

And the sky’s the limit you can reach when it comes to toppings. Preheat oven to 350F.This delicious casserole may be a guilty pleasure, but it makes the whole family enjoy a great dinner, including you - because it’s so simple. To Bake From Frozen: Remove casserole from freezer and remove wrappings.

Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and then a layer of foil and freeze. Follow the recipe through the end of step 3, but allow the meat mixture to cool before layering it with the other ingredients in the aluminum pan. To Freeze Tater Tot Casserole: Use a disposable aluminum baking dish instead of the pie plate indicated in the recipe card below. This is an excellent make ahead meal to store in the freezer! When stored properly, it will retain its quality for 4 months, though will remain safe to eat for longer. The tater tots will regain some crispness with this method. Place entire dish of leftovers back into the oven and check every 10 minutes until warmed through. Tater tots will soften in the microwave and won't be as crispy.

Microwave: Reheat on high for 30-45 seconds or until desired warmth level. Serve the finished casserole alongside some fresh slices of tomato, on a couple slices of green leaf lettuce, or with some crisp raw sweet onions to really make this taste like a cheeseburger!ĭinner is served. I used cheddar, but you can use a Mexican blend, American, or even some pepper Jack if you want some heat. Add a little at a time and adjust to taste. Try a little barbecue or Worcestershire sauce added to the meat mixture. Don't have tater tots? Check your freezer for frozen hash brown potatoes or French fries (the waffle cut will work great!).While I realize that these swaps don't exactly make something with a name like bacon cheeseburger casserole with tater tots a health food, a little smarter shopping can go a long way! Fun Variations and Substitutions No sugar added and/or organic brands of ketchup.Organic and/or Lower Sodium brands of frozen tater tots.Uncured or turkey bacon instead of regular.Lean ground turkey instead of ground beef.There are a few simple swaps you can make that will healthy it up a little bit! If the nutritional content of this dish has you taking pause, fret not.
BACON CHEESEBURGER TATER TOT CASSEROLE RECIPE HOW TO
How To Make Tater Tot Casserole Healthier I cast a wide net when estimating the time it takes to prep and cook any of my recipes because I don't want you to get caught in a time pinch, but in general, it will take less than an hour (probably closer to 50 minutes) to fully prep and bake this casserole (remember, that's NOT including cooking the bacon). I'm assuming you have bacon that you've previously cooked or bought pre-cooked, so I did not include that in the time estimates for this dish. The main time considerations for making bacon cheeseburger casserole with tater tots are: chopping the onions and mincing the garlic, cooking the meat, and baking the casserole. You can complete the illusion by serving this recipe topped with some chopped dill or sweet pickles, but that's optional. A bite of this tater tot casserole tastes not unlike biting into a fancy cheeseburger. All of those flavors are present in this casserole, albeit in a slightly unfamiliar form. They also love cheeseburgers with ketchup and French fries. Well, that's not accurate, they LOVE bacon. When that happens, I have to get creative when trying new dishes that contain familiar flavors in an attempt to open their minds to new dinners. Kids are notorious for going through phases where their taste buds are less than adventurous. What Does This Taste Like?ĭo you need a dinner idea that's fast, kid-friendly, fuss-free, and something the whole family will enjoy? This bacon cheeseburger casserole with tater tots will fix you right up. It gets topped off with layers of crumbled bacon, cheese, and tater tots! Perfect for a weekday dinner idea. Easy and kid friendly! This bacon cheeseburger casserole with tater tots starts with lean beef cooked with onions and garlic and mixed with, of course, ketchup and mustard.
