This old fashioned hamburger tater tot casserole has been a family favorite in Minnesota for generations because it is so easy to prep and is a hearty dinner for a cold night. You can make it ahead and freeze it to get prepared for a busy night.
PREP TIME 30 minutesminutes
COOK TIME 40 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME 1 hourhour10 minutesminutes
YIELD 8servings
Ingredients
1 1/2poundsground beef
1onionchopped
4tspminced garlic
2tspdried thyme
1 1/2tspsalt
1 1/2tsppepper
3tbspall purpose flour
1 1/2cupsmilk
1 1/2cupschicken stock
1 1/2cupsgrated parmesan cheese
1(14.25 oz) can French style green beansdrained
1(15.25 oz) can whole corndrained
1(2-pound) bag of frozen tater tots
Instructions
Prepare the Beef Filling
Add the beef, chopped onion, minced garlic, dried thyme, and salt and pepper to a heavy bottomed pot like a Dutch Oven. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat and stirring the ingredients together as it cooks. Continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 25 minutes.
Add the flour to the beef mixture and stir. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the milk and chicken broth and stir. Cook until the mixture is thickened, about 3 minutes.
Remove the pot or skillet from the heat and add the grated parmesan cheese, drained green beans and drained corn. Stir to combine all the ingredients and transfer the beef mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Make Ahead Tips: At this point you can let the mixture cool completely, cover with foil, and refrigerate the casserole for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months. Once frozen, let it thaw in the fridge overnight before you plan to bake it.
Assemble and Bake the Casserole
Preheat the oven to 450°F. If the casserole has been in the fridge, let it come to room temperature on the stovetop while the oven preheats.
Arrange the frozen tater tots in neat rows over the entire top of the baking dish. Do not press them down into the beef mixture, just let the sit lightly on the top.
Bake the tater tot casserole until the tater tots are a deep golden brown and the beef mixture is hot and bubbling, 35 - 40 minutes.