With ground beef, mixed veggies, and those cute little ‘taters- this healthy tater tot casserole makes a tasty dinner any night of the week!
Not only are tater tots fun to say, they are also delicious to eat! If you’re never heard of this comfort food casserole, now is your chance to give it a try!
The most famous recipe likely comes from The Duggar Family. Well known for creating large meals on a budget- their version features ground meat, canned cream soup, and evaporated milk. Not a green vegetable in sight. Plus, the tot-to-meat ratio is crazy! Only two pounds of meat for 3 bags of tots! Do they know there are like 10 servings in a bag of tater tots?!? Other recipes may feature canned green beans or maybe a chopped pepper; but, that’s usually it! I mean…I guess they’re counting the tots as a veggie?!? Isn’t the point of a casserole to make the whole meal in one dish?!? Are they adding a side of veggies?
Here it is- The Duggar Family Tater Tot Casserole.
Oh, and most take 50 minutes or more to bake! What??? Why?!? Tater tots don’t take that long to bake and everything else in the dish is already cooked!
My version features mixed veggies, along with the standard meat and tots. Instead of a creamed soup, I chose to add beef broth for flavor. You could also create a homemade roux (cream sauce with butter, flour, and broth and/or milk) or use a low-sodium cream soup. Simply top with tots and some cheese. Then, pop in the oven for only 30 minutes and dinner is done.
Liquid on the Bottom
So, this is the down side when adding veggies…there will be some liquid on the bottom of this casserole. And then, I added broth for flavor… Anyways, some of the liquid will re-absorb as it cools. If you’re really not a fan, here are some things you can do.
- Don’t add broth.
- Create your own roux- a basic cream sauce.
- Add a low-sodium, creamed soup.
- Add corn starch to the veggie mixture before layering and baking.
- Just accept it and move on! Healthier isn’t always prettier.
- This dish is still absolutely delish!
Ingredients in Healthy Tater Tot Casserole
Frozen Tater Tots
Frozen Mixed Veggies
Ground Meat- beef, turkey, or chicken
Olive Oil
Beef Broth
Shredded Cheese
How can you make frozen tater tots crispy in the oven?
Potatoes are delicious in almost every form, but mushy is just not potatoes’ best look. Set the oven to 425 degrees and bake for about 20 minutes. You could also set the oven to broil for the last few minutes of baking time.
60 minutes
Healthy Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 24 oz. frozen vegetables (I used a petite bean blend)
- 1 c. frozen corn
- Salt and pepper
- 2 lbs. ground meat- beef, turkey, or chicken
- 1 c. low-sodium beef broth
- 32 oz. frozen tater tots
- 1 c. cheese, shredded
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat 2-3 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the frozen vegetables for 6-8 minutes. Add the corn during the last 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove vegetables from the pan and set aside.
- In the same skillet, brown the ground meat. If using chicken or turkey, heat 2-3 Tbsp. of olive oil. For beef, you can omit the oil. Then, add meat to the hot skillet and break into large pieces. Let the meat brown without moving it for 4-5 minutes. Then, use a spatula to break the meat into smaller pieces and continue cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Ground meat is cooked when it is no longer pink.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Layer the sautéed vegetables and browned meat in a greased baking dish. Next, pour beef broth over the meat. Cover the top with tater tots. Then, sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.