I have never cared for tater tot casserole. (my mom taught me to say I don't care for something, rather than I hate it. 😉 ) But somewhere in the early years of our marriage, I found this recipe for pizza tater tot casserole, and I liked it! No cream of mushroom soup - just ground beef, pizza sauce and other pizza toppings, covered with cheese and tater tots!
Super easy and fast, this is a great recipe to keep in your file for those days when you just don't know what else to make with ground beef again! 😀 It is also easy for teens to make. I am in the stage of life where I want lots of simple recipes that my older kids can make.
Brown the ground beef, drain. Add pizza sauce, green pepper, pepperoni, (and mushrooms, if desired). Stir together and place in a 9x13 pan, or 2 quart casserole dish. I used a 12" cast iron skillet. Sprinkle with 2 cups shredded cheese, and top with tater tots. (frozen is fine) Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or till tater tots are heated through, and cheese is melted. Serve with a salad and bread.
I am always on the look out for new, but still simple, beef recipes! This pizza tater tot casserole fits the bill perfectly. I like to keep a bag of tots in my freezer for this quick meal. You know how it is - you are planning to serve leftovers, when you get the call at 11 am that there's half a dozen hungry cowboys to feed, instead of one! 😀
Don't tell anyone, but I kind of like those last minute surprises! I am less stressed because I know they weren't expecting anything. So, I pull out anything I can find, and they like it just fine!
Pizza Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 24 oz can pizza/pasta sauce or about 2.5 cups
- 1 cup pepperoni cut in half
- 1/2 green pepper diced (optional)
- 1/2 cup mushrooms chopped (optional)
- 2 cups shredded cheese cheddar or pizza blend
- 1 bag frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef, drain.
- Add green pepper, mushrooms, pepperoni, and pizza sauce, stir.
- Spread in a 9x13 pan
- Sprinkle cheese over the meat mixture.
- Top with tater tots.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350* for 30 minutes or till heated through.
Nutrition
Yummy! Will be making again soon ??. The only thing I would change for next time is to make the tater tots separately and then add them on top when the casserole is done because the tots weren't as crispy as the should've been.??
Absolutely delicious! My family loved it. The only thing I did differently was to let the casserole sit under the broiler for a couple of minutes to let the tots get nice and crispy.