The Best Beefy Bacon Tater Tot Casserole

December 25, 2021

Here on the ranch, Christmas is our absolute favorite time of year, but it’s also one of our busiest. That’s why it’s nice to have a collection of one-pot meal recipes that come together in a snap and satisfy the whole family. One of our best weeknight dinner entrees is this Beefy Bacon Tater Tot Casserole. It’s a real Texas favorite!

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 65 minutes

Yield: 4 – 6 servings

Over the last few years, tater tot casseroles have gained in popularity, and for good reason. If you’ve never tried one, they may just be the answer to all your busy night blues. They’re easy to prepare, inexpensive to make, and best of all, you can customize them to your family’s taste. 

Our favorite version puts a spicy Texas spin on the classic by adding sliced jalapeños, smokey bacon, and Premium Quality Texas Ground Beef. It’s grass-fed, grain-finished, and always hormone and steroid-free.

Here’s What You’ll Need for Tater Tot Casserole

During the holidays, no one has time to make a meal with a million ingredients. That’s why we made our Beefy Bacon Tater Tot Casserole recipe so simple. In fact, you probably already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 lb Premium Quality Texas Ground Beef
• 1 lb thick-cut bacon
• 32oz package of frozen tater tots
• 12oz package of frozen veggies (your choice) 
• 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 10oz can condensed cheddar cheese soup
• 1 10oz can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large onion diced
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 cup pickled jalapeño slices

For the veggies, we use peas, carrots, and broccoli, but feel free to use whatever your family likes best. And the same goes for the cheese. We typically use sharp cheddar, but you can experiment with whatever you want. Try Monterey jack, pepper jack, or Colby. Yum!

How to Make Tater Tot Casserole

Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients, the steps for making our Beefy Bacon Tater Tot Casserole are easy. In many recipes you’ll see the layering of ingredients with the meat, then the soup, then the tater tots but who has time for all that? We just dump everything into a casserole dish and bake it! Here’s what you need to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In a large skillet cook your bacon until crisp and set aside on a paper towel. Leave the grease in the pan to add flavor to the next step.

3. In the same skillet, brown your Premium Quality Texas Ground Beef and the diced onion. 

4. When the beef is almost done drain off any excess grease and add in the Worchester sauce, jalapeño slices, oregano, and chili powder. Finish cooking the meat.

5. While the beef is cooling, crumble the bacon and mix it into the beef.

6. Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Add in the beef mixture and all the remaining ingredients except for the tater tots and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Mix together thoroughly and spread out evenly in the dish.

7. Layer the tater tots over the top of the mixture in rows. Cover the entire surface of the casserole.

8. Bake on the middle rack for 45 to 50 minutes or until the tater tots are golden brown.

9. Once the tots are brown and the center of the Beefy Bacon Tater Tot Casserole is hot, remove from the oven and top with the remaining cup of shredded cheese. Return to oven until melted (about five minutes).

/If you’re really busy, you might be tempted to turn your oven to a higher temperature, but it really is best to stick with 350 degrees. Don’t worry, after 50 minutes the casserole will be bubbly delicious and the tater tots perfectly brown and crispy. Any faster and you’ll burn the tots and the center of the dish will be cold. 

Check us out! We offer grass-fed, grain-finished, sustainably raised bulk beef and Premium Quality custom beef boxes. Each one is chock-full of all your favorite cuts. We also have tons of Texas Beef Company merchandise. Show the world that you Eat Better Beef!