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A serving of tater tot casserole on a white plate.
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Tater Tot Casserole

Kick the can! This easy Tater Tot Casserole features ground beef, green beans, and a creamy homemade mushroom sauce instead of canned condensed soup. This comfort food recipe is a dreamy Sunday night dinner idea.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 466kcal

Ingredients

For the mushroom sauce:

For the casserole:

Instructions

To make the mushroom sauce:

  • In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter until foaming. Add mushrooms and cook until they have released most of their liquid, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Stir in chicken broth, garlic powder, and onion powder. Bring to simmer. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together milk and flour. 
  • Stir in milk mixture and cook until soup has thickened, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To make the casserole:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan, brown the ground beef, celery, and onions until the beef is cooked thoroughly. Drain.
  • Stir in mushroom sauce and green beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Carefully spoon the mixture into a 2-quart casserole pan. Top the mixture with the frozen potato tots.
  • Bake uncovered until the casserole is bubbly and the tots are golden brown, about 40 to 50 minutes.

Notes

  1. Chicken broth: Buy a box or a can, or use Homemade Chicken Broth in the mushroom sauce to really drive home the from-scratch vibes.
  2. Ground beef: I prefer 85/15 or 80/20 blends for ground beef casseroles. If you prefer, trade-in ground turkey, chicken, or pork.
  3. Frozen green beans: Frozen at the peak of freshness, frozen vegetables are your best bet unless you have fresh green beans in your garden or can snag some at the farmers market this week.
  4. Frozen tater tots: Potato tots are traditional, but vegetable-boosted varieties are becoming widely available and are certainly trending. Feel free to use the tots made with sweet potato, broccoli, or cauliflower to sneak in a tiny bit more nutrition.
  5. Yield: This Tater Tot Casserole makes six dinner-sized portions, ideal for a cozy family meal.
  6. Storage: Store leftovers covered for up to 4 days.
  7. Make ahead: The mushroom sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance or frozen up to 2 months in advance. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
  8. Switch up the sauce: If your family is used to Tater Tot Casserole with canned cream of chicken soup, consider my homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup instead of the mushroom version explained here, if you'd like. Just thin the soup into a sauce-like consistency with milk as necessary.
  9. Protect the topping: Everyone’s oven runs a little differently. If yours errs hot, cover the casserole with foil to protect the tots if they're beginning to brown too quickly.
  10. Adapted from Pillsbury Complete Cookbook.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 668mg | Potassium: 819mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 351IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 3mg