Our yummy Mexican tater tot casserole is an easy and hearty meal that your whole family will love!
This delicious taco-inspired tater tot casserole recipe is chock-full of black beans, corn, ground beef and a whole lot of flavor. Oh, did I mention it’s also loaded with cheese? Yep. We definitely have the cheese component covered!
Mexican Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
There’s just something about adding tater tots to a dish that makes it especially fun for the kids. I can remember the first time I told the kids that I’d be making tater tot casserole for dinner. Their eyes lit up with joy.
My little ones love eating those golden tater tots covered in gooey cheese, and I love knowing that they’re getting a warm, filling meal. Casserole recipes are always a good choice when it comes to feeding my crew.
Even better than that my Mexican tater tot casserole recipe is super quick to make. It’s really perfect for those over-scheduled weeknights or weekends when you don’t want to spend a whole lot of extra time in the kitchen.
It seems like easy casserole recipes like this one have sort of slipped out of fashion, but I’m still a fan of meals that you can throw together quickly and satisfy the whole family.
RELATED: Speaking of all things CHEESY, don’t miss my amazing cheesy crock pot potato soup!
Let’s face it, any meal that you make at home beats fast food and you can even get the kids involved in the kitchen to help you put this taco-flavored tater tot casserole together.
In fact, my daughter was on tater-tot duty the last time we made this casserole. I let her add the tater tots to the top of the casserole and she also helped me sprinkle the cheese over the dish toward the end.
The one thing that makes a plate of my Mexican tater tot casserole even better is a big dollop of sour cream on top and some fresh cilantro.
Oh my goodness, SO GOOD!
Are you a fan of easy family dinner recipes made with ground beef? If so, don’t miss my famous old fashioned goulash! :)
More Mexican Inspired Recipes
Mexican Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. 85/15 ground beef
- 1 onion diced ( about ¼ cup)
- 1 packet taco seasoning mix 1 oz.
- 1 can green chiles 4 oz.
- 1 can black beans 15.5 oz. rinsed and drained
- 1 bag frozen corn 14.4 oz.
- 1 can red enchilada sauce 10 oz.
- 3 cups shredded cheddar & Monterey jack cheese off the block, divided
- 4 cups frozen tater tots
- Cilantro optional garnish
- Sour cream optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add the ground beef and the onion to a 12-inch skillet, brown meat until thoroughly cooked. Drain off excess fat and return to skillet. Add the seasoning packet, green chiles, black beans, frozen corn and the enchilada sauce to the meat and onion, stir until combined. Over medium heat cook another 8 to 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of shredded cheese to the meat mixture and stir until blended. Pour into the baking dish and spread evenly. Place the tater tots evenly over top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven, add the remaining cup of cheese over the top. Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with cilantro and top with sour cream!
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I substituted the corn for golden hominy. This was a great recipe I made for my grandkids
So good! My husband had me print it and file it in the “definitely make again” section of our recipe book.
Quick question about the portion size and nutritional information: how much is a bowl in ounces, grams or cups? And how do you calculate the nutritional information in your recipes?
Seriously a flavorful, hits-the-spot dish. Perfect for cold days and uses stuff that you most likely already have.
I came across this recipe a few years ago. It’s not something I normally make, but I tried it anyway. So thankful I did!! We substitute beefless crumbles for a vegetarian option.
This dish has also become a staple for my freezer meals, and is my go-to for anyone who has had a new baby or is in quarantine.
Thank you for posting!! This recipe has been a game changer.
I added chorizo and chopped jalapeño and omitted the corn. Was amazing. Could eat the filling alone too or a Mexican version of chili beans. So yummy.
This recipe is a family favorite! We don’t eat meat so rather than ground beef, I use lentils and it tastes amazing! I also add a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast for added nutrition. Delicious!
Has anyone made this without the enchilada sauce, maybe a cheese sauce?
Just wondering if anyone has used something a little more “Mexican” for the topping than tater tots? I LOVED the recipe and it was good, but my family was wondering if we could use tortillas strips or something else on top to continue that theme?
Try Rachel Ray’s Mexican lasagna. You’ll love it!!
Looking forward to trying this! Do you have to de thaw the tater tots first or can you put them in the oven frozen straight from the bag?
If you “de thaw” they are frozen
You do not have to thaw them. I usually cook for 30-45 minutes and then broil them for a few inches if they aren’t crispy enough.
We love this, hubby is a HUGE fan of tater tots, when we went to visit his daughter, who grew up on his ordinary tater tot casserole, he had me make it for her & her husband. They loved as well. I found I can do my mushroom trick on this to cut back on the beef & he doesn’t notice it like he usually does. I like to meal prep, So I make a triple batch & stop before adding the cheese. Let it cool & pack it into 3 tubs to freeze. Then to make dinner you only have to thaw a tub, dump in the pan, mix in cheese & top with tater tots & bake. It makes an awesome weeknight meal.