Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole

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!

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