Name: Easy Tater Tot Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; ½ cup white onion (diced); 2 garlic cloves (minced); ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 15 ounces sweet kernel corn (1 can, drained); 14 ½ ounces green beans (1 can, drained); 10 ½ ounces cream of chicken soup (1 can); 10 ½ ounces cream of mushroom soup (1 can); ½ cup milk; 8 to 12 slices American cheese; 32 ounces frozen tater tots

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This tater tot casserole is made with ground beef, sweet corn, and green beans in a creamy, savory filling, topped with melted cheese and crispy golden tots. All you need is one pan, about an hour, and it’s done.

Side view of tater tot casserole in cast iron.

This is a complete dinner that you can make in one dish. It has ground beef, sweet corn, and green beans in a creamy, savory filling, blanketed with cheese and finished with a layer of crispy golden tater tots.

John has been requesting this one for years, and I can see why. The prep takes about 10 minutes, then the oven handles the rest. It’s that easy!

If you like easy baked dinners, our chicken broccoli mushroom casserole and cheesy taco rice bake are worth bookmarking too.

How to make our easy tater tot casserole

Ground beef and onion in a skillet. — Start by browning one pound of lean ground beef with diced white onion and minced garlic over medium heat. My recommendation is to use lean beef. Too much fat means a greasy filling, so drain thoroughly.

Cream soups, green beans, and corn on top of ground beef. — Season with salt and pepper, then add your drained canned corn, drained canned green beans, both cans of condensed soup, and a splash of milk.

Ground beef casserole with corn and green beans. — Stir it together and heat until it just starts to bubble, then pull it off the heat. Pour the filling into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. A 12-inch oven-safe skillet works just as well if you’d rather keep it all in one pan.

Cheese slices on top of a ground beef casserole. — Lay cheese slices in a single layer over the filling. Use just enough to cover and don’t pile it on. Too much cheese actually mutes the flavor of everything underneath it, and it can overwhelm the filling rather than complement it.

Frozen tater tots on top of a casserole. — Arrange the frozen tater tots in an even layer over the cheese. Don’t thaw them first. They crisp up better going in cold, and the frozen layer helps protect the cheese from scorching under direct heat. Make sure the tots cover the surface completely.

Golden brown tater tots on top of a casserole. — Bake at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tots are deep golden brown and the filling is visibly bubbling at the edges. Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Things to keep in mind while you’re prepping ingredients

For the soups, I use one can of cream of chicken and one can of cream of mushroom. You can use any two condensed cream soups you like, or swap one or both for a homemade cream of chicken substitute or cream of mushroom substitute if you’d rather skip the cans.

I also want to mention the vegetables. Canned veggies are convenient and work great, but if you use frozen corn or green beans, thaw and drain them first. Excess moisture goes straight into the filling and makes it soupy.

American cheese melts evenly and keeps things creamy without being sharp. Shredded cheddar is a fine swap if that’s what you have.

Cheesy hamburger and potato puff casserole in a pan.

Leftovers Keep Well

This casserole holds for up to 5 days in the fridge.

To freeze, let it cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and it will keep for up to 2 months. Reheat thawed portions in a 250°F oven, covered, until warmed through.

Do you need to thaw the tater tots before baking?

Nope! Using them straight from the freezer works great. If you want them extra crispy, a brief partial thaw is fine, but fully thawed tots tend to go soft in the oven.

Craving more easy casserole dinners? Our Cheesy Ranch Ground Beef and Rice has a similar weeknight energy, and the Broccoli Rice Casserole is another crowd-pleaser worth trying.