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Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole

Ready to ditch the canned soup and make a simple, easy and delicious Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole from scratch? We make this at least once a month at my house!

tater tot casserole in a gray bowl

Tater tot casseroles are the perfect throw-together dinners for busy nights.

This Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole beats all others–hands down! It’s healthier than most because it leaves out the processed soups (that contain ingredients you can’t pronounce–yuck!) and adds lots of veggies to make it a complete meal.

Ditch the canned soup and make a simple from-scratch sauce. (Psst! It’s simpler than you think!)  Making a creamy sauce is so easy you will wonder why you haven’t been doing it this way all along. By the time you find the can opener and remember how to use it you can have this sauce simmering away.

Who doesn’t receive a meal sign-up request at least once a month? Newlyweds, new babies, loss of a love one, potlucks… I’ve even gotten requests to help feed teachers during those long school conference days. This casserole is a great option for making ahead and dropping off  to feed friends, family, and those in need.

After you try this recipe, give my Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole a taste! It’s great for meal prep, too!

ingredients for slow cooker tater tot casserole

Ingredients You’ll Need…

  • ground beef
  • flour
  • chicken broth
  • herb and garlic seasoning
  • salt
  • heavy cream
  • mixed veggies
  • tater tots
  • shredded cheese

process for making slow cooker tater tot casserole

How To Make Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole:

  1. In a large skillet brown ground beef over medium high heat until fully cooked and no pink remains and drain any fat
  2. Add flour and stir to coat beef evenly
  3. Slowly add broth while continuing to stir to ensure no lumps from the flour
  4. Add seasonings, bring mixture up to slow boil, then reduce to simmer
  5. Let simmer 5-7 minutes until broth thickens to coat the spoon
  6. Stir in the cream and continue to simmer for another 3-5 minutes to let everything thicken to the consistency of cream soup
  7. Add veggies and stir to combine evenly
  8. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray
  9. Add meat mixture
  10. Top with tater tots and cheese
  11. Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours

tater tot casserole in oval casserole slow cooker

Pro Tips:

This turned out perfectly when I made it in my 5-qt oval slow cooker! You can use any slow cooker you have, provided it’s at least 3 quarts. An oval sized slow cooker or a casserole slow cooker are best. I used my mini casserole slow cooker and it was perfect.

You may have to stack the tater tots depending on how much space you have. If you have a multi cooker you can make this all in one pot.

Any mixed veggies you like are a great addition and for the seasoning  I prefer using frozen veggies for convenience but you could use some fresh veggies as well, as long as they don’t have a lot of water content. Change up your mixed veggie combinations to add some variety.

Use any seasoning blend you like that goes will with beef and veggies.

**Tater tots will not be as crispy as if you had made them in the oven.**

tater tot casserole with melted cheese in bowl

Freezer Meal

  1. follow all recipe steps through #7
  2. Let cool then place in zippered freezer bag
  3. smooth to lay flat and place in freezer
  4. can freeze up to 3 months
  5. thaw before cooking and continue with step #8

tater tot casserole mixture in a labeled freezer bag

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

Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole

Jennifer Draper
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!
3.72 from 14 votes
Save
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 380 kcal

Equipment

  • Skillet
  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons herb and garlic seasoning or a favorite seasoning blend
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups frozen mixed veggies
  • 24 ounces frozen tater tots
  • 4 oz shredded cheese

Instructions
 

  • In a large skillet, brown ground beef over medium-high heat until it is fully cooked with no pink remaining. Drain extra grease.
  • Add flour to pan and stir to coat beef evenly.
  • Slowly add in broth while continuing to stir, ensuring there are no lumps of flour.
  • Add seasonings and bring mixture up to a slow boil. Then, reduce to a simmer.
  • Let the mixture simmer for 5-7 minutes until broth thickens enough to coat the spoon.
  • Stir in cream and continue to simmer for another 3-5 minutes to let everything thicken. It should reach the consistency of a canned creamy soup.
  • Add veggies and stir mixture to combine evenly.
  • Spray slow cooker with a non-stick cooking spray.
  • Add meat mixture to slow cooker.
  • Top with tater tots and cheese in an even layer.
  • Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

Notes

  • Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze single servings in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
  • I used my mini casserole slow cooker but you can make this in a regular oval slow cooker as well. If you use a round slow cooker, the tater tots will need to be layered more and won’t be as crispy.
  • Make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free flour and tater tots that are specifically marked gluten-free. As always, check all ingredient labels!

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 19gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 838mgPotassium: 575mgFiber: 4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 2540IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 129mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @slowcookergourmet or tag #slowcookergourmet!
Important nutritional disclaimer

27 Comments

  1. This may be a dumb question but can we stir the mixture in the crock pot or just leave the tater tots and cheese on the time the whole cooking time?

  2. Do you think I could possibly cook the tater tots in the oven until they were pretty crispy and then add them to the top just finished cooking I plan on making this meal today so hopefully you will see this

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