Green bean tater tot casserole is a classic comfort food meal with crispy tater tots, creamy green beans, ground beef, and lots of cheddar cheese.
This recipe is a hearty meal and delicious casserole that's sure to be a crowd-pleaser. This will become one of your favorite casserole recipes because it's simple to follow and uses pantry staples.
Like my slow cooker hamburger potato casserole, this hot dish is something the whole family can enjoy. If you keep this in regular rotation, there are so many ways to customize it. See all of my substitution and variation ideas below.
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Recipe Highlights
- Easy recipe: This is an easy tater tot casserole recipe and a complete meal, great for any night of the week.
- Simple ingredients: Easy-to-find ingredients in any grocery store that are probably regulars in your kitchen.
- Family favorite: This is a classic casserole for busy weeknights or as a green bean casserole substitute at Thanksgiving.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Ground beef: Any type of ground beef.
- Sweet onion: A small onion, chopped.
- Garlic: Minced garlic to enhance the flavor.
- Cream of mushroom soup: A creamy and rich condensed soup.
- Sour cream: For a creamy, slightly tangy flavor.
- Milk: Adds creaminess to the sauce and balances the flavors.
- Frozen green beans: A bag of frozen cut green beans.
- Kosher salt: For flavor.
- Black pepper: For flavor.
- Garlic powder: Enhances the garlic flavor throughout the casserole.
- Cheddar cheese: Mild, medium, or sharp, shredded.
- Frozen tater tots: For crispy and satisfying potato goodness.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Drain off any excess grease.
Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, half of the shredded cheese, milk, green beans, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until combined. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
Spread the meat mixture in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
Evenly sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar over the meat.
Top the cheese with a single layer of tater tots.
Bake the casserole for 40-45 minutes or until the tater tots are crispy and golden brown.
Allow the casserole to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Substitutions
Try these simple swaps, depending on your preferences and what you have on hand.
- Ground beef: Ground turkey, ground chicken, or meatless crumbles.
- Sweet onion: White onion, yellow onion, or shallots.
- Can of cream of mushroom soup: Use your favorite condensed soup such as cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, or cream of potato soup.
- Sour cream: Greek yogurt.
- Milk: Half-and-half.
- Frozen green beans: You can also use canned green beans (drained), or swap in your favorite frozen veggies like mixed veggies (corn, carrots, peas, you name it). Fresh green beans can also be used, but I recommend steaming them first.
- Cheddar cheese: Try Mexican style blend, Colby Jack, mozzarella, American cheese, or Monterey Jack.
- Tater tots: Frozen mini tater tots, frozen crispy crowns, and frozen french fries can all do the trick though baking times may vary.
Variations
This is a simple tater tot casserole that you can customize to make your own. Try these variations.
- Tex-Mex flavor: For a southwestern flavor, replace the seasonings with taco seasoning and use a Mexican style cheese blend. Top with sour cream and pico when serving.
- Mixed veggies: If green beans aren't your thing, try this with mixed veggies or your own blend of frozen vegetables. Another great dish with mixed veggies is my chicken stuffing casserole.
- French fries: Try shoestring fries or crinkle-cut french fries (this may take longer to bake until the fries are golden).
Equipment
- 9x13 baking dish - To bake the casserole.
- Large skillet - To brown the ground beef.
Storage
To store leftovers, allow it to cool to room temperature and cover in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3-4 days or freeze for 2-3 months.
This is a great freezer meal. If freezing, the casserole can be frozen either baked or unbaked. Whether frozen or refrigerated, tater tot casserole is best reheated in the oven for crispy tots.
FAQ
Tater tot casserole is a complete meal, but if you want an extra side, try a side salad, rolls, or garlic toast.
If you put cheese on top of the tater tots, it can prevent them from crisping up. You can try switching the oven to broil for 2-3 minutes for an extra crispy topping.
Related
Looking for more easy weeknight dinners? Try these hotdish recipes.
📖 Recipe
Green Bean Tater Tot Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small sweet onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- ½ cup milk
- 2 cups frozen cut green beans
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Drain off any excess grease.
- Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, half of the shredded cheese, milk, green beans, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until combined. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Spread the meat mixture in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Evenly sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar over the meat. Top the cheese with a single layer of tater tots.
- Bake the casserole for 40-45 minutes or until the tater tots are crispy and golden brown. Allow the casserole to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160°F (71.1°C).
- Wash hands and surfaces before and after handling raw meat.
- Use separate utensils for raw food and cooked food.
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