Spicy Tater Tot Casserole (Freezer Meal)

Spicy tater tot casserole with ground beef, hot sauce, cheddar cheese, homemade cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, spicy seasoning, and jalapeños to give a nice kick to this family favorite dish.

Tater tot casserole is a classic, savory family casserole many love. It’s perfect for feeding a large crowd and easy to throw together.

I decided to try to put a spicy spin on the hamburger tater tot casserole recipe because my family loves spice.

I added hot sauce to the meat and a layer of jalapenos on top of the cheese. They sure liked it and now I am making it this way every time.

I leave half of the casserole without jalapenos because not everyone in my family likes them, but we all like Frank’s Red Hot sauce in the hamburger.

It gives it a special flavor!

What ingredients are in tater tot casserole?

There are many variations for tater tot casserole.

A traditional tater tot casserole has ground beef, cream of mushroom soup, shredded cheddar cheese, and tater tots.

Spicy Tater Tot Casserole Ingredients

• Frozen Tater Tots
• Ground Beef
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Frank’s Red Hot sauce
• Jalapeños
• Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
• Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup (Recipe is included below!)
• Sour Cream
• Cumin
• Cayenne Pepper
• Black Pepper
• Salt

Variations of Tater Tot Casserole

• Green Beans
• Corn
• Peas
• Onion
• Cream of Chicken Soup in place of Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Ham
• Bacon
• Sausage
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• Garlic

How to Make Spicy Tater Tot Casserole

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes until tater tots are golden brown and cheese is bubbling.

How do you layer spicy tater tot casserole?

From bottom to top:

• Ground Beef + Worcestershire + Salt & Black Pepper
• Cream of Mushroom Soup + Sour Cream + Hot Sauce + Cumin + Cayenne Pepper + Salt & Black Pepper
• Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
• Jalapeños
• Frozen Tater Tots

Can you freeze tater tot casserole?

Yes! If you plan to freeze it, layer it in a casserole dish that you can store airtight.

Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before baking. It can be kept frozen for 3 months.

You can also bake it and then freeze it, and follow the same directions for thawing.

It can be refrigerated for 24 hours before baking.

Try these other great meals!

• 20 Easy Make-Ahead Freezer Meals
• Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms
• Cheesy Potatoes
• Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Creamy Loaded Potato Soup
• Easy Breakfast Casserole with Sausage and Potatoes
• Garlic Parmesan Roasted Carrots
• Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
• Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
• Maid-Rite Copycat Recipe
• Old Chicago’s Italian Nachos Copycat Recipe
• One-Pot Chicken & Rice
• Ratatouille

Enjoy!

Spicy Tater Tot Casserole

Spicy tater tot casserole is baked with layers of seasoned ground beef and hot sauce, cheddar cheese, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, spicy seasoning, and jalapeños to give a nice kick to this family favorite dish.

5 from 4 votes

Print Rate

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 4 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 19 minutes

Servings: 8 Servings

Author: Tiffany

Ingredients

• 30 oz Bag of Frozen Tater Tots
• 2 lb Ground Beef
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire
• 2 tsp Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, or your favorite hot sauce
• 2-3 Jalapenos, sliced or a 16 oz Jar of Sliced Jalapenos
• 2 cups Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
• 8 oz Sour Cream
• ½ tsp Cumin
• ½ tsp Cayenne pepper

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

• 3 tbsp Butter
• 12 oz Sliced Mushrooms
• ¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
• [1 cup Half & Half]
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Black Pepper

Instructions

 

• Spray 13" x 9" casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Brown ground beef in a large pan over medium-high heat for about 7-8 minutes. Drain the grease from the pan. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper. Add the ground beef to the bottom of the 13" x 9" pan and spread evenly.
• To make cream of mushroom soup, melt butter in the same large pan. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Coat mushrooms with flour. While continuously stirring, slowly add half and half until well blended and smooth. Add chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes as it thickens.
• Stir in sour cream, hot sauce, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Pour cream of mushroom soup mixture on top of the ground beef and spread evenly. Add a layer of all the cheddar cheese, followed by jalapenos, and a single layer of frozen tater tots on top.
• Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, until tater tots are golden brown and cheese is bubbling.

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Nutrition

Calories: 781 kcalCarbohydrates: 42 gProtein: 43 gFat: 50 gSaturated Fat: 21 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 23 gTrans Fat: 2 gCholesterol: 160 mgSodium: 1337 mgFiber: 5 gSugar: 6 g