Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole

This mouthwatering casserole is easy, versatile, and absolutely delicious! Hearty ground beef, crunchy bacon, and crispy tater tots come together for the ultimate taste experience. It's everything wonderful about cheeseburgers and fries in one super easy dish!

Course dinner, Main

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 876kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

6 strips bacon, chopped
2 pounds (900g) ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 plump tomato, diced
1 tablespoon (12g) steak seasoning
½ cup (230g) mayonnaise
¼ cup (60g) ketchup
2 tablespoons (30g) yellow mustard
1 teaspoon (5g) salt
½ teaspoon (1.5g) black pepper
2 cups (240g) cheddar cheese, freshly grated
1 32-ounce bag frozen tater tots
Your favorite cheeseburger toppings, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F/177℃. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 8x12-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
Cook chopped bacon on the stovetop over medium-high heat in a large cast iron skillet until crispy and golden, 5-7 minutes. Transfer cooked bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve 2-3 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the skillet.
Next, add ground beef to the pan and cook until no pink remains. Drain excess fat from the pan. Then add onion, garlic, tomatoes, and steak seasoning and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent or 3-5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, then add mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and half of the cooked bacon. Mix until thoroughly combined—season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the burger mixture to the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and sprinkle with the remaining bacon. Arrange your tater tots on top of the cheese and bacon in a single layer.
Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes until bubbly around the edges and tater tots are golden and crispy.
Garnish with your favorite cheeseburger toppings and serve.

Notes

To ensure your tater tots are crispy and golden, arrange them carefully in a single layer so they don't overlap. Then make sure they're resting on the cheese, not pressed into the mixture.
Even though the meat mixture contains liquid, remember to spray your baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray. With a dish this easy, washing up should be easy, too!
For this recipe, lean ground beef works best. If you use a fuller fat beef, strain off as much fat as possible to keep your casserole from getting too moist.
Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition