My husband is from rural Wisconsin… which means I’ve been introduced to the idea of a tater tot hot dish because of him.
If you’ve never had a tater tot casserole before, it’s exactly what it sounds like! A casserole of choice topped with frozen tater tots and then baked until hot, bubbly, and the potatoes are nice and crispy.
My husband’s go-to meal as a child was tater tot hotdish made with cream of mushroom soup, but in my version, I decided to do a chili cheese casserole. With bean chili on the bottom, cheddar of choice on top, then plenty of crispy frozen tater tots on top!
If you’re looking to add more beans to your family’s diet, then you’ve gotta try this casserole.
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Chili Cheese Tater Tot Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 package ground impossible or beyond meat optional
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes undrained
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 15 ounce can pinto beans drained
- 15 ounce can black beans drained
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup shredded cheese cheddar regular or dairy-free
- Frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the oil, then the Impossible or Beyond (if using), onion, garlic, and bell pepper and cook until tender.
- Add the spices and cook another 30 seconds or so, then add in the canned tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce, pinto beans, black beans, vegetable broth and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until warmed through.
- Taste, adjusting for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.
- Add the chili to the prepared casserole pan and top with the shredded cheese. Place the tater tots on top; how many you use will depend on the size of your casserole dish. I used about 60!
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tater tots are golden brown and crispy. Remove and let cool for five minutes before serving.
Marilyn says
My tots say to cook at 450 degrees. Should I cook the casserole at this temp? Or cook them separately from the casserole then add them to the top after they’re cooked?
Plant-Based Juniors says
You can cook this at 450– but it may not be needed. Really, you are just browning and cooking the tots as the chili is already cooked. My tots were crispy at 400, but you could increase, especially the last 10 minutes or so to get them nice and golden/crispy.