Best Cowboy Casserole Recipe With Tater Tots Video

Why We Love Tater Tot Casserole

Love a good hearty casserole? This brilliant meat, cheese, and potato Cowboy Casserole recipe has everything you know and love… The filling is a mixture of bacon, ground beef, onions, garlic, tomatoes, green chilies, corn, beans, and cheese. It’s mixed together and then layered with a topping of tater tots for a crispy finish. This is a great casserole to prep ahead and freeze for later baking. Or make it ahead a day or two and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to bake. You’ll be amazed at how quickly this cozy family favorite casserole will disappear!

Ingredients You Need

Bacon – thick-cut and chopped Ground beef – your choice of 80/20 or 90/10 lean ground beef Onion – peeled and chopped Garlic – peeled and minced Chili powder – for that smoky out-on-the-range campfire flavor Salt – a pinch for seasoning Rotel – mild or spicy canned chiles Kidney beans – drained and rinsed (or sub black beans or pinto beans) Corn – frozen, no need to thaw Cheddar cheese – shredded Cream cheese – slightly softened and cubed Tater tots – frozen, no thawing needed Green onions – sliced, to garnish the casserole

How to Make the Best Cowboy Casserole

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set out a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and spray with cooking spray. Set a large sauté pan over medium heat. Place the chopped bacon in the pan. Stir and fry the bacon for 3-5 minutes to brown. Then add in the ground beef. Chop the ground beef into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Then stir in the onions, garlic, chili powder, and salt. Stir and cook the meat mixture until the ground beef is cooked through and the onions are soft. Stir in the Rotel and kidney beans. Then stir in the frozen corn, shredded cheese, and cream cheese cubes. Scoop the meat mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread out into an even layer. Arrange the tater tots over the surface of the meat mixture. You can do this in straight lines or create a pattern with the tater tots. Bake the casserole for 40-50 minutes until bubbly around the edges, the tater tots are gold-brown, and a knife inserted into the center of the casserole comes out HOT. Once it is out of the oven, sprinkle chopped green onions over the top of the casserole.

Make Ahead Tips

Tater tot cowboy casserole with ground beef is terrific to make ahead! Cook the filling and assemble the entire dish, then freeze or refrigerate to bake later. Pro Tip: I suggest using an aluminum disposable pan or other freezer-to-oven safe baking dish. To freeze, wrap the casserole dish in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by one or two layers of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months, and thaw in the fridge overnight before baking. Or, you can put the casserole together, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge for a day or two.