Cheeseburger meets pot pie in this easy Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole dish, for a super delicious and comforting weeknight dinner.
If you love tater tots like we do, don’t miss our Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole and Tater Tot Nachos!
Easy Hamburger Tater Tot Casserole
This Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole is a family favorite. It’s easy to make and super cozy – pure comfort. All the flavors of a cheeseburger are topped with frozen veggies and cream of mushroom soup, layered between frozen tater tots – like the best combination of a hamburger and pot pie. It’s super tasty!
One thing I love about this easy casserole recipe is that there’s no need to prepare a bunch of sides to go with it. Everything is right in one dish, ready to be served. It makes a great make-ahead or freezer meal too.
Ingredients Needed
You’ll need just a few main ingredients plus seasonings for this recipe.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Tater tots – Our star! Like little bite-sized hash browns, we love them. Brand doesn’t matter so use your favorite.
- Ground beef – I use lean ground beef to cut back on fat.
- Onion – For aromatics and flavor.
- Peas & carrots – Thaw the frozen bag first and remove excess moisture.
- Cream of mushroom soup – We won’t be adding water to the condensed soup, you’ll want it straight from the can.
- Milk – Loosens up the soup mixture a bit.
- Cheddar cheese – Freshly shredded for optimal flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce – Helps to season the ground beef and add a deep savory flavor.
- Seasonings – Mrs. Dash Seasoning, pepper, and salt season this easy casserole recipe.
- Scallions – For serving.
How to Make Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
This easy casserole recipe comes together with just a few easy steps.
(Scroll down to the printable recipe card for details and measurements, and don’t miss the video below.)
- Bake the tater tots. Arrange half of the tater tots in a greased baking dish. Bake for 12 minutes. Use a drinking glass to smash them down a bit.
- Make the soup mixture. Whisk together the mushroom soup (undiluted), peas, carrots, milk, 1/2 cup of cheese, and half of the Worcestershire sauce.
- Cook the beef. Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet until no pink remains. Drain off the grease, then add in the rest of the Worcestershire sauce and the seasonings.
- Layer the casserole. Spread the beef mixture over the mashed tater tots, followed by the soup mixture. Top with the remaining frozen tater tots.
- Bake. Bake the tater tot casserole at 350F for 30 minutes. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
- Enjoy. Sprinkle with diced scallions and enjoy.
Tips & Variations
Here are a few tips and variations for this easy tater tot casserole.
- Use a different soup. Not a fan of cream of mushroom soup? You can use cheddar cheese soup or celery soup instead.
- Swap or omit the veggies. You can also make this tater tot casserole with frozen green beans instead of peas and carrots (or a medley with all three). Or you can skip adding the frozen vegetables altogether and just mix the soup with the burger into one layer.
- Pre-bake the bottom layer. Baking the bottom tater tots may seem like an unnecessary step but I highly recommend it. Mashing them down helps to form a nice crispy bottom crust that allows the dish to be served easier, plus it ensures that they cook fully.
- Split it into two pans. Only feeding a couple of people? Prepare two smaller pans of this casserole and freeze one for later.
Serving Suggestions
While this casserole is a great meal all on its own, nobody would blame you for adding some fun toppings like crumbled cooked bacon, diced tomatoes, or candied jalapenos – just as you would to a regular burger. You can also serve it with a side salad for a more complete meal.
Video: Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
Proper Storage
- Storing leftovers. Leftover tater tot casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. If you have a large amount of leftovers, you can also cover the casserole dish tightly and refrigerate the whole thing.
- To reheat. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or the entire pan in the oven at 350F. I recommend covering the pan with foil when you bake it to avoid burning the cheese or it drying out.
- Make ahead. Hamburger tater tot casserole can easily be prepared in advance. Bake the first layer of tater tots, cook the beef, and assemble as normal. Cover and refrigerate overnight and bake as directed (though you’ll likely need to add a few minutes to the bake time). You can also freeze the casserole before baking. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and again in foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake as directed.
More Easy Casseroles:
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Chile Relleno Casserole
- Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
- Hash Brown Egg Casserole
- Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Rolls
- Best Baked Ziti
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 28 ounce bag frozen tater tots
- 10.5 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup (undiluted – do not add water)
- 1 & 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots , thawed and excess moisture removed
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 & 1/2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce , divided
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small onion , diced
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons regular Mrs. Dash seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- diced fresh scallions , for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 3 quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick spray. Arrange 1/2 the bag of tater tots on the bottom in an even layer. Bake for 12 minutes, then smash down with the bottom of a drinking glass to cover the bottom of the dish.
- In a bowl, whisk together the mushroom soup, peas and carrots, milk, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and half of the Worcestershire until combined.
- In the meantime, brown the beef and onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat into tiny crumbles until no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Drain off the grease. Add in the remaining Worcestershire sauce and all the seasonings; stir to combine.
- Spread beef mixture evenly over the mashed tater tots.
- Pour soup mixture evenly over the beef mixture.
- Top the casserole with the remaining frozen tater tots from the bag.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup shredded cheese. Return to the oven and bake another 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and taters are golden brown.
- Sprinkle with the diced scallions before serving.
When I want to put it into 2 pans and freeze one for later., do I cook the one I’m going to freeze first or put it in the freezer uncooked?
Hi Sue – there are directions for make ahead/freezing in the article.
Simple , comforting and delicious