Busy Night Tater Tot Taco Casserole recipe

This delicious tater tot casserole is perfect for busy nights! It’s an easy taco casserole with ground beef. The taco-seasoned beef is cooked between layers of Grown In Idaho Super Crispy Tots and topped with your favorite taco toppings in this family-friendly Mexican casserole with tater tots dinner. If you need more easy recipe ideas for the busy back-to-school season, or are looking for tater tot taco casserole recipes, this easy tater tot taco casserole recipe is for you! Keep reading for tips and step-by-step photos for making this taco bake with tater tots, or if you’re ready to get cooking, click the Jump to Recipe button above to go directly to the easy taco casserole recipe with tater tots.

More tater tot recipes like this tater tot casserole

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• Tater Tot Mini Cheeseburger Bites recipe
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More busy night recipe ideas this easy tater tot taco casserole

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• Easy One-Pot Pasta Primavera recipe

what you need to make this taco bake with tater tots

To make this easy taco casserole with ground beef, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 1 (28-ounce) bag frozen Grown In Idaho Super Crispy Tots. Grown In Idaho is my go-to for frozen potatoes. Not only are they made with 100% real Idaho-grown potatoes, the super crispy texture can’t be beat, whether you’re eating the tots or fries on their own, or baked into recipes like this Mexican casserole with tater tots. They’re legitamately the only brand of frozen potatoes I buy when using in recipes.
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 (16-ounce) jars chunky salsa
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• Sour cream
• Optional:
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Chopped tomatoes
  • Chopped red onion
  • Chopped avocado
  • Sliced black olives
  • Any of your other favorite taco toppings! If you like it on tacos, you’ll like it on this tater tot casserole.

How to make this Mexican casserole with tater tots

To make this taco bake with tater tots, start by preheating the oven to 425°F. Spread a bag of tater tots evenly in the bottom of a 9”x13” baking dish. Bake the tots in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time.

While the tater tots are baking, brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to crumble the beef. Sauté until the beef has browned completely (this will take about 7-8 minutes). Drain any excess grease from the pan, then stir in the taco seasoning and water. Remove from heat and stir in the salsa and black beans.

Now is when we assemble the tater tot taco casserole recipe! Remove the baking dish from the oven and remove half the tater tots to a plate. Spread the remaining tots in a single layer in the baking dish, then top with half the beef mixture, followed by half the shredded cheese. Spread the reserved tots evenly over the cheese, then layer with the remaining beef mixture and cheese. Return the taco casserole with tater tots to the oven to bake for 10-15 more minutes, or until the tots are super crispy, the cheese is melted, and the sauce is bubbling.

Top the easy taco casserole with chopped cilantro.

Serve the tater tot casserole with a dollop of sour cream, and if desired, your favorite taco toppings, such as shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onion, avocado, and black olives. My rule of thumb is that if the topping is good in a taco, then it will be good on this easy tater tot taco casserole recipe.

Here’s the taco casserole recipe with tater tots! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do, and look for Grown In Idaho Super Crispy Tots in the freezer aisle of your grocery store.