Name: Tater Taco Casserole Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: Non-Stick Cooking Spray; 1 lb. lean Ground Beef; 1 small White Onion, minced; 2 Garlic Cloves, minced; 2 teaspoons Chili Powder; 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano; 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika; 1 teaspoon Salt; 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper; 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper; 2 Roma Tomatoes, diced; 1/4 cup sliced Green Olives; 1 (4 oz) can of diced Green Chilies; 1 (15 oz) can of Black Beans, rinsed, drained; 1 1/2 cups (12 oz.) Frozen Corn thawed; 1 (10 oz) can or 1 1/4 cups Gluten-Free Red Enchilada Sauce; 1/4 cup Sour Cream; 1 (28 oz) bag Frozen Tater Tots; 2 cups shredded Mexican Shredded Cheese; 2 tablespoons freshly chopped Parsley

Front shot of Tater Taco Casserole in a green casserole

Aerial shot of Tater Taco Casserole in a green casserole

Tater tots are crispy on the exterior and soft and fluffy on the inside. They should be illegal with how crunchy and delicious they are. Believe it or not, these crispy nuggets of potato heaven have been around 69 years. The owners of Ore-Ida F. Nephi Grigg and Golden Grigg were searching for a way to maximize their profits by using residual pieces of potatoes leftover from making fries. After several experiments, they finally stumbled across the perfect recipe. They sliced the potatoes into small pieces, combined them with flour and seasoning, shaped them into small barrel-like nuggets, and fried them, and tater tots were born. Sixty-nine years later, tater tots are still taking the world by storm. You can enjoy tater tots for breakfast or use them to make a casserole. Instead of a plain old tater tot casserole, we jazzed things up by making a tater casserole.

This Tater Taco Casserole is a Mexican mixture of taco meat, beans, corn, and cheese topped with tater tots and enchilada sauce. First, ground beef and onions are sautéed until browned, garlic and spices are added, and it is cooked until it is fragrant. Next, Roma tomatoes, olives diced, green chilies, black beans, and corn are added along with enchilada sauce and sour cream. The ground beef mixture is then added to a baking dish topped with cheese and tater tots and baked until the tater tots are golden and crispy. Next, more cheese is added and baked until its melted and is delicious.

What goes good with tater tot casserole?

Tater tot casserole has protein, potatoes, and vegetables, so it is a complete meal. However, you can add steamed vegetables or salad with the tater tot casserole.

Can you freeze unbaked tater tot casserole?

Yes, you can freeze unbaked tater tot casserole. First, assemble the tater tot casserole in an oven-safe dish, wrap it tightly with a layer of plastic wrap, then wrap the tater tot casserole with aluminum foil. Alternatively, you can also cover the tater tot casserole with a lid. Finally, label it with the name tater tot casserole and today's date and freeze it for up to 3 months.

How many calories does Tater Tot casserole have?

There are 418 calories in each serving of tater taco casserole.

Are Tater Tots good for weight loss?

Tater tots are not considered healthy food. One serving of tater tots contains 160 calories, 8 of which are fat and 420 mg sodium. Therefore, tater tots can cause you to gain weight, so they should be consumed in moderation.

Equipment Needed

Large Cast Iron Skillet

Wooden Spoon

Author: Sarah Leadon

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Serves

Ingredients

Non-Stick Cooking Spray
1 lb. lean Ground Beef
1 small White Onion, minced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup sliced Green Olives
1 (4 oz) can of diced Green Chilies
1 (15 oz) can of Black Beans, rinsed, drained
1 1/2 cups (12 oz.) Frozen Corn thawed
1 (10 oz) can or 1 1/4 cups Gluten-Free Red Enchilada Sauce
1/4 cup Sour Cream
1 (28 oz) bag Frozen Tater Tots
2 cups shredded Mexican Shredded Cheese
2 tablespoons freshly chopped Parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 °F, then coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

To a large skillet, add the lean ground beef and onions. Set it over medium-high heat and cook it for 5-8 minutes, breaking it into smaller pieces until it is no longer pink.

Drain the ground beef in a colander if necessary, then return it to the skillet and set it over medium-high heat.

Add the garlic, chili powder, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper and cook it for 1 minute until fragrant.

Stir in the Roma tomatoes, olives, green chilies, black beans, and frozen corn and cook it for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the enchilada sauce and cook it for 5 minutes.

Stir in the sour cream until combined, and remove the ground beef mixture from the stove.

Place the ground beef mixture into the prepared baking dish, spread it into an even layer, and top with 1 cup of the Mexican cheese.

Arrange the tater tots on top of the Mexican cheese. Bake the tater taco casserole for 35-40 minutes until the tater tots are crispy.

Remove the tater taco casserole from the oven and top with the remaining Mexican cheese.

Bake the tater taco casserole for another 3-5 minutes until the cheese melts.

Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the tater taco casserole before serving.