A cheesy, hearty casserole loaded with seasoned ground beef, crispy bacon, melty cheddar, and golden tater tots. Perfect for an easy family dinner!
Author:Lorenzo Bonucci
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:45 minutes
Total Time:About 1 hour
Yield:6–8 servings 1x
Category:Casserole
Method:Baking
Cuisine:American
Diet:None
Ingredients
Scale
500 g ground beef
150 g bacon, chopped
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
120 g cream cheese, softened
120 ml sour cream
120 ml mayonnaise
180 ml milk
200 g shredded cheddar cheese, divided
750 g frozen tater tots
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp yellow mustard
2 tbsp chopped pickles, optional
2 tbsp chopped green onions, for topping
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a 23 × 33 cm baking dish.
Fry the chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about 1 tbsp bacon grease in the skillet.
Add the onion and ground beef to the skillet. Cook until the beef is browned and the onion is tender, breaking the meat apart as it cooks. Drain excess grease.
Add garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir for about 1 minute.
In a bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, ketchup, and mustard until smooth. Stir in 100 g of the shredded cheddar.
Add the cheese mixture to the cooked beef and stir until everything is well combined. Fold in about two-thirds of the cooked bacon and the pickles, if using.
Spread the beef mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese.
Arrange the frozen tater tots in an even layer over the top.
Bake uncovered for 35–45 minutes, or until the tater tots are golden and crispy and the casserole is bubbling around the edges.
Sprinkle the remaining bacon and chopped green onions over the top. Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Optional burger-style toppings include dill pickle slices, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, extra ketchup and mustard, caramelized onions, and pickle relish.