My easy bacon cheeseburger tater tot casserole takes all the classic cheeseburger flavors and bakes it into a comforting dinner hot dish. It’s a family-favorite gluten-free weeknight dinner idea layering ground beef and crispy bacon with frozen tater tots and gooey cheddar cheese. The whole family will love it, especially when they pile on their favorite cheeseburger toppings. Dinner is ready in 1 hour, with minimal hands-on time.
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Easy Weeknight – Cheeseburger Casserole With Tater Tots
My easy cheeseburger tater tot casserole, or as some call a hot dish, is a huge dinner win in our house. The ground beef filling takes on the classic cheeseburger flavor, it’s another affordable meal I can add to loads of ground bee gluten-free dinner ideas, and no kid will complain about a hamburger casserole complete with potatoes.
Similar to Mexican-Style Tater Tot Casserole, you can never go wrong when layering crispy tots and cheese on anything! This cheesy hamburger casserole’s flavor only gets more enhanced when piling on the optional fixings, like shredded lettuce, pickles, and tomatoes.
The bottom layer consists of all the burger makings, with ground beef and crispy bacon mixed in an easy burger sauce. Layer in a casserole dish, top with a package of frozen tater tots and bake until browned and crispy.
Finally, sprinkle on a layer of gooey cheddar cheese and watch it disappear. Just like cheesy burger bowls with secret sauce this recipe is guaranteed to be requested frequently!
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Ingredient Tid Bits
- Bacon – If you are not a fan or prefer to not buy an extra ingredient, the bacon may be omitted. Simply start the recipe by browning the ground beef.
- Worcestershire sauce – If making this for a gluten-free dinner recipe, be careful choosing your brand because some contain wheat starch. I recommend Lea & Perrin’s Original, but for other brands read the label to make sure it’s safe.
- Cheddar cheese – I prefer freshly grated cheese off the block because it melts smoother. Sharp cheddar will have a more enhanced flavor, while mild cheddar or colby jack will be smoother.
- Frozen tater tots – Use Ore-Ida brand for gluten-free, but any preferred tot may be used if you do not have dietary restrictions.
Let’s Make This Together!
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Crispy up some bacon
First, chop the bacon into smaller pieces and cook over medium heat, in a large skillet, until crisp. After the bacon has cooked, remove and place on a plate lined with paper towel to soak up excess grease. You’ll use this same pan for the ground beef mixture.
Cheesy ground beef layer
Add ground beef and chopped onion to the same skillet. After it’s cooked add in everything that will make this taste like a tasty cheeseburger – ketchup, mustard, relish, cheese, diced tomatoes and seasonings.
Layer and bake till extra crispy
Arrange the frozen tots on top of the ground beef mixture in 9X13-inch baking dish. Although it takes a little extra time, layering them in single rows helps the tater tots bake up nice and crisp. This takes about 45 minutes. When the tots are nicely browned, remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle on a generous cheese layer. Then just return to the oven for 5 minutes to melt and serve with your favorite burger toppings.
My Favorite Serving Suggestions
Just like a juicy bacon cheeseburger, the topping ideas are whatever the heart desires. These are a few of our favorite toppings for cheeseburger tater tot casserole. Usually I set them out in small bowls and let the kids pile on whatever they like.
We love topping with relish, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, pickles, and sour cream. If I’m going the extra mile, sometimes I will grill or sauté onions as well. Since the dish is rather filling, we usually pair it with a lighter dish. Any veggies, salads, or dishes you would serve up with a hamburger will go great!
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Crispy Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 ½ pounds ground sirloin
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- ⅔ cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 3 tablespoons sweet relish
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, (read label for gluten-free)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 32 ounce frozen tater tots, (Ore-Ida brand for gluten free)
- optional toppings: chopped tomatoes, lettuce, pickles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 9X13 inch casserole dish. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat cook chopped bacon until crisp, about 8-10 minutes. Drain grease and remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.6 slices bacon
- Add ground beef and onion to the skillet. Cook until beef is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Drain grease, if necessary.1 ½ pounds ground sirloin, 1 medium onion, 1 clove garlic
- To the ground beef add half cooked bacon, drained diced tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, relish, worcestershire, salt, pepper, and 1 cup grated cheese. Stir to combine and spread in prepared baking dish.14 ounce can diced tomatoes, ⅔ cup ketchup, 3 tablespoons yellow mustard, 3 tablespoons sweet relish, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese
- Top with frozen tater tots in a single layer, so the tots become crisp during baking. If you have a few minutes, line them up in rows to make sure the full package fits on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until tater tots are crisp. Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining cheese and bacon on top. Bake for 5 additional minutes. Serve immediately with optional toppings.32 ounce frozen tater tots
Notes
Make-Ahead / Freezer Directions:
Make-Ahead: Prepare ground beef filling up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container. Assemble casserole with frozen tater tots when ready to bake and serve. Bake as directed, but add an additional 5-10 minutes to cooking time. Freezer Meal: Either double the recipe and freeze one in a disposable aluminum pan or make ahead to freeze and enjoy at a later date. Prepare the ground beef mixture and spread on the bottom of a greased 9X13 baking dish. Sprinkle the top with tater tots. You will want to be sure you have allowed the meat enough time to cool so that the tater tots do not thaw when placed on top. Cover the tots with cheese and bacon topping, or wait and add the topping when you are ready to bake. Cover the dish with foil and then wrap with plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. Make sure to label the dish with the recipe name and baking instructions. You can freeze this dish for up to 4 months. When ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap and foil. Bake from frozen so the tater tots don’t thaw before. Plan to add an additional 30-35 minutes to the baking time for the ground beef to heat completely through.This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
Can I just say THANK YOU for putting all of the ingredients in the step by step direction?! It was genius and made following it so much easier while cooking! Brava!
I used 2# of beef, used turkey bacon instead, and did not have relish. Sprinkled a little dill on top and was yummy! Thank you!
That sounds ah-maze-ing! Thanks for sharing, Leah.
Best,
Melissa
Hello! This is a pretty darn good recipe! We ate it with small slices of dill pickle. We did not have any tomatos, so it was lacking a little cheeseburger taste. We went ahead and drizzled ketchup on top and then it tasted just like a cheeseburger. Thanks.
Love the improvisations, Ronald! Thanks so much for sharing and I’m so glad you still enjoyed it!
Best,
Melissa