Barbecue Beef Tater Tot Casserole

This Barbecue Beef Tater Tot Casserole layers savory ground beef tossed in tangy barbecue sauce with melted cheese and crispy tater tots for an easy, hearty family dinner that's packed with comfort food flavor.

Course Beef, Casserole, Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword barbecue-beef-tater-tot-casserole, bbq-tater-tot-casserole, tater-tot-casserole

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Stand time 5

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 690kcal

Author Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

2 lb lean ground beef
1 medium sweet onion chopped
olive oil
1 16 oz bottle barbecue sauce
1 14 oz can Mexican corn with peppers drained
1 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
1 Tbsp barbecue seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 30 oz bag crispy crowns or tater tots
2 green onion thinly sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spritz an 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large skillet on the stovetop cook ground beef and onion in a few drizzles of olive oil. Cook over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Drain any excess fat from the pan.
To the beef add barbecue sauce, corn, tomatoes, barbecue seasoning, salt, pepper and cumin. Mix well, and simmer over medium for 5 minutes. Pour into the dish.
Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese over the filling. Arrange tater tots on top lining the edge of the dish first.
Bake for 25 minutes until the tater tots are crispy and golden. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese in the last 5 minutes of baking.

Notes

Tater Tots - For this dish the tater tots I used are round called crispy crowns. I like the different shape, but you can certainly use regular classic shaped tater tots. We all tend to eat with our eyes first and something as simple as changing the shape really appeals to kids of all ages.
Protein - You could adapt this recipe using ground pork, ground turkey or ground chicken.
Cheese - You can use shredded pepper jack cheese, colby jack cheese or monterey jack cheese.
Best BBQ Sauce to Use - You can use your favorite flavor or brand, of barbecue sauce, and make the filling to your family's taste. My family enjoys a bit of heat, so I used a honey-chipotle barbecue sauce. Use a brand and flavor of barbecue sauce that you enjoy and you'll be good to go. Thick works best.
Garlic Salt - If this isn't something you keep on hand, you can use 1 teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic and plain salt.

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