seasoning, melted cheese, beef, and the toppings of your choice.
This recipe is quick and easy to prepare. Start with a layer of tater tots at the bottom of your casserole dish, then cook the seasoned ground beef and layer it on top. Add a generous layer of cheese, bake it to golden perfection, and serve it with your favorite taco toppings. The result is a comforting, delicious dish that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
For an even faster meal next time, prepare double the taco meat (through step 2) and freeze half. It makes assembling this casserole even easier when you’re short on time.
How to Make Taco Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- frozen tater tots
- ground beef
- taco seasoning
- barbecue sauce
- shredded cheddar cheese
- taco toppings of your choice
How to Make Taco Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Prepare an 8 x 8 casserole dish by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
Place a layer of frozen tater tots in the bottom of the casserole dish and set aside.
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef until it’s no longer pink.
When the ground beef is browned, add the water, taco seasoning mix, and barbecue sauce.
Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until thickened. The beef mixture will be very saucy.
Spoon the taco beef mixture over the tater tots.
Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 400 for about 30 minutes.
While the casserole is baking, prepare your favorite taco toppings.
When the casserole is finished baking, remove from the oven.
Top the casserole with your favorite taco toppings.
Enjoy Taco Tater Tot Casserole immediately.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- You can freeze the casserole for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating briefly in the oven.
Recipe Notes for Taco Tater Tot Casserole
- Here are some taco toppings you might want to add on top of your taco tater tot casserole: green onions, shredded lettuce, Pico de Gallo, salsa, hot sauce, crushed tortilla chips or tortilla chips, sour cream, olives, cilantro, and guacamole.
- You can use whatever shredded cheese you prefer or have on hand. Mexican blend, Monterey Jack, and Pepper Jack cheese would all work well.
- Think it can’t be tacos without corn and beans? Feel free to add a can of black beans or pinto beans, and either a can of corn or a cup of frozen corn kernels to your meat mixture.
- Add some spice with a can of diced green chiles.
- Want to add more flavor? Feel free to add 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 chopped onion, and some bell pepper.
- Substitute the ground beef for ground pork or ground turkey.
More Taco-Flavored Recipes You’ll Love
- Taco Soup (The World’s Easiest Supper)
- Taco Pizza – Fast, Fresh, Delicious!
- Fiesta Taco Salad
- Greek Chicken Tacos
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen tater tots small bag, you won't need them all
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 packets taco seasoning mix
- 1.5 cups water
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese I use sharp
- Taco toppings of your choice
Instructions
- Place a layer of frozen tater tots in the bottom of an 8x8 casserole dish. Set aside.1 bag frozen tater tots
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef until it's no longer pink. Then add the water, taco seasoning mix, and barbecue sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until thickened. It will be very saucy and that is fine.2 pounds ground beef, 2 packets taco seasoning mix, 1.5 cups water, 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- Spoon the ground beef mixture over the tater tots. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 400 for about 30 minutes. Top with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy!1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, Taco toppings of your choice
My grandparents could take their teeth out!! Fortunately, I can’t do that!!
LOL!
Make their own patterns and sew. Both my grandmothers could sew beautifully and do it on an old treadle Singer sewing machine. It only had straight stitch, no button hole maker ! My mother also sewed beautifully but never made her own patterns. ME……….I am 62 years old and still haven’t learned to sew! I can crochet and loom knit, but, put a needle and thread in my hand or set me down at the sewing machine, well let’s just say blood, gore and swear words are the end result.
The difference between a Southern lady and a Southern woman? A Southern lady extends her pinky when she sips her tea…….a Southern woman extends her pinky when she sips her bourbon.
Oh my goodness, so do you think the sewing gene skips a generation every once in a while?
Wonderful, wonderful memories!! I didn’t really know my grandparents, however, I do miss my mother, she would be 105 this year. She was born and raised in the Indian Territory of Oklahoma in a dug-out. She was also one of 15 children, not all living through childhood. It was a very difficult time for them. The children would work in the fields in good weather and go to school in bad weather. I remember her smile. She would, and did, smile through every situation. She taught us to read from our bible and she always told us, “If you can’t say anything nice then don’t say anything.” That still stays with me till this day. Thank you everyone for sharing your memories with us.
What a wonderful Mama you had Linda!!
What instantly came to my mind was both my grandma & grandpa after supper would have a big ole glass of buttermilk with crumbled up cornbread in it, they called it cous-cous….nope no way I can put that to my lips, but I can still see them grinning at me while they ate it!
That was a favorite of mine as well!!
My husband, too, growing up in East Texas!
Wow. Thought provoking question. So many answers, but the one that scares me the most – the one thing I just don’t believe I could do – is leave the country where all my family is, my home is, my language is familiar, where my life is and move across the ocean to another country and completely start over again. My grandparents did just that when my Mother was a young girl – left their beloved country of Germany and came across the ocean and made a new life for them and their children. Started completely over. Left their belongings (except for a few treasures – a couple of which I have), left their own families (parents, brothers, sisters, etc), had to learn a new language, new money system, new traditions, everything. All in the hopes of giving their children and themselves a better life. Talk about HARD!!! I just don’t think I could do it. But I am so very thankful my grandparents were pioneers in their own right.
My grandma came over from Sweden when she was about 15 by herself. She stayed with a relative for about a week and then she was on her own to learn a new language and support herself. My biggest regret was that I never knew my grandparents because I was only two when Grandma died and the others died before I was born.
Oh my goodness, I can’t even begin to imagine how hard that was. I bet they had wonderful stories to tell!!
Live without air conditioning in the South!
That is a hard one Libba!!
My grandmother was very petite and blind. She did everything and I mean everything. She had several children and was able to attend to them plus do laundry by hand, all 3 daily meals she cooked and raised hogs. She baked bread and sold it to local people for her extra income. So, needless to say, I absolutely couldn’t and wouldn’t want to attempt a day of her yesteryear life.
WOW, I admire her and didn’t know her!!