Description
A comforting American-style casserole featuring creamy, savory ground beef mixed with a smooth mushroom sauce, topped with crispy golden tater tots. Perfect for a cozy family dinner or meal prep for a crowd.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef Mixture
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 packet (1 oz) Italian dressing mix
- 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
- 8 oz softened cream cheese
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Topping
- 7 cups frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) so it’s hot and ready for baking the casserole.
- Cook Ground Beef: Toss the ground beef into a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Brown the beef thoroughly, then pour off any excess grease to keep the casserole from being too oily.
- Prepare Sauce: In a bowl, combine the Italian dressing mix, cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, melted butter, and softened cream cheese. Stir until the mixture is smooth and well blended, creating a rich and creamy sauce.
- Mix Beef and Sauce: Transfer the cooked beef to a greased baking pan. Pour the creamy sauce over the beef and gently mix to ensure all the beef is well coated with the sauce.
- Add Tater Tot Topping: Spread the frozen tater tots evenly over the top of the beef mixture, covering it completely so no beef or sauce shows through.
- Bake: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tater tots are crispy and golden brown on top.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the casserole to cool for a minute or two after baking before serving to let it set slightly for easier portioning.
Notes
- For extra flavor, you can sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the tater tots during the last 10 minutes of baking.
- If you prefer, substitute cream of mushroom soup with cream of celery or cream of chicken for a different taste profile.
- Make sure to drain excess grease after browning the beef to prevent a greasy casserole.
- This casserole can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated before baking; just add an extra 5-10 minutes to the cooking time if baking straight from chilled.
- Use lean ground beef to keep the dish from being overly fatty.
