5-Ingredient Easy Ground Beef Tater Tot Casserole

A savory ground beef filling topped with cheesy tatertots, this easy casserole is ready to eat in 30 minutes. It’s classic comfort food perfect for busy weeknights!

There’s nothing better than a comforting dinner you can put on the table faster than Doordash. If that’s what you’re looking for, then you’re in the right place. This recipe offers that, along with a ton of flavor, and, if you’re like me, a little childhood nostalgia. After all, who didn’t love hamburger helper growing up? This easy casserole recipe combines that taste of home with a good home cooked meal. 

This is also a great option if you have picky eating kids around your place. It’s a family favorite as the flavors are delicious, yet safe!

What’s in this 5-ingredient ground beef casserole?

For this easy and budget-friendly meal, you’ll need just a handful of simple ingredients:

• Ground Beef (or Turkey): You’ll need 1 pound of lean ground beef. You can also use ground turkey in this recipe. I actually never use ground beef in anything anymore. Ground turkey is healthier and, around here, much cheaper than ground beef. I have tested this both ways, though, and if you’re still a hamburger casserole kind of person, this will taste good! And if you want to really get funky with it, you can even sub ground sausage or ground chicken!
• Cream of Mushroom Soup: The small 10.5 oz can of soup is what you need for this recipe. You can switch your cream soup up. I love this homemade version, which you can make any flavor you’d like. You can also make this with cream of celery or even cream of chicken soup. The flavor will change, so be aware!
• Frozen Mixed Vegetables: While the recipe is written as using a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, my house is the land of the picky eaters, so I actually use a bag of frozen green beans only in this recipe. My son might faint if he saw a piece of corn. If you have a tough crowd to please, you can take a leaf out of my book and switch up the vegetables to something you think might fly. Good luck!
• Tatertots: I use frozen tater tots in this recipe. You can sub this for frozen hash browns, either shredded or southern style. 
• Shredded Cheese: I recommend cheddar cheese for this recipe. It gives you that cheeseburger casserole vibe! If you’d like to change it up, mozzarella cheese and colby jack are both great options. 

Making Easy Ground Beef Casserole

Step 1 | Brown the Ground Beef

Start by browning your ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat.

When your beef is completely brown with no pink left, drain the excess fat and move on to step 2!

Step 2 | Mix it Up

Spray your casserole dish with cooking spray. Then, in your casserole dish, you’re going to put your browned beef, the cream of mushroom soup, the mixed veggies, and half of the cheese. Stir everything until it’s well mixed together, creating a cheesy beef mixture. 

Step 3 | Top It

Now you’ll use your tatertots to top the beef mixture. Feel free to make cool designs using your tot building blocks! 

Once you’ve got the tots the way you want them, cover them with the remaining cheese. 

Step 4 | Bake and Enjoy!

Put your baking dish in the oven at 375° for 20-25 minutes. Your casserole is done when the cheese on top is melty and golden. 

Let your casserole cool for a few minutes, then serve with your favorite toppings. You might consider sour cream, chopped green onions, fresh herbs, or even crumbled bacon!