This tater tot casserole with ground beef is the dinner I make when everyone in the house is hungry, and I don’t want to think too hard about what to cook.
Lean ground beef, a filling made partly from blended cottage cheese instead of just canned soup, two kinds of vegetables, and a crispy tater tot topping come together in one dish, no side dishes required.
It comes out to about 37g protein per serving, so it actually holds people over instead of leaving them hunting through the pantry an hour later.
If your family always seems to be starving right when you’re too tired to cook, this recipe is built for exactly that problem.
It takes about 20 minutes of hands-on prep, and it freezes well, so you can build a second pan while you’re at it and have a backup dinner ready for a night when nothing goes according to plan.
Easy High-Protein Tater Tot Casserole with Ground Beef
Easy High-Protein Tater Tot Casserole with Ground Beef
A protein-boosted spin on classic tater tot hotdish, with blended cottage cheese sneaking creaminess into the filling without the usual canned-soup taste. Ground beef, cheddar, corn, and green beans form a rich, savory base topped with crispy golden tater tots. At about 37g of protein per serving, it's a comforting, crowd-pleasing casserole that still delivers on nutrition.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs lean ground beef (93/7)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese, blended smooth
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen cut green beans
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic together, breaking up the meat as it browns, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain off excess fat.
- While the beef cooks, blend the cottage cheese in a blender or food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. This is what keeps the filling creamy without tasting like a canned casserole.
- Stir the blended cottage cheese, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper into the beef mixture. Cook for 2 minutes, just until everything is combined and warmed through.
- Stir in the corn, green beans, and half of the shredded cheddar. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar over the top, then arrange the tater tots in a single layer on top of the cheese.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tater tots are golden and crispy and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
- Let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This gives the filling a chance to set so it doesn't run off the plate.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 668Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 20gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 179mgSodium: 812mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 53g
All nutritional values provided on this website (including calories, macros, and nutrient percentages) are estimates intended for informational and educational purposes only. These values are calculated using online recipe nutrition databases and software. Because individual cooking methods, product brands, ingredient substitutions, and exact portion sizes vary, the actual nutritional content of your meal may differ from the estimates shown here.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic together, breaking up the meat as it browns, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain off excess fat.
- While the beef cooks, blend the cottage cheese in a blender or food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. This is what keeps the filling creamy without tasting like a canned casserole.
- Stir the blended cottage cheese, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper into the beef mixture. Cook for 2 minutes, just until everything is combined and warmed through.
- Stir in the corn, green beans, and half of the shredded cheddar. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar over the top, then arrange the tater tots in a single layer on top of the cheese.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tater tots are golden and crispy and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
- Let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This gives the filling a chance to set so it doesn’t run off the plate.
Tips
- Blend the cottage cheese. Skipping this step is the difference between a casserole that tastes like cottage cheese and one that tastes creamy. A food processor works too.
- Use lean beef. The higher fat content in regular ground beef makes the filling greasy under the tater tots. Stick with 93/7 or leaner.
- Don’t skip draining the beef. Extra grease pools beneath the tater tots, keeping them from crisping up.
Variations
- Swap the vegetables. Frozen peas or diced carrots can be used in place of corn or green beans. Use whatever you already have.
- Make it spicier. Add a diced jalapeño to the beef while it cooks, or swap in pepper jack for half the cheddar.
- Go Tex-Mex. Swap the cream of mushroom soup for a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles and add a teaspoon of chili powder.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- To freeze before baking: Assemble the casserole in a freezer-safe dish, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 375°F for about 70 to 80 minutes, covering with foil for the first 40 minutes so the tots don’t burn before the center heats through.
- To store leftovers: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or cover with foil and warm in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes to keep the tots from getting soggy.
FAQ
Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef?
Yes. Ground turkey works well here. Just add an extra tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, since turkey has a milder flavor than beef.
Why is my tater tot casserole watery?
This usually means the beef wasn’t drained well, or the vegetables were added straight from frozen without patting them dry first. Blot frozen corn and green beans with a paper towel before stirring them in.
Can I make this without cottage cheese?
Yes, though you’ll lose some of the protein boost. Swap in an extra 1/2 cup of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt instead.
How many calories are in this tater tot casserole?
It runs roughly 420 to 450 calories per serving, depending on the exact brands of soup, cheese, and tater tots you use.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
You can make the beef mixture in a skillet and transfer it to a crockpot on low for up to 2 hours to keep it warm, but the tater tots won’t crisp up in a slow cooker. For that texture, finish the dish under the broiler for 3 to 4 minutes right before serving, or bake it in the oven as written.
What can I serve with tater tot casserole?
Since the dish already includes protein, starch, and vegetables, a simple side salad or steamed green vegetables is really all you need.
Give This Tater Tot Casserole a Try
This tater tot casserole with ground beef solves the everyone’s-hungry-and-I-have-twenty-minutes problem without asking much of you.
Between the lean beef, the blended cottage cheese, and the vegetables mixed right into the filling, you’re getting close to 37g protein per serving without anyone at the table noticing it’s anything other than comfort food.
Make a double batch and freeze one. In the future, you will be glad it’s already done.
