Baked and ready in less than 1 hour, this Mexican-style tater tot casserole is dinner done right! It combines taco seasoning with ground beef, black beans, diced tomatoes with chilis, and frozen tater tots. Serve the casserole warm for dinner with a side of sour cream, salsa and fresh guacamole.
optional toppings:sour cream, cilantro, green onions, salsa, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease and 9X13 casserole dish and set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat saute ground beef, onion, and garlic together until beef is cooked and no longer pink. Drain grease, if necessary.
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef, 1 small onion, 1 clove garlic
Reduce heat to medium low and add taco seasoning and undrained diced tomatoes with chiles. Cook and simmer until liquid reduces, about 2 minutes.
1 packet taco seasoning mix* (1 ounce), 10 ounce can diced tomatoes with chiles
Add sour cream, black beans, and 1 cup cheese to the beef mixture. Stir to combine.
½ cup sour cream, 1 can black beans (15.5 ounce), 3 cups freshly grated colby jack cheese
Pour beef into prepared casserole dish. 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 45 minutes, or until tots are golden and crispy.
32 ounce bag frozen tater tots*
Remove from oven and top with remaining 2 cups shredded cheese. Return to oven for 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve hot with suggested toppings.
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Notes
*Gluten-Free Ingredients
Some tater tot brands may add wheat flour or gluten containing additives. I use Ore-Ida brand tater tots since they are labeled "gluten-free" on the package.For the taco seasoning packet purchase one that doesn't contain wheat flour. Old El Paso, McCormick, and Ortega brands are generally free of gluten containing additives.
Tips and tricks
Using freshly grated cheese off the block is best gooey melted cheese.
Substitute any preferred cheese for the colby jack, such as pepper jack, monterey jack, or cheddar.
For meatless mexican tater tot casserole, use any additional can of black or pinto beans.
Additional ingredients may be added to the meat mixture, such as corn, bell peppers, or green chiles.
Make sure the frozen tater tots are in a single layer so they become crispy rather than soggy. If you like extra crispy tots, finish the baking with 1-2 minutes under the broiler before topping with cheese to melt.
Make Ahead Freezer Meal
Either double the recipe and freeze one in a disposable aluminum pan or make ahead to freeze.
Prepare the ground beef mixture and cool meat enough to not thaw the tater tots. Spread meat on the bottom of greased 9X13 baking dish and top with tater tots. Either sprinkle on the shredded cheese or leave off until ready to bake.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and then foil to prevent freezer burn. Make sure to label the dish with the recipe name and baking instructions. Freeze 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. Add an additional 20-30 minutes to the baking time for the ground beef to thaw and heat through.