Mexican Tater Tot Casserole
This Mexican Tater Tot Casserole is a quick, easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love made in one pan. It combines two favorites, crispy tater tots and Mexican-inspired flavors, into one delicious casserole that's ready to serve in an hour.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 1 oz packet taco seasoning mix
- 1 16 oz bag frozen fire-roasted corn or corn w/ bell peppers
- 1 12 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 4 oz can diced green chiles (mild or hot)
- 1 12 oz bag shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
- 1 16 oz bag frozen tater tots
- 1 12 oz can enchilada sauce (red or green — your choice)
- ½ teaspoon cumin optional but recommended
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika optional but recommended
Optional Toppings for Serving
- Sour cream or Mexican crema
- Fresh cilantro chopped
- Sliced green onions
- Avocado or guacamole
- Fresh or pickled jalapeños
- Pico de gallo or salsa
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef, onion and garlic until browned (5–7 minutes). Drain if needed.
- Add taco seasoning, corn, black beans, and green chiles to the skillet.
- Stir in cumin and smoked paprika if using. Cook 5-8 minutes until thickened.
- Remove from heat. Stir in 3/4 of the shredded cheese.
- Spread beef mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Pour half of the enchilada sauce over the beef mixture.
- Arrange tater tots in a single layer on top, covering the entire casserole.
- Drizzle remaining enchilada sauce over the tater tots.
- Bake 40–45 minutes, until the tater tots are crispy and casserole is hot and bubbly.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top and bake 5 additional minutes until melted.
Video
Notes
Storage:
Store leftovers in in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat at 350°F until crisped and bubbly, about 15 minutes.
Make this casserole ahead of time and store, unbaked and covered, in the fridge. When ready to serve, allow it to come to room temperature and bake per the recipe instructions.
You can even make this recipe and freeze it, covered in an airtight container for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, simply bring it to room temperature and bake per the instructions, just be sure to add additional baking time when cooking straight from frozen.
Tips:
- Keep Tater Tots Crispy: Allow the tater tots to get crispy and golden before adding the rest of the cheese and other toppings. It's all about that crunch!
- Add In Some Veggies: This is a great recipe to use up any veggies you've got on hand. Bell peppers, mushrooms, even some chopped carrots would all work well.
- Try Hash Browns: Sub in frozen hash browns in place of the tater tots for a different, yet equally as delicious topping. Any variety of potato (cubed and roasted, sweet potatoes, or even mashed) would be tasty.
- Swap the Protein: Ground chicken or turkey would also be delicious for a lighter option than beef.