Tater Tot Chili Casserole
Tater Tot Chili Casserole is made with a hearty, homemade chili that’s loaded with ground beef, tomatoes, beans, and spices, then topped with shredded cheese and tater tots that get baked to crispy perfection! Add a dollop of sour cream or sliced scallions for the finishing touch!
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Today’s recipe, Tater Tot Chili Casserole, takes a cold weather staple, chili, and turns it into a comforting casserole that gets baked in the oven to get a perfectly crispy tater tot crust!
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE turning on my oven in the chilly fall and winter months!
Whether it’s oven-roasting Crispy Za’atar Roasted Potatoes, baking some bread or muffins, or making The Best Italian Meatballs, there is something satisfying and cozy about a warm kitchen where something good is going to come out of the oven!
To make Tater Tot Chili Casserole, I adapted my Perfect Steak Chili recipe (shown below) to make it a littler simpler and casserole-ready.
Ingredients needed to make this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Garlic
- Bell pepper
- Jalapeno
- Spices
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Tomato sauce
- Canned beans
- Beef broth
- Shredded cheese
- Tater tots
How to make Tater Tot Chili Casserole
- Follow the instructions on the recipe card to make the chili, then add it to a casserole dish (a 2.5 quart casserole dish is shown in these pictures).
2. Add the shredded cheese and frozen tater tots. Bake it in the oven until golden and bubbly and that’s it!
3. Feel free to top with your favorite chili toppings. (full instructions below)
Topping ideas for this tater tot casserole:
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheese
- Sliced scallions
- Hot Sauce
- Diced onion
- Pickled jalapeno slices
How to store chili casserole?
Once cooled, store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
You can microwave the leftovers, but the tater tots will not be crisp.
You’ll need to bake it in the oven at 400 until heated through and the tater tots get crisp on top.
Looking for another chili recipe?
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili (shown below) is a wonderful, hands-off meal made with cream cheese, chicken, tomatoes, black beans, aromatics, and spices.
- Slow Cooker Spicy Chipotle Chicken Chili is great for those that like a little kick in their white chili! Canned chipotles in adobo add a lot of flavor and heat to this recipe!
NOTES:
- The amount of tater tots you’ll need will depend on how large your casserole dish is. I used 56 tater tots for the 2.5 quart casserole dish shown in the pictures, and there were plenty of tater tots left in the bag when I was done.
- I recommend using a very lean ground beef for this recipe. I use 93% lean so that there is barely any grease to drain after cooking.
- If you can find fire-roasted canned tomatoes, those are the best! They add another element of flavor to the chili.
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Tater Tot Chili Casserole
Equipment
- 2.5 qt. casserole dish
- large pan or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef I like to use extra lean
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeno minced
- 1/2 tbsp. cumin
- 1/2 tbsp. paprika
- 1/2 tbsp. smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp. chili powder
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- salt & pepper to taste
- 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes undrained
- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
- 15 oz. can pinto beans drained
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 cups shredded cheese cheddar, colby, Mexican blend
- Frozen tater tots amount will vary on size of casserole dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.Add the ground beef, onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeno, and spices to a large pan or medium Dutch oven. Break up the ground beef and cook on medium-high heat until the meat is cooked through and the onion and has softened, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, tomato sauce, pinto beans, and beef broth to the pan and bring to a boil, then simmer with no lid for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for needed salt.
- Spray the casserole dish with cooking spray, then add chili. Top chili with shredded cheese, then place tater tots on top of cheese.
- Bake casserole in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tater tots are golden brown and crispy. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Rate it and let me know in the comments below! ♥
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