Tater Tot Hotdish
User Reviews
4.7
402 reviews
Excellent
Tater Tot Hotdish
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Tater Tot Hotdish is a comforting casserole combining ground beef, sautéed vegetables, and a creamy sauce topped with crispy tater tots and melted sharp cheddar cheese. The recipe provides two versions: one with a homemade mushroom gravy integrating sautéed mushrooms, onions, garlic, and a butter-flour roux, and another using canned cream of mushroom soup for convenience. Fresh herbs and hot sauce add savory and spicy notes, while frozen mixed vegetables contribute texture and color. Baking melds the flavors and crisps the tater tot topping for a hearty main dish.
Description
This casserole starts by browning lean ground beef and cooking it off to drain excess fat. A combination of fresh sautéed onions, mushrooms, and garlic is cooked in butter to build flavor. For the homemade gravy, flour is incorporated into the butter and meat drippings, then whisked with soy sauce, Worcestershire, hot sauce, sour cream, and milk to create a creamy sauce thickened to coat the hearty components. The alternative uses canned cream of mushroom soup mixed with seasonings and sour cream for a shortcut. The seasoned sauce is combined with cooked beef and frozen mixed vegetables, which include corn, carrots, green beans, and peas. The mixture is then topped with frozen tater tots and shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
Baking at moderate heat crisps the tater tots to a golden texture while melting the cheese, and heats the filling through. The presence of fresh herbs like parsley and thyme adds brightness and complexity. The dish is versatile, delivering rich, savory flavors and contrasting textures with ease.
Tater Tot Hotdish serves well as a filling main course for cold days or as a comforting family meal, bringing together familiar ingredients in a layered casserole form that offers both crispiness and creamy warmth.
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Ingredients
Recipe #1 - tater tot hotdish with homemade gravy:
- 1 pound ground beef lean
- ¼ cup unsalted butter divided
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 8 ounces button mushrooms chopped, fresh
- 4 garlic large cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce Frank's Red Hot brand
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups milk whole
- ¼ cup sour cream full-fat
- kosher salt Morton brand, to taste
- black pepper I like to add quite a bit!, freshly ground, to taste
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped, fresh, divided
- 2 tablespoons thyme chopped, fresh, divided
- 16 ounces mixed vegetables I like to use a mix of corn, carrots, green beans, and peas, frozen
- 2 pounds tater tots frozen
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese block, shredded
Recipe #2 - tater tot hotdish with canned soup:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 4 garlic large cloves, minced
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup I prefer the regular soup for this, not reduced fat or reduced sodium, Campbell's brand, 10 ounces each
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce brand Frank's RedHot
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup sour cream full-fat
- 2 teaspoons parsley dried, divided
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried, divided
- kosher salt to taste, Morton brand
- black pepper to taste, freshly ground
- 16 ounces mixed vegetables I like to use a mix of corn, carrots, green beans, and peas, frozen
- 2 pounds tater tots frozen
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese block, shredded
Instructions
Recipe #1 - tater tot hotdish with homemade gravy:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a 12" cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat, brown the beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Once browned, remove beef to a plate with a slotted spoon. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the beef fat from the skillet and adjust heat to medium.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the beef fat in the skillet. Once butter is melted, add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic, and stir to incorporate. Cook until onions are transparent and mushrooms are nicely softened, about 6-10 minutes.
- Now slide everything in the skillet to one side. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to other side of skillet. When the butter is melted, sprinkle the flour over the butter, whisking all the while (a flat whisk works great for this). Draw as much butter, beef fat, and juices from the vegetables as you can, into the flour. Cook for a 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling and slightly browned.
- Add soy sauce, Frank's Red Hot Sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to the gravy side of the pan. Whisk and cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly add the milk to the gravy side, while you whisk and scrape the bottom of the skillet. Once this mixture is smoothed out, bring the mushroom mixture into the milk mixture, and then add the reserved cooked beef. Stir to incorporate. Cook until thickened, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in sour cream, 1 tablespoon of the parsley and 1 tablespoon of the thyme. Next add the frozen vegetables and stir to incorporate. Spread mixture into an even layer in the skillet. Then top with frozen tater tots.
- Place skillet in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes. Move skillet up a bit higher in the oven and broil until tater tots are nicely browned - this can take up to 10 minutes, depending on your broiler. Remove skillet from oven and sprinkle tater tots with cheese and freshly ground black pepper. Adjust oven back to 350°F and place skillet back in the oven (not under the broiler) and cook for an additional 6-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and gravy is bubbling. If desired, place skillet underneath the broiler for a few more minutes to brown the cheese just a bit. Remove skillet from oven.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Serve hot. I like to eat mine with ketchup and/or Frank's Red Hot Sauce.
Recipe #2 - tater tot hotdish with canned soup:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a 12" cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat, brown the beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Once browned, remove beef to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- Discard beef fat and then add butter to the pan. Once butter is melted, add the onion and garlic. Stir to incorporate. Cook until the onions are transparent and nicely softened, about 6-10 minutes.
- Add cream of mushroom soup, soy sauce, Frank's RedHot Sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, stirring to fully incorporate.
- Fold beef into the mixture and then cook until it is warmed and bubbling, stirring regularly. Add sour cream, half of the parsley and thyme, and the salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate. Then stir in the frozen vegetables. Spread mixture into an even layer in the skillet. Then top with frozen tater tots.
- Place skillet in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes. Move skillet up a bit higher in the oven and broil until tater tots are nicely browned - this can take up to 10 minutes, depending on your broiler. Remove skillet from oven and sprinkle tater tots with cheese and freshly ground black pepper. Adjust oven back to 350°F and place skillet back in the oven (not under the broiler) and cook for an additional 6-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and gravy is bubbling. If desired, place skillet underneath the broiler for a few more minutes to brown the cheese just a bit. Remove skillet from oven.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Serve hot. I like to eat mine with ketchup and/or Frank's Red Hot Sauce.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1
Calories
600kcal
(30%)
Carbohydrates
26g
(9%)
Protein
31g
(62%)
Fat
41g
(63%)
Saturated Fat
20g
(100%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
16g
(94%)
Trans Fat
1g
(50%)
Cholesterol
116mg
(39%)
Sodium
800mg
(33%)
Fiber
3g
(12%)
Sugar
3g
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 600 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 600kcal | 30% |
| Carbohydrates | 26g | 9% |
| Protein | 31g | 62% |
| Fat | 41g | 63% |
| Saturated Fat | 20g | 100% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 16g | 94% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 116mg | 39% |
| Sodium | 800mg | 33% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
402 reviews
Excellent
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