Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole
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!
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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.
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.
- 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.
- Add the veggies and stir the mixture to combine evenly.
- 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.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
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.
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.
Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole
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
Tater Tot Casserole FAQs
- Why are the tater tots soggy in my tater tot casserole? If the tater tots are soggy, the casserole may need to cook a little longer. They will also not be as crispy because of the trapped steam. If you stack layers of tater tots in a smaller slow cooker rather than an oval or casserole slow cooker, this can also cause them to absorb more moisture.
- What is the difference between a tater tot hotdish and a tater tot casserole? The term “hotdish” is used to designate a one-pan meal. Essentially there is no difference between a tater tot hotdish and a tater tot casserole if they both contain the same ingredients to make a complete meal. A tater tot casserole could be different from a hotdish if it did not contain the main protein and other key ingredients.
- Can this same recipe be made in the oven? To make a tater tot casserole in the oven, follow all the steps to prep the meat mixture, then pour it into a greased oven-safe casserole dish. Top the mixture with a single layer of tater tots and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake at 375 ℉ for 25-30 minutes until the tater tots are golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Can tater tot casserole be made without meat? Yes, you can make a meatless tater tot casserole. Follow these steps:
- Heat frozen veggies in a skillet with butter and coat with flour.
- Slowly add in broth (swap vegetable broth if you’d like a vegetarian option), and stir in seasonings.
- Bring mixture to a simmer until the broth thickens, then stir in heavy cream.
- Allow the mixture to simmer until it is a creamy consistency.
- Follow the rest of the slow cooking steps to assemble the casserole.
I was a little nervous about how this was going to turn out. I put it all into a all in one cooker and it was amazing! The tots were even crispy. I give it a 5 star rating!
Tater tot casserole is a big deal in my house. I will definitely need to try this version. Thanks for sharing!
I don’t want to freeze this s meal. So what are the instructions for fix and serve immediately, or do you have to freeze???
you can just make half and instead of putting it into the freezer bag go ahead and follow the cooking instructions. Or make the whole recipe, cook half and freeze half for later!
This recipe works great for our family, and it has great results in our slow cooker! Everything nicely cooked and not watery. Last time I didn’t have any tater tots, so I used potato croquette things. I’m currently making a double batch to restock our freezer. Great easy meal!
I’m so glad you and your family enjoy it!!
My wife and eight-year-old son did not like this at all. I think it was the almost rice-like consistency of the tots. They didn’t seem to cook as well as in the oven. We had to trash the leftovers…
I’ve still got a bag of the meat-mixture left and am contemplating what to do with that without waste… Reheat on stove and serve over biscuits? Maybe reheat the meat on the stove and cook the tots in the oven? Maybe some sort of meat pie?
You could easily heat the mixture then layer on the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with tots and cheese and cook in oven at 375 for 20 – 30 minutes or until tots are crispy and cheese is melted.
How many bags of meat do you use?
Of the frozen meat mixture? You will use one bag for each recipe along with one bag of tater tots. And you will still have one left for another meal later!
Is the over all meal suppose to be dry or runny? The crock pot has been on high for about 4 hours and the tater tots are only brown around the edges of the crockpot. Also the sauce is still bubbling through the tots. Is that the consistency I want?
Sorry, I didn’t catch your comment until now! Hopefully it turned out okay! The tater tots won’t be as crispy as the oven and your sauce will for sure be nice and thick and bubbly. Did you do some tots on bottom and some on top? How did it end up turning out?
Have you ever subbed the tots with hashbrowns?! I have all ingredients except the tots but have Hashbrowns!! Looks awesome!! Do u have more freezer meals to share?? Thank you!!
I haven’t tried it yet but it does kind of sound good! Let me know if you give it a go how it turns out! 🙂
oh, and check out this post for some more freezer meal ideas… http://slowcookergourmet.net/2014/08/18/back-to-school-freezer-friendly-crockpot-meals/
Step 8 says to thaw overnight in the freezer..Should that not be thaw in the refrigerator? I am looking forward to getting this into my freezer and crockpot for a fast dinner on one of those hectic
days when we have dance or gymnastics class.
yes, you’re right! Fixed it, thanks for the catch! 🙂
Looks good enough to try the mailing list.