Taco Tater Tot Casserole
Taco Tater Tot Casserole is a cozy, hearty casserole with zesty taco meat, black beans, corn, gooey melted cheese, crispy tater tots, and all your favorite taco toppings. Easy casserole recipe for busy weeknights or taco Tuesday.
For more tater tot casserole recipes, try Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole and Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole next!
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Put a fun twist on taco night with this easy Taco Tater Tot Casserole recipe. It comes together quickly with simple ingredients and is the perfect way to stretch a pound of ground beef into a hearty meal for the whole family.
Want more Taco Tuesday ideas? Try my Taco Lasagna, One Pot Taco Spaghetti, and Walking Taco Casserole with Fritos.
🌮Ingredients
See printable recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- Lean ground beef. You can also use ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Taco seasoning. You can use store-bought or make your own taco seasoning mix with spices you might already have. Homemade taco seasoning is a great way to control the sodium levels and make it as spicy or mild as you like.
- Black beans. Drain and rinse the black beans well to cut down on sodium.
- Corn. Fresh, frozen, or canned corn will all work well here.
- Enchilada sauce. Use canned or homemade enchilada sauce.
- Shredded cheese. I like to use a combination of cheeses -- sharp cheddar for flavor and Monterey Jack for creaminess. Pepper Jack cheese, Colby Jack cheese, or a Mexican cheese blend are also great options.
🥣How to Make Taco Tater Tot Casserole
Step 1: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown ground beef until no longer pink, drain. Stir in the taco seasoning, salsa, and enchilada sauce. Simmer until thickened and reduced.
Step 2: Stir in the black beans, corn, and green chilies. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup each of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.
Step 3: Spoon the ground beef mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray. Arrange the tater tots in a single layer over the taco meat.
Step 4: Bake in a preheated oven at 375 for 45 minutes or until the tater tots are crispy and golden brown. Add the remaining cheese and bake 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Step 5: Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes to set up.
Step 6: Serve with your favorite taco toppings like salsa, sour cream, tomatoes, black olives, sliced green onion, and sliced jalapenos.
✅Top Tips
- To keep the tater tots crispy, add them frozen right before baking.
- For even crispier tots, bake them for 10 minutes on their own before placing them on top of the taco meat.
- Go spicy with a little cayenne pepper, hot salsa, and jalapenos instead of green chiles. Make it mild with mild taco seasoning and mild salsa.
Add an extra bag of tater tots to your cart and make these fun Tater Tot Nachos next!
🎁Storage
Store leftover taco tater tot casserole in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap in the fridge for 3-4 days.
🔥Reheating
- Reheat a partial casserole in a baking dish covered in foil in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. Remove foil and bake 5-10 more minutes to crisp up the tater tots. If desired, add another layer of cheese and bake until melted.
- Reheat individual servings in the microwave in 30-second bursts until warmed through. The tater tots won't be as crispy when reheated in the microwave.
🗓️Make Ahead
You can prepare the meat mixture ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to a day. When you're ready to bake, just top with tater tots and bake as directed.
🧊Freezing Instructions
Freeze entire baked tater tot taco casserole or individual portions in freezer-safe containers for 3-6 months.
😋More Easy Dinner Recipe Ideas
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📖 Recipe
Taco Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning or 1 oz. packet
- 1 cup salsa
- 10 oz. can enchilada sauce
- 15 oz. can black beans drained and rinsed well
- 15.25 oz. can corn drained
- 4 oz. can green chilis drained
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 28 oz. frozen tater tots
- optional toppings: tomatoes, black olives, green onions, sour cream, salsa, sliced jalapenos
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef, breaking it into crumbles, until no longer pink. Drain excess fat. Add taco seasoning, salsa, and enchilada sauce. Simmer until thickened, 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in the black beans, corn, and green chilis. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup each of shredded cheddar and shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
- Pour taco meat into the prepared casserole dish. Arrange tater tots in a single layer. Bake for 45 minutes or until the tater tots are crispy. Add the remaining ½ cup each of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. Bake 5-10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Serve with your favorite taco toppings like sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, black olives, and sliced jalapenos.
Notes
- To keep the tater tots crispy, add them frozen right before baking.
- For even crispier tots, bake them for 10 minutes on their own before placing them on top of the taco meat.
- Go spicy with a little cayenne pepper, hot salsa, and jalapenos instead of green chiles. Make it mild with mild taco seasoning and mild salsa.
