Tater tot hotdish with corn is a favorite in our house. This dish has its all with crispy tater tots, sweet whole kernel corn, and a creamy meat mixture filled with cheese.
I love how easily this cheesy tater tot casserole with sour cream is to make. With just a few minutes of prep, I can have my tater tot casserole in the oven. Perfect for those busy days when I don't want to spend too much time with the stove!
Loading my easy tater tot casserole with veggies is a great way to get the kids to eat them without complaint. My kids often ask for seconds or even thirds, so I call this tater tot casserole with corn a win in my book!
Check out my Instant Pot Tater Tot Casserole for a modern variation.
Why This Recipe Works
- Basic ingredients. We just need some simple ingredient sot make this tasty casserole.
- Easy prep. The prep work for this recipe is pretty minimal. There are about 10 minutes of active time where you're just mixing things around as they cook, and after that, it's time for a little patience as it bakes.
- It's filling. This is one of those recipes that will have you feeling stuffed in no time. It's perfect for feeding the family something comforting too.
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🥘 Ingredients
Ground beef- You will need some raw ground beef. I like to use 80/20, but any fat percentage works fine. Just drain the grease.
Shredded cheddar cheese- I prefer shredding cheese myself as it melts better, but pre-shredded cheese saves time.
Onion- Adding in a diced onion will help to give us a nicer depth of flavor.
Whole Kernel Corn- Use canned or frozen corn to give us a refreshing crunch.
Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup- This will thicken the meaty filling and make it more flavorful.
Frozen Tater Tots- You will need some of your favorite tots from the freezer; you do not need to thaw them beforehand.
Sour Cream- For added creaminess and a little tangy flavor, add sour cream.
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make tater tot casserole with these simple step-by-step instructions:
In a skillet on the stove, heat your diced onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 2-3 minutes until more opaque and soft in texture.
Add in the ground beef and cook until browned.
Drain grease. Break up the beef as you cook so that there are no large chunks.
Transfer the beef and onions to a large mixing bowl and add in the rest of the ingredients (minus the tater tots). Reserve about ¼ cup of cheese for the top if desired.
Mix well to combine.
Pour the creamy mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish.
Top with an even layer of frozen tater tots.
Sprinkle the top with the reserved cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.
Serve and enjoy.
🧾 Substitutions
How to make tater tot casserole without cream of mushroom
You can use any type of condensed soup, including cream of chicken, cheddar cheese, or even cream of celery. Each will change the dish's overall flavor (but they all taste great too!)
You can use any ground meat
Making tater tot casserole with hamburger meat is a great way to add in that iron and protein, but feel free to use ground turkey if that's what you like better. Even ground chicken or pork would work pretty well.
🍴 Recipe Tips
If the sour cream flavor tastes overwhelming to a picky eater, you can reduce it to ½ cup and toss in ¼ cup of milk. The dish will still be creamy and delicious, but the flavor will be a lot milder.
You can use frozen corn about 1 cup's worth should be about the same, but you can add in more if you wanted to.
🍳Reheating
How to Reheat Tater Tot Casserole in the Oven
Reheating a tater tot casserole isn't difficult. You can place your leftovers in a baking dish covered in foil in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes until it's heated through.
How to Reheat Tater Tot Casserole in the Microwave
You can also microwave the food for about 1-2 minutes if you only want a smaller portion reheated. Unfortunately, this causes the tots to soften and lose that crispness.
💭 FAQs
Tater tot casserole is a comfort food dish that is as cheap to make as it is delicious to eat. Truly one of the better tasting and more filling frugal meal options out there.
Made with crispy tater tots and a can of cream of mushroom soup, you get a mix of flavors and textures that work great together.
Trying to figure out what to eat with tater tot casserole can be a challenge when you already have such a mix of ingredients. Pairing your comfort dish with a side salad or other cooked vegetables can be great.
With tater tot hotdishes often having a bit of a rich and greasy feel to them, pairing them with something lighter is a great way to offset that heavy feeling.
Not much. Both are terms that come from the midwest united states. But, generally speaking, a tater tot hot dish recipe contains vegetables and a can of condensed soup like cream of mushroom.
A casserole is very similar but often contains lighter meat like chicken or tuna. But both are baked and have some form of starchy base, veggies, and a nice topping. So, you can think of it as a hot dish as a type of casserole.
Check out these other great casserole recipes!
- Sausage Green Bean Potato Casserole
- Walking Taco Casserole
- Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Chicken Divan Casserole
📖 Recipe
Tater Tot Casserole with Corn (Hotdish)
Ingredients
- 1 bag (small bag) Frozen Tater Tots (about 32 whole tots)* ($1.68)
- 1 cup Sour Cream ($0.92)
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided ($0.93)
- ½ cup Onion, diced ($0.35)
- 1 can (10.5oz) cream of mushroom soup ($0.58)
- 1 can Whole Kernel Corn, Drained ($0.50)
- 1 pound Ground Beef ($3.37)
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil ($0.13)
Instructions
- In a skillet on the stove, heat diced onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 2-3 minutes until opaque and soft.
- Add in ground beef and cook until browned. Drain grease. Break up the beef as you cook so that there are no large chunks.
- Transfer beef and onions to large mixing bowl. Add in the soup, sour cream, corn, and ¾ cup of the cheese. Stir well.
- Pour the creamy mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish and top with tater tots in neat rows. Sprinkle the top with the reserved cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Recipe Tips
- Tot amounts may vary. The actual amount of tots needed will depend on your arrangement skills and the size of the pan. You can fit more in a bigger pan than a smaller pan, and neat rows fit more than a scattered arrangement.
- Reduce or omit sour cream if desired. If the sour cream flavor tastes overwhelming to a picky eater, you can reduce it ½ cup and toss in ¼ cup of milk. The dish will still be creamy and delicious, but the flavor will be a lot milder. You can also choose to replace it with 1 cup of unflavored plain Greek yogurt instead.
- You can use frozen corn. About 1 cup's worth should be about the same, but you can add in more if you wanted to.
Substitutions
- You can use any type of condensed soup, including cream of chicken, cheddar cheese, or even cream of celery. Each will change the dish's overall flavor (but they all taste great too!)
- You can use ground turkey meat instead. Making tater tot casserole with hamburger meat is a great way to add in that iron and protein, but feel free to use ground turkey if that's what you like better.
Side Dish Serving Ideas
- Pairing your comfort dish with a side salad or other cooked vegetables can be great. With tater tot hotdishes often having a bit of a rich and greasy feel to them, pairing them with something lighter is a great way to offset that heavy feeling. I like to serve simple side salads, green beans, or steamed broccoli with this recipe.
How to Reheat Tater Tot Casserole
- Oven method- Reheating a tater tot casserole isn't difficult. You can place your leftovers in the oven in a baking dish, covered in foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes until it's heated through.
- Microwave method- You can also microwave the food for about 1-2 minutes if you only want a smaller portion reheated. Unfortunately, this causes the tots to soften and lose that crispness.
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