Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole
Easy Mexican slow cooker tater tot casserole recipe, made with simple ingredients. Full of ground beef, salsa, enchilada sauce, beans, corn, cheese.
Why are tater tots so satisfyingly good? I guess you just can’t go wrong with potatoes, but when you add a Mexican twist, this recipe is a must add should be added to your collection. Casseroles are such a fast, easy meal, you will want to check out my Slow Cooker Chicken Broccoli Casserole and Slow Cooker Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole for more great dinner options.
How to make easy slow cooker tater tot casserole recipe without cream of mushroom soup?
- Heat- Oil.
- Cook– Ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and green peppers.
- Drain– Grease.
- Mix in- Black beans, corn, salsa, green chiles, taco seasoning, red enchilada sauce.
- Spread– Meat mixture on the bottom.
- Sprinkle– Cheese on top.
- Arrange– Tater tots on top of cheese.
- Cover- And cook.
- Sprinkle- More cheese on top.
- Cover– And continue cooking.
- Add toppings– And enjoy!
What to serve with cheesy Mexican taco tater tot casserole?
A casserole like this can typically stand on its own without any added sides. However, because this is a Mexican style dish, Slow Cooker Refried Beans or chips and salsa always pair nicely as a side. Of course making, a nice green salad or roasted/steamed vegetables never hurts.
How do you keep tater tots crispy in a casserole?
Put a sheet of paper towel in between the pot and the lid while this casserole is cooking. This helps prevent the condensation from the lid to drip onto the tots and keeps them from getting soggy!
Casserole toppings
- Olives
- Tomatoes
- Green onions
- Corn
- Jalepenos
- Bell peppers
- Cilantro
- Shredded lettuce
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Green yogurt
Variations for tater tot hotdish recipe
Hamburger/Cheeseburger tater tot casserole– Leave out the red enchilada sauce, salsa, black beans, taco seasoning, and green chilis to change this recipe from Mexican to American. Use cheddar cheese instead of the Mexican cheese blend and use a can of condensed cheddar cheese soup to replace the wet ingredients.
Chicken tater tot casserole– Replace the beef with chicken. You can even use my Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken. If you’ve made this in a recent meal, you can also use the leftovers for an extra easy meal.
Vegetarian casserole without meat- Replace beef with soy meat alternatives, crumbled tofu, or just leave it out completely!
Try other cheeses- Such as cheddar, mozerella, or colby jack for different flavor combinations.
Try other beans– I used black beans, but you can try kidney beans, pinto beans, or garbanzo beans to switch things up.
Keep it mild or make it spicy– You can make this dish mild or spicy, depending on your preferred taste. Simply choose which type of salsa and red enchilada sauce that you prefer. If you like extra spice you can also add jalepenos as a topping.
Tips and techniques
Drain grease- Because this decreases the fat content of the recipe but also makes it more appealing and appetizing. You don’t want yellow bubbly grease floating around in the pot making your casserole soupy.
Use leftovers- From Slow Cooker Steak Tacos, Slow Cooker Taco Meat, or Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef in place of ground beef for an even quicker, easier meal.
Avoid soggy tots– Use a paper towel under the lid while the casserole is cooking. This will help to prevent condensation from the lid dripping onto the tater tots and making them soggy-yuck!
Frozen or canned corn? I used frozen corn, because I prefer the texture and taste in this recipe, but you can drain canned corn and use that, too!
Use frozen tater tots- Be sure that your bag of tater tots is frozen. Don’t get them out a head of time to thaw, because they can become too mushy in the pot.
Crumble beef- Make sure that you crumble the beef while it is cooking, because you don’t want large chunks of beef but small pieces spread throughout the meal.
Storage
Fridge- Store in a sealed container for 3 days, then warm up in the microwave.
Freezer- This is not recommended, because the tator tots will not be crispy any more and the cheese will have an odd texture.
More slow cooker casserole recipes
- Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole
- Slow Cooker Yellow Squash Casserole
- Slow Cooker Cauliflower Casserole
- Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1.5 pounds Ground beef
- Salt, To taste
- Pepper, To taste
- 2 cloves Garlic , Finely minced
- 1 cup Onion, Finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Green peppers, Roughly chopped
- 1 can Black beans, 15 oz. can, Drained and Rinsed
- 1 cup Corn , Frozen
- 3/4 cup Salsa, Mild or spicy
- 1 can Chopped green chiles, 4.5 oz. can, Drained
- 1 tbsp Taco seasoning
- 3/4 cup Red enchilada sauce, Mild or spicy
- 1 bag Frozen tater tots, 32 oz. bag
- 2 cups Mexican cheese blend, Shredded, Full fat
- 1-2 tbsp Green onions, Or roughly chopped cilantro, For topping
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat.
- Add ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, green peppers and cook until no longer pink. Be sure to crumble the beef while it's cooking.
- Remove from heat and drain grease.
- Add black beans, corn, salsa, green chiles, taco seasoning, red enchilada sauce and mix until combined.
- Spray oil on the inside of a large slow cooker (6 quart or larger).
- Spread out the meat mixture at the bottom of the crockpot.
- Sprinkle half the cheese on top of the beef mixture.
- Arrange tater tots on top.
- Cover and cook on Low heat for about 3 hours or until tater tots are warmed through.Tip: Put a sheet of paper towel in between the pot and the lid while this casserole is cooking. This helps prevent the condensation from the lid to drip onto the tater tots and keeps them from getting soggy!
- In the final 30 minutes, sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
- Cover and continue cooking on Low heat until cheese is fully melted.
- Add toppings of your choice. I added some finely chopped jalapenos, green onions and extra corn. Enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave.Â
