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    Home » Recipes » Slow Cooker Recipes » Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole

    Published: Jul 21, 2020 · Modified: Jul 21, 2020 by Jennifer · This post may contain affiliate links

    Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole

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    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    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

    tater tot casserole in oval casserole slow cooker

    Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole

    Jennifer Draper
    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!
    3.72 from 14 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 4 hrs
    Total Time 4 hrs 30 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 414 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound ground beef
    • ¼ cup flour
    • 1 ½ cups chicken broth
    • 2 teaspoons herb and garlic seasoning or favorite seasoning blend
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ¼ cup heavy cream
    • 2 cups frozen mixed veggies
    • 24 ounces frozen tater tots
    • 8 oz shredded cheese

    Instructions
     

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

    Notes

    • If using fresh veggies, be mindful of the water content
    • 5 qt oval slow cooker works best

    Nutrition

    Calories: 414kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 22gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 907mgPotassium: 584mgFiber: 4gVitamin A: 2630IUVitamin C: 11.1mgCalcium: 199mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @slowcookergourmet or tag #slowcookergourmet!
    Important nutritional disclaimer

    « Slow Cooker Pinto Beans
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Peggy Jensen says

      August 15, 2019 at 11:46 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    2. Karly says

      May 01, 2019 at 2:57 pm

      Tater tot casserole is a big deal in my house. I will definitely need to try this version. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    3. VERONICA HAYES says

      January 29, 2019 at 7:08 am

      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???

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        January 29, 2019 at 7:15 am

        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!

        Reply
    4. Tina says

      May 13, 2017 at 4:19 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        May 15, 2017 at 10:03 pm

        I'm so glad you and your family enjoy it!!

        Reply
    5. Joe says

      July 26, 2015 at 2:53 pm

      1 star
      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?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        July 26, 2015 at 8:47 pm

        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.

        Reply
    6. Carole says

      July 23, 2015 at 10:53 am

      How many bags of meat do you use?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        July 23, 2015 at 10:58 am

        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!

        Reply
    7. Amber says

      February 26, 2015 at 6:27 pm

      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?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        February 27, 2015 at 10:03 am

        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?

        Reply
    8. Mandy says

      February 06, 2015 at 2:42 pm

      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!!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        February 06, 2015 at 4:57 pm

        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! 🙂

        Reply
      • Jennifer says

        February 06, 2015 at 4:58 pm

        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/

        Reply
    9. Bonnie says

      December 07, 2014 at 1:21 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        December 07, 2014 at 8:50 am

        yes, you're right! Fixed it, thanks for the catch! 🙂

        Reply
    10. robert says

      October 30, 2014 at 12:30 pm

      Looks good enough to try the mailing list.

      Reply
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    Hi, I'm Jennifer! I love creating fresh recipes that are quick and simple to make so that I can help you get dinner on the table without the fuss!

    More about me →

    Most Popular Recipes

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    Simple Seasoning Blends

    Make these simple homemade seasoning blends using spices you probably have on hand! Use their amazing flavors in many of my delicious and easy recipes!

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