This Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole is the perfect dinner recipe for burger lovers! It’s so easy to make and has all the classic flavors of a delicious bacon cheeseburger. I like to make this casserole for my family often because it comes together quickly and everyone can choose their own toppings.
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From the tender beef, savory bacon, and condiments like ketchup and mustard, every bite is bursting with flavor. The best part is the golden brown tater tots on top which add amazing texture. I love tater tot recipes!
If you like bacon cheeseburger-inspired recipes, you will love Bacon Cheeseburger Pie and Cheeseburger Egg Rolls with Bacon.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s great for making ahead of time: This is one of the best casserole recipes to prepare in advance to make meal time quicker and easier.
- It’s easy to customize: Treat this recipe like a real cheeseburger and make adjustments to suit your preferences.
- The leftovers reheat well: I love eating a portion of this for lunch the next day. It reheats well in the oven or microwave.
Ingredients
These are all of the ingredients needed to make one of the best tater tot casserole recipes ever. It utilizes delicious produce, ground beef, and some inexpensive pantry staples to make a family favorite meal.
- Ground beef: You can use ground turkey, pork, or even chicken for this recipe. Pick your favorite variety of ground meat. I like mine to be fairly lean since I don’t drain it.
- Bacon: I cook the bacon and reserve the bacon grease to add to the other ingredients. If you want a shortcut, this is a great opportunity to use any extra bacon you have in the refrigerator or bacon bits.
- Veggies: I add white or yellow onion and fresh jalapeno for heat. Feel free to use onion powder and hot sauce instead if you prefer.
- Worcestershire sauce: I love the umami flavor that you get from Worcestershire sauce. I add just enough for balance so it doesn’t overpower the other ingredients.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is a versatile ingredient that enhances a variety of dishes, including this one. For convenience, try jarred minced garlic or garlic powder. Either will work fine in a pinch.
- Dry onion soup mix: This adds the perfect amount of flavor to the casserole filling without making it taste too salty.
- Condiments: I use ketchup, mustard, and pickle relish to add classic cheeseburger flavors to this casserole.
- Tomatoes: I like to use a drained can of diced tomatoes for this, but feel free to use a large ripe tomato instead if you’ve got one on hand.
- Cheese: I love shredded cheddar for this, but you can use any shredded variety of cheese that you’d like.
- Tater tots: Just grab a bag of tater tots from the frozen aisle of the grocery store.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Pizza: Use pizza sauce instead of ketchup and mustard, and add mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Then, your casserole will taste just like a slice of pizza.
- Taco: Swap the dry onion soup mix for taco seasoning and add salsa instead of ketchup and mustard. Even beans and corn would be great here for a fun taco twist.
- BBQ ranch: Add a smoky BBQ sauce as the condiment and use ranch seasoning for a creative version.
How to Make Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
Here are the instructions on how to make this easy bacon cheeseburger tater tot casserole. Grease your 8x8” or 9x9” baking dish with cooking spray or butter and preheat your oven to 400°F before you get to work.
Step 1: Cook the bacon. Cook the chopped bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes or until it’s perfectly crispy. Set it to the side on paper towels and keep the bacon grease.
Step 2: Brown the beef and onions. Add the ground beef and onions to the same skillet over medium heat. Allow it to cook in the bacon grease until the meat is no longer pink. There’s no need to drain it at this point!
Step 3: Mix in the flour. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until it is well mixed.
Step 4: Stir in the seasonings. Add the Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and dry onion soup mix. Mix it until the meat mixture is fully coated, and then take it off the heat for the next step.
Step 5: Add the remaining filling ingredients. Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese, tomatoes, cooked bacon, ketchup, mustard, relish, and jalapeno to the cooked meat. Ensure it is all well combined so the delicious flavors can come together.
Step 6: Transfer to the baking dish. Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it until it’s nice and even. Then, sprinkle another ½ cup of shredded cheese on top.
Step 7: Add tots. Arrange the tater tots in a single layer on top of the casserole. Pop it into the oven and bake it for 25-30 minutes or until it’s perfectly bubbly and the tater tots are crisp.
Step 8: Add the remaining cheese and bacon. Switch the oven to broil. Then, sprinkle the rest of the cheddar cheese and chopped bacon on top. Place it back into the oven for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is gooey and melty. Allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving with your favorite burger toppings.
Recipe Tips
- Taste the filling for seasoning: Before you transfer the filling to the baking dish, give it a taste test. Add extra of any of the ingredients or salt and pepper to ensure it’s flavored to your liking.
- Don’t overbake the casserole: You don’t want it to become dry, so only bake this tater tot cheeseburger casserole until it’s hot and the tots are golden.
- Rotate the pan for even cooking: If you know that your oven has hot spots, rotate the pan halfway through the cooking process to ensure it heats and browns evenly.
If you love recipes like this easy tater tot casserole, you may also enjoy this Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Place leftovers into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze, cover tightly and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Scoop a portion onto a microwave-safe plate and heat it for 1-2 minutes or until warmed through. You can also place it in the oven at 350° F for 8-10 minutes.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the casserole, cover it tightly with foil, and store it in the baking dish in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking it.
Serving Suggestions
- Some great topping ideas for this cheeseburger casserole are these zesty horseradish pickles and honey mustard mayo. You can also use sweet pickles if you prefer!
- I love the brightness and tangy flavor of old fashioned cucumbers with onions in vinegar with this recipe. Spoon some on top or eat it on the side.
- Go with a lighter side dish to pair with this ground beef tater tot casserole like grilled mangoes or cranberry Apple Coleslaw.
Recipe FAQs
I partially thaw them to ensure maximum crispiness, but you can leave them frozen if you’d like. They do not have to be fully thawed before you bake the casserole.
Sure! I leave it because it adds even more bacon flavor, but you can drain it if you prefer. If you need more fat, add a drizzle of olive oil!
Of course! I like to do this so we can have a leftover night or save the extra in the freezer.
More Delicious Casserole Recipes
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section, I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef or other ground meat
- 5 slices bacon chopped, ham works too
- 1 small onion chopped or 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic optional
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons dry onion soup mix about ½ a package, optional
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon pickle relish or 1 diced medium pickle
- 1 jalapeno pepper diced, or hot sauce to taste
- 1 14-ounce can canned diced tomatoes drained, or 1 large ripe tomato, diced
- 2 cups shredded cheese divided, more or less to taste
- 1 28-ounce bag frozen tater tots you will have extra
- butter or cooking spray for greasing
For Serving
- 6 iceberg lettuce leaves
- 1 small tomato
- sliced pickles
- 1 green onion thinly sliced, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Prepare an 8 x 8 inch or 9 x 9 inch deep cake pan lightly coated with cooking spray or butter. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium high heat 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Crumble or dice and set aside. Reserve some bacon to sprinkle on top of casserole, at the end, if desired. Do not discard grease.
- In the same large skillet, with bacon grease, over medium heat, cook ground meat and onion together, stirring occasionally, until meat is no longer pink. Drain if desired and return to skillet, (I never drain it.)
- Sprinkle with flour and stir until flour is absorbed and blended in.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce, pepper, garlic and onion soup mix. Once blended in remove from heat.
- Add 1 cup shredded cheese, canned tomatoes, bacon, ketchup, mustard, and relish and jalapeno. Taste and add salt pepper as needed.
- Spoon mixture into prepared casserole dish and flatten until even and smooth.
- Sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese across the top, if desired.
- Arrange the partially thawed tater tots in an even layer over flattened mixture. A 9 x 9 inch pan will need 63 tots or about ½ of a 2 pound bag.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining bacon and then ½ cup cheese (or add even more) on top of the tater tots.
- Change oven temperature to broil.
- Return pan to the oven for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Let casserole stand for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve with a sprinkling of green onions, pickles and tomatoes on a piece of lettuce or bed of lettuce, if desired.
Notes
- If necessary, rotate your pan halfway through the cooking process to ensure it heats evenly and all of the tater tots are crispy.
- Store leftover casserole in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Prepare the casserole and freeze it tightly covered in plastic wrap for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
This post was originally published February 2016. It's been updated with new content and images.
Katie says
Love easy casseroles like this. We enjoyed it so much we all ate too much. Thank you sharing this tasty recipe. I’m glad when I find recipes that the whole family enjoys. Thx for sharing this.
Karin and Ken says
You’re most welcome. I haven’t met one person that doesn’t like this easy recipe! I try my best. Take care. Karin
Tina says
Such an easy and yummy dinner. Kids and hubby approved. Definitely a keeper. I’m so glad I found your site. Thank you for sharing everything. My family appreciates it. ❤️
Karin and Ken says
Glad everyone enjoyed it! Thank you for your kind words. I try my best. Take care. Karin
Tammy says
This is total comfort food to me. Ground beef cheese and tater tots there’s nothing better lol I will definitely make this easy casserole again. Even the leftovers tasted great. Thx for sharing
Karin and Ken says
Feels like comfort food to me too. We love this easy casserole too. All the best. Karin