This family favorite, kid-friendly bacon cheeseburger tater tot casserole has all the fun flavors of a bacon cheeseburger in casserole form. It can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen for later.
Casseroles are such dependable big meals for families or for having leftovers for days so you can be lazy throughout the week. We’ve enjoyed meatball pasta bake, sour cream beef noodle casserole, spinach and artichoke ravioli bake and a chicken Alfredo pasta bake for other warm and comforting big meals.
This bacon cheeseburger tater tot casserole is a fun one, with all the flavors of a bacon cheeseburger like hamburger, crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese in casserole form with crispy tater tots. It’s sure to become a family favorite and is so versatile, it can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen for later. And it can be as customized or as easy as you like. Let’s start cooking!
BACON CHEESEBURGER TATER TOT CASSEROLE RECIPE TIPS
Prep in advance – To make this in advance, cover and refrigerate overnight. Let it sit at room temperature on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking the next day. Depending on your oven, you may have to increase cooking time by 5-10 minutes.
Add more flavor – Add more flavor to the beef mix with onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, peppers, or mushrooms. You can also use onion and garlic powder instead of fresh onions and garlic. To add some heat, try red pepper flakes, chili powder or a pinch of cayenne.
Soup – You can substitute onion soup with cream of mushroom, cheese, or cream of bacon. Pick your favorite!
Mustard – I used Dijon mustard but any kind of mustard works.
Tater tots – I used one bag of Ore-Ida golden tater tots for this recipe. You don’t need to pre-cook them and can use the tater tots straight from frozen, just let them thaw a little while you’re cooking the ground beef so it’s easier to separate the tots when assembling the casserole.
Bacon – I used regular bacon but thick-cut bacon would also be perfect for this casserole. 4-6 rashers of bacon are about one cup of coarsely chopped bacon. If you’re using bacon bits, go for 1/4 cup since they’re smaller and denser. If you’re in a pinch for time, you could also use real bacon bits instead of cooking the bacon yourself.
Cheese – I used sharp cheddar but you can also use a cheddar mix or a cheddar melt. If you want a completely smothered cheesy top layer, skip the cheese layer in the middle and use all two cups on the top. When reheating, if you want a fresh cheddar layer, just sprinkle some fresh cheese on top and microwave or bake the leftovers.
Garnish – You can sprinkle some fresh chopped green onions or parsley for a garnish.
Leftovers – These keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave or oven.
And that’s about it. Enjoy your baon cheeseburger casserole and happy eating!
MORE KID-FRIENDLY RECIPES TO TRY
- Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
- Meatball Pasta Bake
- Slow Cooker Beef and Cheese Pasta
- Oven-Baked Chicken Strips
- Sour Cream Beef Noodle Casserole
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Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
This family favorite, kid-friendly bacon cheeseburger tater tot casserole has all the fun flavors of a bacon cheeseburger in casserole form.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 can (10.5 oz.) condensed cream of onion soup (see tips for substitutions)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 (32-oz.) package frozen tater tots
- 4–6 slices (about 1 cup) cooked bacon, roughly chopped / 1/4 cup bacon bits
- 2 cups (8 oz.) cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Over medium-high heat brown the ground beef in a skillet, breaking up any clumps. Drain any excess grease from the pan.
- Add in soup, sour cream, smoked paprika, mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix well.
- In a 9×13 casserole dish, arrange half the tater tots in a single layer.
- Add all the beef mixture for the second layer and top with half of the chopped bacon.
- Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese, top with remaining tater tots and finish with the remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
- Bake uncovered at 350°F for 40-45 minutes or until cheese has melted and tater tots are golden brown.
- Top with remaining 1/2 cup bacon and dish and serve hot.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Scroll up for useful recipe tips, suggestions and substitutions.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
Comments & Reviews
I love this recipe! I’ve made it several times and it’s a hit at my house!
Hey made this recipe for a lunch special it was a hit,thank you so much.
You’re very welcome and thanks for trying out the casserole, Shannon! I’m glad everyone liked it 🙂
Such a family favorite! My young children loved it. It has such good flavor. We’ve made it a staple in our recipe bank.
We substitute whatever cream of soup we have on hand, which is usually mushroom.
Hey Jackie! Thank you for being the first to comment and for trying out this recipe! I was a little let down by how seemingly unpopular it is but I’m so glad to hear someone out there enjoys it AND that it’s a staple❤️