It’s tough to find a person who won’t enjoy a serving – or two! – of Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole. This tasty recipe leaves the canned soups behind and incorporates heavy cream, beef, veggies, and classic tater tots into a timeless comfort food!

Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole garnished and served on plate next to form and napkin

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Why You Will Love Tater Tot Casserole In The Slow Cooker

At my house, we love this tasty tater tot casserole so much that it’s on monthly repetition! Try it out and see how much you love it, too!

Many popular slow cooker casserole dishes use lots of processed ingredients and canned soups. While they can be delicious, it’s not as enjoyable when you know the dish is full of added, not-so-good-for-you ingredients. This recipe uses simple flour and heavy cream to make a thick and creamy casserole base.
With this recipe, you can enjoy a cheesy comfort food with a good amount of added vegetables! It is an excellent all-in-one family dish.
The filling can be prepped ahead of time. Store as a freezer meal for an easy dinner later with just a bag of tater tots and cheese! Or, you can double the filling and make one casserole for now and save one portion of the filling in the freezer.
Save this recipe for the times you need to sign up for a meal train! Whether it’s a potluck, a celebration meal, or a way to care for someone in need, this is the best, easy comfort food to drop off for others.

Ingredients Needed

Tater tot casserole has a great ingredient list because you can keep most of it stored in the freezer or pantry. With these foods on hand, prep this anytime you need a hearty and cozy casserole!

Ground beef – A leaner ground beef typically works best. Defrost before cooking in the skillet to keep the meal prep quick and easy.
Flour – All-purpose flour works to thicken the meat and veggie mixture. Use regular or gluten-free all-purpose flour if you need it.
Chicken broth – Broth makes slow cooker casseroles so much more delicious. Use any variety of chicken broth – regular, bone broth, or low-sodium.
Herb and garlic seasoning – This is a great all-purpose seasoning blend for meats and veggies, or pick your favorite seasoning blend.
Salt – Just a little extra seasoning!
Heavy cream – Heavy cream takes the place of traditional canned soups and makes the base for the meat and veggie mixture.
Frozen mixed veggies – Keep a bag of any combination of mixed veggies in your freezer for easy meals like this one.
Frozen tater tots – Use regular or seasoned frozen tater tots. If you need a gluten-free recipe, be sure to check labels to find a gluten-free version. I like using Ore-Ida Extra Crsipy Tater Tots to get them as crispy as possible.
Shredded cheese – Colby jack, cheddar, or even a fiesta blend will work well to top the casserole.

mixed veggies in a bag, 32 fl ox of chicken bone broth, garlic & herb seasoning, one pint of heavy whipping cream, 1.34 lb of ground beef, one small dish with flour

1lb bag of extra crispy tater tots and 8 oz of shredded colby jack cheese

How To Make Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat until it is fully cooked with no pink remaining. Drain any extra grease.
Add flour to the pan and stir to coat the beef evenly.

ground beef cooked in skillet with flour poured on top

Slowly add in the broth while continuing to stir, ensuring there are no lumps of flour.
Add the seasonings and bring the mixture up to a slow boil. Then, reduce to a simmer.
Let the mixture simmer for 5-7 minutes until the broth thickens enough to coat the spoon.
Stir in the cream and continue to simmer for another 3-5 minutes to let everything thicken. It should reach the consistency of a canned creamy soup.

ground beef cooked and thickened and heavy whipping cream poured inside skillet

Add the veggies and stir the mixture to combine evenly.

ground beef cooked and thickened with mixed vegetables like peas, green beans, and carrots in skillet

Spray the slow cooker with a non-stick cooking spray.
Add the meat mixture to the slow cooker.
Top with tater tots and cheese in an even layer.

ground beef cooked and thickened with mixed vegetables like peas, green beans, and carrots in slow cooker

Extra crispy tater tots with shredded colby jack cheese on top inside of slow cooker

Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

extra crispy tater tots with shredded colby jack cheese melted on top

Here are a few tips that can make your casserole prep even smoother:

You can use any slow cooker larger than 3 quarts. An oval-shaped slow cooker or a casserole slow cooker would work best. This turned out perfectly in my 5-quart mini casserole slow cooker!
If you use a regular circle slow cooker, you may have to stack the tater tots in layers.
If you have a multi-cooker, you can make this all in one pot without using a skillet.
Keep in mind that tater tots cooked in the slow cooker will NOT be as crispy as if cooked in the oven. However, I have found that if you use Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Tater Tots, they will be pretty similar!

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

This recipe for tater tot casserole is very flexible and will allow you to add what you like or what you have on hand.

Try out ground chicken, pork, turkey, or a combination of unseasoned lean ground meat for the filling.
Use any combination of frozen veggies! My favorites for this recipe are peas, corn, green beans, and carrots but cauliflower, broccoli, and snap peas are also great options. If you choose different veggies, be sure not to use any that are more watery (i.e. squash won’t work in this recipe).
If you prefer to use fresh veggies that you might have on hand, make sure they are chopped very small so that they will cook evenly. Add them in with the meat as directed in the recipe steps.
For a little extra flavor and texture, dice a sweet yellow onion and sauté it at the same time as the ground meat.
Use any other seasoning blends you like that would pair well with ground meat and veggies. Simple garlic salt and pepper can also flavor the mixture well!

What To Serve With Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole

Top off a serving of tater tot casserole with a drizzle of hot sauce or buffalo sauce. If you’re the type that loves ranch on everything, try a bit of Zesty Lime Jalapeno Ranch Dressing and some fresh raw veggies on the side.

For extra veggies, serve a fresh garden side salad or fruit salad. Classic deviled eggs or a side of steamed broccoli would also add some variety. Garnish with fresh parsley or sliced green onions.

Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole served on plate and garnished

Storing and Reheating

Store leftover casserole in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze any leftovers (if not previously frozen) in individual serving sizes in airtight containers for a yummy meal to defrost later.

Thaw if needed and reheat in the microwave.

This recipe can be made ahead as a freezer meal by making the meat and veggie filling and letting it cool completely. Store the filling in a freezer bag with all the air removed and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before cooking and follow the remainder of the slow cooker directions.