Mexican Tater Tot Casserole

Easy Mexican tater tot casserole recipe, homemade with simple ingredients in one pot in 30 minutes. Full of ground beef, beans, corn, red enchilada sauce, taco seasoning and cheese.

This is such a tasty, fast, easy dinner! You really can't go wrong with this one. I love the mixture of potatoes with cheese and all the Mexican flavored trimmings. Casseroles are just a great weeknight dinner in general, so here are a few more good ones to use next time: Creamy Cauliflower Casserole (One Pot) and this Easy Frito Pie (Chili Pie).

How to make easy Mexican tater tot casserole recipe from scratch?

1. Brown ground beef-With garlic and onions.
2. Remove from heat- And drain grease.
3. Mix in other ingredients- This includes taco seasoning, salt, pepper, green chiles, black, beans, corn, red enchilada sauce, cheese.
4. Transfer mixture- To casserole dish.
5. Arrange tater tots- On top of the meat.
6. Bake- Until golden brown.
7. Remove from oven- And sprinkle cheese.
8. Bake- Until cheese is melted.

What to serve with tater tot hotdish?

A casserole is a one-pot dinner in itself, but you can also serve it alongside a salad such as Mexican Corn Salad (One Bowl), Tomato Avocado Salad (One Bowl), or Cherry Tomato Salad (One Bowl)

You can also pair it with sauteed, roasted or grilled vegetables, such as Mexican Corn on the Cob (One Pan), Sautéed Green Beans (One Pot), Oven Roasted Carrots (One Pan), or Oven Roasted Beets (One Pan)

Of course, some dinner rolls are always great to have on the side as well.

Variations

Chicken tater tot casserole- Not a fan of beef or maybe you just want to use up that leftover Mexican Shredded Chicken? Substitute beef for chicken. It can even be shredded rotisserie chicken you just purchased at the store as a last minute meal addition.

Cheeseburger tater tot casserole- Remove the Mexican flavors, such as Taco seasoning, jalepenos, green chilis, etc. and simply use regular cheddar cheese and seasoned beef. You can add in some ketchup for a saucy flavor, too. It will simplify the meal, using less ingredients and changing up the flavor. This means you now have two different flavor options you can try!

Vegetarian tater tot casserole without meat- Instead of beef, you can use mushrooms, tofu, lentils, nuts, and even add in some nutritional yeast for flavor. Consider mixing in these leftover Easy Garlic Mushrooms (One Pot).

Try other cheeses or cheese blends- There are many different options to choose from, such as cheddar, mozzarella, or even provolone. Keep in mind that freshly shredded or grated cheese is best because the pre-shredded kind is grainy, chalky, and doesn't melt as well.

Use an oven-safe skillet- For a truly one pot meal. Then you don't have to transfer the beef mixture to a casserole dish; you can just top off the beef mixture with a single layer of tater-tots and stick it right in the oven. Easy peasy!

Try other beans- You can switch things up by using kidney beans, pinto beans, or even garbanzo beans.

Tips and techniques for cheesy casserole

Why are my tater tots soggy? How to fix it?- Be sure you are adding the tater tots on top of the beef mixture rather than mixing them together. It also helps if you let your beef mixture cook out some liquid and juices before adding it to the pan so that the tots don't soak up the extra liquid. Also, that last bit of broiling in the oven at the end helps to crisp them up.

How to thicken casserole filling? There's a few things you can do to help this. First, you can bake the casserole uncovered longer, allowing moisture to evaporate out. You can also cook the mixture on the stovetop longer so there is less liquid to begin with.

Why is my casserole dry? How to fix it? You may have overcooked it or mis-measured the ingredients. Be sure to watch your cook time and measurements to help better ensure a good turnout.

Don't add all cheese at once- Add half of the cheese during baking and the other half near the end on top of the casserole. You want that last bit of cheese to form that aesthetic appeal and yummy crispy layer.

Drain grease- Because it makes your dish less fattening, less greasy, and more appetizing overall.

Drain and rinse beans- Because they have added salt, water, preservatives that you don't want in your dish. Rinsing them will help them look and taste better with a more pleasing texture as well.

Storage

Make a head instructions- You can make the beef mixture ahead of time and store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days prior. You cal also assemble everything in the casserole dish. Cover with saran wrap and store in fridge for 2 days. Once you are ready, spread the beef mixture in a casserole dish, top with tots, bake as per instructions, adding the cheese at the end.

Fridge- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheated in the microwave. 

Freezer- This is not recommended because the cheese will separate, the tater tots will become soggy, and you lose the overall crispiness.

More one pot Casserole recipes

• Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole (One Pan)
• Green Bean Casserole (One Pot)
• Meatball Casserole (One Pot)
• Easy Sweet Potato Casserole (One Pan)
• Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole (One Pot)

Recipe