Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole

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Cheeseburger tater tot casserole includes everything you love about burgers and fries, all baked together! Juicy ground beef, two kinds of cheese, crispy tots, lettuce, and tomatoes. Add our ‘special sauce’ on top, for a drool-worthy Big Mac casserole that everyone in the family will love!

Cheeseburger tater tot casserole in a white baking dish, ready to serve.

Easy casseroles like this one are perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. You’ll find similar ingredients and flavors on our Bisquick cheeseburger pie recipe and totcho recipe loaded tater tots!

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Why We Love Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole

It’s a great back-to-school dinner idea!
It freezes and reheats really well, so you can portion it out and save so much time throughout the week. You have plenty on your plate as it is!
A one-skillet recipe means just there’s a lot less to clean up after dinner.
It’s incredibly customizable.
Different proteins and toppings are super easy to incorporate. For example, our cracked out chicken tater tot casserole incorporates ground chicken.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Labeled ingredients for cheeseburger tater tot recipe.

Ground Beef – We like to use a leaner blend of ground sirloin; 85/15 is our favorite. It has just enough fat to add some flavor, but not so much that it fills the pan with grease.
Onion and Garlic Powder – Fresh minced garlic and diced onion can be substituted. Just use a bit more of each to get the same level of flavor.
American Cheese – Shredded cheddar, gooey mozzarella, spicy Pepper Jack, or Monterey Jack are also delicious burger-topping cheeses to choose from!
Frozen Tater Tots – Perhaps the most versatile, kid-friendly potatoes around! We have a lot of different easy recipes with tater tots on TFN – we use them in entrees, appetizers, and snacks, too!

Recipe Variations

In addition to the substitutions shown above, here are some other alterations you can make to your cheeseburger tater tot casserole:

Use a different ground protein, such as chicken or turkey.
Flavor the ground beef with barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or some Dijon mustard. Whatever your secret burger ingredient is, don’t hesitate to add it to this recipe!
Crumbled bacon is a fantastic add-in for tons of savory flavor. Add it to the ground beef, or crumble it over the top of the casserole when you add the cheese.
Soft avocado and sour cream are two popular toppings that add creaminess to this hamburger potato casserole. Try it out!

Tips for the Best Big Mac Casserole

Browning ground beef with onion and garlic powder in a cast iron skillet.

Break up the ground beef as it cooks.
Technically, this isn’t a big deal- unless you’re the unlucky person to end up with a huge clump of unseasoned hamburger on your plate. 😉
We recommend using a meat masher – it’s a fantastic kitchen gadget.
Be sure to drain the grease.
The beef is the foundation of cheeseburger tater tot casserole, so consistency is key! Not draining the grease will give the meat a very oily, unpleasant texture.

The best way to remove excess fat from cooked ground meats is to transfer it to a strainer and let the grease drip right out. Use a spoon or spatula to stir up the meat to really get all that fat out.

🎯 TFN Pro Tip

Never pour hot grease down a drain.
Pour it into a trash can, mason jar, or any other heat-safe container. This will prevent it from clogging up your kitchen drain pipes!

Cooked ground beef in a white baking dish surrounded by smaller bowls of diced onion, bell pepper, shredded cheese, and tater tots.

Use an oven-safe skillet to avoid extra dishes.
Shave a few minutes of clean-up time from your to-do list by using a cast iron skillet or other oven-safe pan to brown the ground beef. This way, you can assemble the layers of your tater tot casserole right over the cooked ground beef!
Broil the top for extra crispy potatoes.
This step is completely optional. Broiling the tots before adding the shredded cheese will crisp them up, and give them a deeper color, too.

Layer of frozen potato tots on top of a cheeseburger casserole.

Serving Suggestions

We recommend serving a fresh, healthy side dish to offset the starches in your casserole. Any kind of salad is great!

Coleslaw, with its crisp sweetness, is a good choice, too. Our cucumber cole slaw has a healthy crunch that kids love.

Shredded cheddar cheese layered into a baking dish.

Make plenty of special sauce!

Just like the traditional Big Mac burger, some people are crazy for the special sauce in this casserole! Some people like to dip forkfuls of their cheeseburger tater tot casserole into the sauce. Others love the ketchup and mayo combo so much, they slather it on thick.

hamburger potato casserole topped with shredded lettuce next to a dish with diced tomatoes and Big Mac sauce.

By the way, the sauce is also delicious on scrambled eggs, in sandwiches, and as a dip for sausage balls!

Play it safe and double or triple the sauce if you’re cooking for a larger group, or if you plan on serving leftovers throughout the week. It’ll keep in the fridge for up to two weeks — just give it a good stir before serving.

Plated serving of cheeseburger tater tot casserole next to the remaining casserole in a baking dish.

Recipe FAQs

Why is my tater tot casserole runny?

One possible reason for a runny beef and potato casserole is undercooking the ground beef. This can cause excess moisture in the dish.

This can also happen when wet ingredients like diced tomatoes and lettuce sit on top of the baked dish for too long. Wait until just before serving to add garnishes.

Can you freeze the tater tot casserole before you cook it?

Yes, but do not freeze the meal with the potatoes already on top.

You’ll first need to thaw the frozen cheeseburger casserole overnight before baking, and those tots may become soggy in the fridge. Just before baking, add the tots and then proceed with the recipe as normal.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Storing:
Fridge: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. The potatoes will turn soggier with each day. So, if possible, reheat in the oven or air fryer within a couple of days.
Freezer: This hamburger potato casserole can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating:
Oven: Reheat in a 350º F. oven until the dish is warm all the way through. You may need to add a few minutes to the reheating time if you’re reheating it from frozen.
Microwave: You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave. Just place the desired amount in a microwave-safe dish and heat it for 1-2 minutes, or until it’s hot.
Air fryer: Reheat the leftover casserole at 400°F., for 5-7 minutes, or until it is warm all the way through.

Close up of baked comfort food meal of ground beef, potatoes, cheese, tomatoes and shredded lettuce.

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