Tater Tot Hotdish is classic comfort food here in Minnesota. My easy recipe features a creamy ground beef and veggie filling crowned by a glorious topping of crispy, golden tater tots and cheese. Make it with canned soup or withOUT — I share both versions here!
Many years ago, I posted a photo of my homemade Tater Tot Hotdish, with a homemade gravy (unheard of back then!), on Facebook. And I was inundated with requests for my recipe for this classic ground beef casserole. It’s been a hugely popular recipe ever since, and it inspired my Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Hotdish and Taco Tater Tot Hotdish, too!
Important note! I’ve included two ways to make this tater tot hotdish. One is the much more traditional way, using canned soup. And the other — our family’s favorite — features a gravy made from scratch. Don’t worry, it’s also easy to make. And readers agree – it’s SO AWESOME GOOD!
Why My Family ❤️s This Tater Tot Hotdish Recipe
When it comes to Blake’s top meal requests, my homemade Tater Tot Hotdish is a regular. Here’s why we love it:
- Nostalgic comfort food. There are times when you just need a little down-home comfort on a plate — the kind of food you grew up eating, that makes you feel cozy and cared for. Tater tot hot dish is exactly that.
- Made from scratch. Our whole family agrees that the homemade gravy in my tater tot hotdish recipe is superior to the canned version. It’s perfectly creamy, less oddly gelatinous than the canned soup version, with a cleaner, richer flavor. (But I will not be offended if you’re a traditionalist and want to use canned soup!)
- A complete meal in a single dish. Hotdish is basically Minnesotan for “casserole.” It’s a well-rounded meal consisting of meat (usually ground beef, but also chicken, turkey, or tuna), carbs (usually pasta, potatoes, or rice), and veggies (canned or frozen), cooked all together in one big vessel.
“FIVE STARS! I was born and raised in Minnesota so I’ve eaten a lot of tater tot hot dish in my day. This one, with the homemade gravy, is BY FAR the best I’ve ever had!”
Jane H
What You’ll Need
Let’s get to it! Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make tater tot hotdish from scratch. Scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient amounts – and the traditional canned soup version!
- Ground beef – This adds protein and rich flavor, and cooks up quick and easy.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter.
- Onion, mushrooms, and garlic – Yellow onion, simple button mushrooms, and a good amount of garlic add delicious flavor.
- Flour – A little all-purpose flour thickens the gravy.
- Soy sauce – This adds umami and wonderful depth of flavor.
- Hot sauce – I added hot sauce once and Blake told me to keep it in the recipe. It doesn’t make the hotdish “hot”; it only adds a little more flavor. You can adjust the amount, or leave it out completely. (Try my Kicked-Up Tater Tot Hotdish for a spicy version.)
- Worcestershire sauce – Another great way to add umami and complexity — the best gravies are all about that umami flavor.
- Milk – Whole milk makes this hot dish perfectly rich and creamy without being too heavy.
- Sour cream – This also adds richness, and a bit of tang too.
- Salt & pepper – I like to go heavy on the black pepper. Always freshly ground!
- Herbs – Fresh parsley and thyme punch up the flavor. Use dried herbs in a pinch, at half the amount.
- Frozen vegetables – I use a mix of corn, carrots, green beans, and peas.
- Tater tots – The best part! They bake up browned and crispy, the perfect foil to the creamy filling.
- Cheddar – Our family prefers sharp cheddar, which is aged longer than mild (which means it’s more flavorful). Shred this yourself for the meltiest results.
How to Make Tater Tot Hotdish
Below, I’m sharing a quick overview of how to make the from-scratch version of tater tot hotdish. Scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions and the instructions for the canned soup version.
- Brown the beef. Cook it in a cast iron skillet set over medium or medium-high heat, breaking the beef up as it cooks. Transfer it to a plate with a slotted spoon and leave about 2 tablespoons of beef fat in the skillet.
- Cook the onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Drop 2 tablespoons of butter into the skillet and let the butter melt over medium heat. Stir in the onions, mushrooms, and garlic, and cook until they’re softened.
- Thicken. Push the mushroom/onion/garlic mixture to the side of the skillet. Add the remaining butter, then sprinkle flour over the top while whisking constantly. Cook for a minute or two, or until the flour browns a bit.
- Create the gravy. Whisk in the soy sauce, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Then slowly whisk in the milk.
- Finish the gravy. Stir the cooked beef into the gravy, followed by the sour cream, herbs, and frozen veggies. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.
- Add the tots. Place the frozen tater tots on top.
- Bake, broil, and add cheese. Place skillet back in the oven at 350°F for 20 minutes, then broil to brown the tater tots to your liking. Add the cheese and some grinds of black pepper, then cook at 350°F for 6 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the gravy is bubbling. (Turn the broiler on again if you’d like to brown the cheese.)
- Serve. Garnish with the remaining fresh herbs and serve hot.
Tips & Variations
Here are some pointers for tater tot hotdish perfection.
- Add the milk slowly. Stream in the milk slowly while whisking briskly to incorporate everything easily into a smooth gravy.
- Brown the tater tots. Definitely broil the tater tots to crisp them up and make them thoroughly hot, before adding the cheese.
- Make it in a casserole dish. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet (or another oven-safe skillet), you can cook the gravy and filling in a skillet on the stovetop, then transfer it to a casserole dish and add the tater tots on top. Coat the casserole dish in cooking spray since it won’t have that natural nonstick coating that a well-seasoned cast iron skillet has.
- Switch up the soup. Cream of mushroom soup (or “Lutheran binder” as it’s lovingly called here in Minnesota, since it’s a featured ingredient in so many church potluck dishes) isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. If you opt for the canned soup version, but want to try something different, cream of chicken and cream of celery soup will also work.
Serving Suggestions
Now please be kind and don’t judge. But I always, always, always eat my tater tot hotdish with ketchup. It just seems natural with all those awesome crispy tater tots for dippin’.
To pair your hotdish with a side, I suggest a simple salad like my Cucumber Salad or fresh greens with homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing. You could also serve Rhodes Rolls to swipe up every last bit of that dreamy gravy!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Transfer cooled leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm up leftovers in a 350ºF oven until heated through (the amount of time needed will depend on the amount you’re warming up) or use the microwave for individual portions.
More Reader Favorite Casserole Recipes
Tater Tot Hotdish
Yield: 8 servings
Tater Tot Hotdish is classic comfort food here in Minnesota. My easy recipe features a creamy ground beef and veggie filling crowned by a glorious topping of crispy, golden tater tots and cheese. Make it with or withOUT canned soup — I share both versions here!
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Ingredients
Recipe #1 – tater tot hotdish with homemade gravy:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 8 ounces chopped fresh button mushrooms
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups whole milk
- ¼ cup full-fat sour cream
- Morton kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I like to add quite a bit!)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
- 16 ounces frozen mixed vegetables (I like to use a mix of corn, carrots, green beans, and peas.)
- 2 pounds frozen tator tots
- 8 ounces block sharp cheddar, shredded
Recipe #2 – tater tot hotdish with canned soup:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans (10 ounces each) Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup (I prefer the regular soup for this, not reduced fat or reduced sodium)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Frank’s RedHot Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup full-fat sour cream
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
- Morton kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 16 ounces frozen mixed vegetables (I like to use a mix of corn, carrots, green beans, and peas.)
- 2 pounds frozen tator tots
- 8 ounces block sharp cheddar, shredded
Instructions
Recipe #1 – tater tot hotdish with homemade gravy:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a 12" cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat, brown the beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Once browned, remove beef to a plate with a slotted spoon. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the beef fat from the skillet and adjust heat to medium.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the beef fat in the skillet. Once butter is melted, add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic, and stir to incorporate. Cook until onions are transparent and mushrooms are nicely softened, about 6-10 minutes.
- Now slide everything in the skillet to one side. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to other side of skillet. When the butter is melted, sprinkle the flour over the butter, whisking all the while (a flat whisk works great for this). Draw as much butter, beef fat, and juices from the vegetables as you can, into the flour. Cook for a 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling and slightly browned.
- Add soy sauce, Frank's Red Hot Sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to the gravy side of the pan. Whisk and cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly add the milk to the gravy side, while you whisk and scrape the bottom of the skillet. Once this mixture is smoothed out, bring the mushroom mixture into the milk mixture, and then add the reserved cooked beef. Stir to incorporate. Cook until thickened, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in sour cream, 1 tablespoon of the parsley and 1 tablespoon of the thyme. Next add the frozen vegetables and stir to incorporate. Spread mixture into an even layer in the skillet. Then top with frozen tater tots.
- Place skillet in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes. Move skillet up a bit higher in the oven and broil until tater tots are nicely browned – this can take up to 10 minutes, depending on your broiler. Remove skillet from oven and sprinkle tater tots with cheese and freshly ground black pepper. Adjust oven back to 350°F and place skillet back in the oven (not under the broiler) and cook for an additional 6-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and gravy is bubbling. If desired, place skillet underneath the broiler for a few more minutes to brown the cheese just a bit. Remove skillet from oven.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Serve hot. I like to eat mine with ketchup and/or Frank's Red Hot Sauce.
Recipe #2 – tater tot hotdish with canned soup:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a 12" cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat, brown the beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Once browned, remove beef to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- Discard beef fat and then add butter to the pan. Once butter is melted, add the onion and garlic. Stir to incorporate. Cook until the onions are transparent and nicely softened, about 6-10 minutes.
- Add cream of mushroom soup, soy sauce, Frank's RedHot Sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, stirring to fully incorporate.
- Fold beef into the mixture and then cook until it is warmed and bubbling, stirring regularly. Add sour cream, half of the parsley and thyme, and the salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate. Then stir in the frozen vegetables. Spread mixture into an even layer in the skillet. Then top with frozen tater tots.
- Place skillet in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes. Move skillet up a bit higher in the oven and broil until tater tots are nicely browned – this can take up to 10 minutes, depending on your broiler. Remove skillet from oven and sprinkle tater tots with cheese and freshly ground black pepper. Adjust oven back to 350°F and place skillet back in the oven (not under the broiler) and cook for an additional 6-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and gravy is bubbling. If desired, place skillet underneath the broiler for a few more minutes to brown the cheese just a bit. Remove skillet from oven.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Serve hot. I like to eat mine with ketchup and/or Frank's Red Hot Sauce.
Video
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 600kcal Carbohydrates: 26g Protein: 31g Fat: 41g Saturated Fat: 20g Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 116mg Sodium: 800mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
This post was originally published in 2014, then updated in 2025.
I LOVED this version without the canned soups and the added flavor – so yummy! My daughter is going to make it with canned soup this time and I expect it’ll be just as good
So glad you liked this recipe, Miranda – thanks for coming back here to let me know and to rate the recipe! :)
I make this every year for Thanksgiving. I actually make it vegan. It’s really very delicious!
Tator tot casserole
My wife and I made this tonight this was quick quick to make . We used 12 inch skillet as directed. Added chopped celery for some crunch and texture. And can of cream of mushroom soup. Thank you for the recipe this was so flavorful , really good and hearty. John and Barb
I’m definitely going to try the homemade sauce version. In our family we call it tator tot casserole.
Made this yesterday. I don’t have a cast iron pan, so had to adapt. I baked it in a 9×13 for 50 minutes, put some cheese on and baked for 5 minutes more. It’s a winner. Thank you!
This is my go to we have this meal every two weeks or so because it’s that good! I don’t make any changes to the recipe besides using zucchini instead of mushrooms(for the homemade soup one) we aren’t huge fans of mushrooms but the zucchini is the perfect substitute!! Thank you for showing me another way to make tater tot casserole healthier and even tastier! We really try to avoid boxed anything, recipes like this help a lot! Thank you ❤️❤️
Thanks for this! I’m looking for food to go with a wine club with the theme “yay, we don’t have to boycott goods from the United States any more!”. We’re featuring wines from traditionally blue states, and I was looking for fun recipes that I have never heard of. Tater tot hotdish sounds delicious! And fun!
This was so delicious! I’m a Colorado girl who has never had a hot dish. We just got back in town and I didn’t want to do a big grocery shop so I looked for recipes with items I had in my freezer. I had milk and sour cream, and the homemade gravy was so delicious! This definitely hit the spot and I will for sure be making this again.
FIVE STARS! I was born and raised in Minnesota so I’ve eaten a lot of tater tot hot dish in my day. This one, with the homemade gravy, is BY FAR the best I’ve ever had!
Thanks for sharing Made it today with things I had in house: rotisserie chicken, cream of celery, cream of chicken, can of corn, can of string beans, jack, cheddar. sc, celery, onion, etc. I liked it and will make again with a couple of changes. Will precook tots for 10 mins and buy good soy sauce, used Walmart brand which left a slight aftertaste. Peppered it up real good
Hello from Minnesota where we know a great hotdish when we taste one…. This may be the best ever, in my humble opinion. I dont like using canned soup, and the delicious sauce you concocted made for a far superior dish. I found this recipe searching for freezer meal ideas for my college kiddo. She hates mushrooms so I sautéed chopped red pepper with the garlic and onions instead, and for frozen veggies used her faves – corn and peas. Put it into two smaller dishes, one for dinner and one for the freezer. YUMMM! Very delicious, flexible recipe that will definitely go into my Comfort Food rotation. Thank you!
I have NEVER commented on a recipe I found on Pinterest, until this one. OMyGosh. This was SOOOOO good.
My 16 year old ate half the pan. I subbed lactose free half and half for the milk, because it was either that or skim milk and it was so creamy and delish.
Thank you for sharing this!
(Would post photos if I could figure out how to attach)
I’m so happy to hear that you loved this recipe!!! Thank you for coming back to let me know. :)
The homemade gravy recipe is by far the best tater tot hotdish ever. I pre-bake the tater tots for a bit first, it ensures they will be crispy when its done. Awesome, Thank You!
YAY!!!! I LOVE to hear this. :)
Great recipe. We are two states over in Wisconsin, but like you we love our winter hot dishes! I have made similar things before, but the mix of spices, the specific suggestion about using the broiler to brown the tater tots, and the addition of a sprinkle of cheese definitely upped my game! Thank you!
I do have one picky eater that doesn’t like the frozen vegetables. Do you think I would need to adjust the spices if I substituted fresh mushrooms for the veggies?
Keep dabbling!
Hi Gordon! Then we’re actually neighbors. I grew up in SD, but currently live in MN (and only a few miles from the WI border!). With vegetable substitutions, I would not alter any of the other flavorings. Enjoy!
Can one use fresh vegetables vs frozen?
Hi Lindsay – I’m sure that would work, but I have not experimented with cook times. I would think that some vegetables might need to be at least partially cooked before adding them to the hotdish.