Simple Tater Tot Casserole is topped with fried onions and filled with cheese. It’s a tasty side dish, great for any dinner or holiday meal.
This easy Tater Tot Casserole is a perfect twist on a potato side for Thanksgiving! If you love the crunchy onion top like we do, try French Onion Chicken Casserole and Green Bean Casserole.
easy, Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole
With the holidays rapidly approaching, I know it’s always a relief to have great recipes on hand. This Tater Tot Casserole will be perfect for those get togethers!
This particular dish has a tater tot base, and a cheesy, creamy center, with fried onions on top. Together, these layers make an amazing (and simple) potato casserole everyone loves!
We use French’s® Crispy Fried Onions for many of our classic holiday dishes (like Green Bean Casserole). I love that they add the perfect amount of flavor and crunch to this casserole.
In fact, as I made this recipe, I realized that they would be great additions to any casserole, potatoes or salads. They add so much to a recipe and are perfect for all your holiday dishes!
How to Make Tater Tot Casserole
PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F.
TATER TOTS. Arrange frozen tater tots in a greased 9×13 casserole dish.
CREAM CENTER. Combine sour cream, cheese, cream of chicken/mushroom soup, and garlic salt in a medium bowl. Mix well and pour over tater tots.
ONIONS. Sprinkle onions over the top of the casserole.
BAKE. Bake for 45-50 minutes. ENJOY!
Soup clarification: This recipe calls for using a can of “Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup”. If your grocery store doesn’t carry a combination, use half a can of each. Or use one can of whichever your prefer (cream of chicken soup OR cream of mushroom soup).
Change it up!
This casserole is very versatile. Of course we love this version, but you can easily change things up. Here are a few ideas:
- Add veggies: carrots, corn, zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower florets
- Add a layer of protein: cubed ham or cooked ground beef (more details below)
- Sprinkle with: scallions or crumbled bacon
- Tater Tots come in two main sizes: tater rounds (like we used), and the larger more cylindrical tot shape. Either type will work.
serving suggestions
When we make this as a cheesy potato side dish, we serve it with a holiday favorite: Roasted Turkey or Honey Glazed Ham.
We often add a layer of protein, which turns this casserole into a hearty and delicious main dish. In that case, we like to serve it with a side salad or a side of vegetables, like Roasted Green Beans or Grilled Asparagus.
How to add a layer of protein
This dish can easily accommodate a layer of ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey. Brown the meat before adding it to the casserole.
- Heat up a large skillet and add ground meat.
- Season with onion powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain excess fat.
- Sprinkle the ground beef mixture evenly over the tater tot layer, then add the layer of soup.
storing info
STORE leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for 3-4 days.
FREEZE in an airtight container in the freezer for 1-2 months. Reheat in the microwave or oven.
Make ahead of time. Complete steps 2 and 3. Do not add the onions on top, or bake it. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, then again with foil. Label and freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to use, thaw in the fridge, add onions, then bake.
For holidays, we love to make this easy Tater Tot Casserole recipe the day before up through step 3, then finish it off right when company comes. It works perfectly, and allows for minimal work on a crazy holiday.
For more potato sides, try:
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Best Mashed Potatoes
- Funeral Potatoes
- Baked Mashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 (32-ounce) bag frozen crispy tater tots
- 1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 (10.75-ounce) can Cream of Chicken & Mushroom Soup
- 1 (6-ounce) can French’s Fried Onions
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt (with parsley flakes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Arrange tater tots in a greased 9×13 pan.
- Combine sour cream, cheese, cream of chicken/mushroom soup, and garlic salt in a medium bowl. Mix well and pour over tater tots.
- Sprinkle onions over the top of the casserole and bake for 45-50 minutes. ENJOY!
Video
Notes
- Add veggies. carrots, corn, zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower florets
- Add a layer of protein. cubed ham or cooked ground beef (more details below)
- Toppings. scallions or crumbled bacon
- Tater tots come in two main sizes: we used the larger more cylindrical tot shape., but you can use smaller tater rounds. Either type will work.
This post was brought to you by the makers of French’s®. I received compensation to write this post through the #RealFlavorsHaveCrunch program. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.
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I haven’t tried this yet but was wondering if it’s something I could serve at Easter Brunch? It sounds different and delicious!
Most definitely!! We love it for the holidays!! Hope it’s a hit!
Looks delicious. I just want to make sure I understand the ingredients correctly. Is it one can of cream of mushroom soup and one can of cream of chicken, or do you just pick one?
So there is a type of condensed soup called Cream of Chicken and Mushroom. But if you can’t find that, you could choose one or the other type and it will still taste great!