Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
Seasoned ground beef and onion in a creamy cheddar-mushroom sauce, topped with more cheese and a crisp blanket of golden tater tots. All the flavor of a cheeseburger in one easy family-style dish.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Wait
- 10 min
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Makes
- 1 casserole (6 generous servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Grate the cheddar from a block if you can; it melts smoother than pre-shredded.
- Leave the tater tots in the freezer until you need them; do not thaw.
- Position an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) before assembling.
- Use a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish; a smaller dish will make the tots soggy.
Preheat and prepOven 375°F / 190°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375°F (190°C).
- Rub the 9×13-inch baking dish with the 1 tsp oil.
- Grate the cheddar and divide it into two equal piles.
- Chop the onion, mince the garlic, and pat the pickles dry if using.
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Ready when: Oven is fully preheated and the dish is lightly greased.
Tip: Grating cheese from a block avoids the anti-caking starch that can make the sauce grainy.
Brown the beef
- Heat the skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute.
- Add the ground beef and break it into small crumbles with a spatula.
- Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains and the edges are browned.
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Ready when: Beef is browned, with no pink, and has reached 160°F (71°C).
Tip: Don't crowd the pan; if it steams instead of sizzles, cook in two batches.
Soften the onion
- Spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat.
- Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic, pepper, and onion powder and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and soft, and garlic smells fragrant but is not browned.
Tip: Draining the excess fat keeps the casserole from turning greasy.
Build the sauce
- Reduce heat to low.
- Stir in the Worcestershire, ketchup, mustard, mushroom soup, and milk until smooth.
- Simmer gently for 3 minutes, stirring, until hot and bubbling at the edges.
- Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup (115 g) of the cheddar until melted.
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Ready when: Sauce is thick enough to coat the spoon, with no white streaks of soup, and the cheese is fully melted.
Tip: Take the pan off the heat before adding cheese so it melts smoothly rather than turning oily.
Fill the dish
- Scrape the beef mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer with the back of a spoon, pressing gently into the corners.
- Scatter the chopped pickles over the top if using.
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Ready when: Filling is level, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep.
Top with tots
- Arrange the frozen tater tots in tight, even rows over the filling, standing them upright or laying them flat, covering the surface edge to edge.
- Place the dish on a baking sheet to catch any bubbling sauce.
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Ready when: The filling is completely covered with tots.
Tip: Keep tots frozen until the last moment; thawed tots get mushy and stick together.
Bake until crispOven 375°F / 190°C
- Bake uncovered at 375°F (190°C) for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tots are deep golden brown and crisp and the sauce bubbles around the edges.
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Ready when: Tots are deep golden and crisp, and the filling bubbles at the edges and registers 165°F (74°C) in the center.
Tip: If the tots brown too fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Add the cheeseOven 375°F / 190°C
- Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup (115 g) cheddar over the tots.
- Return to the oven for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly speckled with gold.
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Ready when: Cheese is fully melted and just starting to bubble.
Tip: Adding the cheese at the end keeps it from burning during the long bake.
Rest and serve
- Let the casserole stand 10 minutes so the sauce thickens and sets.
- Scoop out portions with a large spoon, taking the crisp tots with each serving.
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Ready when: Bubbling has stopped and the sauce is no longer runny.
Tip: Resting also keeps the first scoop from being scalding hot.
Good to know
Tips
- Pat pickles dry so they don't add extra liquid under the tots.
- Don't overfill: keep the beef layer about 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep so the tots sit above the sauce and stay crisp.
- Serve with extra ketchup, mustard, shredded lettuce, and tomato for the full burger effect.
- For extra-crisp tots, bake them on a sheet pan for 15 minutes first, then place them on the filling.
Make ahead
Cook the beef filling and spread it in the dish up to 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate. Add the frozen tots just before baking and add 10 minutes to the bake time, checking that the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: cover and store up to 4 days. Freezer: wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat portions at 375°F (190°C) for 15 to 20 minutes, uncovered, to re-crisp the tots, until 165°F (74°C) in the center.
Substitutions
- condensed cream of mushroom soup → cream of celery or cream of chicken soup. Same quantity; flavor will be slightly milder.
- ground beef (80/20) → ground turkey. Add 1 tbsp oil when browning since it is leaner, and cook to 165°F (74°C).
- sharp cheddar cheese → Colby Jack or American cheese. Melts even more smoothly with a milder flavor.
- whole milk → beef broth. Gives a more savory, less creamy sauce.
