This is one of my husband’s favorite meals, and thankfully he loves the leftovers. A shredded pepper jack would be a nice option for some added pepper kick. Hello cheesy tots! I love the pairing of a sharp cheddar with potatoes, but use whatever your favorite cheese is. This helps get the tots nice and golden and crispy! Top with shredded cheese, back under the broiler for melting, and you’re ready to dig in! Once the hotdish is bubbly throughout, I turn the oven off and turn the boiler on. In these photos I used mini tots, but any frozen potato round or tot works great. It will save you a dish to wash! Otherwise you would transfer the meat mixture into a 9×13 baking dish prior to adding the tots. If you have an oven safe skillet, like a cast iron skillet use that. I use ground turkey in a lot of things and love it, but this dish is definitely better with red meat. Cook and stir ground beef, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper in the hot skillet until completely browned and crumbly, 7 to 10 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray a 9×13 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray, set aside. I’ve tried it with ground turkey and I’m just not a fan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. My version consists of ground beef (I’ve also used bison or venison), onions, garlic, frozen mixed veggies, corn, cream soups, seasoned salt, pepper, tots, and shredded sharp cheddar cheese. It’s definitely a dish that you can just “wing it” after you’ve made it enough. This was the first time I actually wrote anything down. I’ve been making a version of what I grew up on for over 20 years. A Midwest staple, Tater Tot Hotdish! I figured after blogging for almost five years it was about time I published my Tater Tot Hotdish recipe.

Raw hamburger tater tot casserole