Cheesy Hamburger Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
This Cheesy Hamburger Tater Tot Casserole Recipe is creamy and comforting, but has tons of veggies too! It’s an easy weeknight family dinner! Ground beef, mushrooms, carrots, onions, and red peppers are mixed with a thick and creamy, cheesy sauce. Then it's topped with crispy tater tots for a satisfying crunch with each bite. Make this entirely ahead and then bake it in the oven on your busy weeknight for a delicious family dinner.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
- 10 ounces White button mushrooms
- ½ cup Diced onion
- 1 cup Carrots, diced
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1 Red Pepper, diced
- 1 pound Ground Beef 99% lean
- 1 teaspoon Salt (or to taste) divided for beef and sauce
- 2 teaspoons Ground black pepper (or to taste) divided for beef and sauce
- 3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
- 3 Tablespoons Butter salted
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 cup Chicken Broth or Stock (or Beef broth)
- 8 oz Sour Cream
- 2 cups Shredded Cheddar or any mix of cheddar, jack, mozzarella
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 32 ounces Frozen Tater Tots
- 1-2 Tablespoons Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped (OPTIONAL GARNISH)
Instructions
Prep-Ahead Steps
- Slice the mushrooms. Finely dice the onion. Dice the carrot. Dice the red pepper. Chop parsley if you are using it.
Cooking Steps
- Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
- In preheated large frying pan or skillet over high heat, add the olive oil and the sliced mushrooms, spreading them out into a single layer. Let sit without stirring for about 3-4 minutes until the mushrooms get browned. Then stir and cook for another a 3-4 minutes, then push to the side. (Tip: If you're worried that your pan is too small, transfer the mushrooms to the casserole dish.)
- To the same pan, add the ground beef and break it up with a spatula. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes until it starts to brown. Then add the diced onions, carrots, red pepper, garlic, salt, pepper and stir to combine. Cook for another 5 minutes. Transfer the beef mixture to the casserole dish.
- To the same pan used for the beef, turn the heat to Medium-LOW. Add the butter and stir to melt. Add Flour and whisk to combine with the butter. Cook stirring constantly for about 1 minute, then slowly whisk in the broth and then milk until the roux is completely and smoothly mixed into the liquids. Turn the heat to Medium and continue to stir and cook 1-2 minutes until it comes to a light simmer and thickens.
- Turn off the heat and whisk in the sour cream, oregano, salt, and pepper to the thickened sauce and then pour the sauce over the beef and veggies. Add the shredded cheese and then mix to combine everything together. Top with the frozen tater tots lining them across in rows to cover the entire top.
- Bake in the oven center rack for 20-30 minutes until the tater tots are golden brown and crispy. (Tip: You can also use the broiler for the last 5 minutes of the cooking to get a nice crispy brown top, but watch to ensure they don't burn!)Garnish with chopped parsley (optional). Serve and enjoy.
