Marianne Martinez
Tater tots are a popular side dish, but did you know you can cook them in a crock pot? Crock pots are a great way to prepare tater tots, especially if you're short on time or want to avoid turning on the oven. By preparing tater tots in a crock pot, you can create a delicious casserole that's perfect for a weeknight family dinner or a comforting meal. This versatile dish can be made with various ingredients, including ground beef, chicken, bacon, cheese, and vegetables, making it a well-loved, hearty meal.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of dish | Casserole |
| Main ingredients | Tater tots, cheese, ground beef or chicken, bacon |
| Other ingredients | Milk, condensed soup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, frozen vegetables |
| Preparation time | 30 minutes |
| Cooking time | 3-8 hours |
| Cookware | Crock Pot or slow cooker |
| Recipe yield | Serves a family |
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What You'll Learn
Preparing the crock pot
To prepare your crock pot for cooking tater tots, first, decide on the type of tater tots you want to make. You can make them with beef or chicken, or even ground turkey or ground chicken. You can also add bacon, or deli ham, or keep it vegetarian.
Next, prepare your crock pot by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. This will help with cleanup later. If you have a crock pot liner, you may not need to do this step.
Now, it's time to assemble the ingredients. You'll need frozen tater tots, which should be kept frozen until you're ready to add them to the pot. You can also add vegetables, such as frozen mixed veggies, frozen green beans, or frozen peas. If you're using beef, brown it in a skillet with diced onions, breaking it apart as it cooks, and drain the fat. If you're using chicken, season it well with salt and pepper, or any other seasoning you prefer, such as Cajun seasoning or blackened chicken seasoning.
For the sauce, you can use cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup, or simply add milk, condensed soup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and any other spices you like. If you want a cheesy dish, add cheddar cheese, or another cheese of your choice. You can also add sour cream for extra creaminess.
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Layering the tater tots
Layering tater tots is an important step in making a delicious crock pot tater tot casserole. This easy recipe is a crowd-pleaser and a perfect weeknight meal for the entire family. Here is a detailed, step-by-step guide to layering tater tots in a crock pot:
Prepare the Crock Pot
Before you begin layering, it is essential to prepare the crock pot. Spray the inside of the crock pot with a non-stick cooking spray. This step ensures that your casserole doesn't stick to the pot, making it easier to serve and clean up afterward.
First Layer of Tater Tots
Start by arranging the first layer of tater tots in the crock pot. It is important to use frozen tater tots for this recipe. Thawed tots may become mushy and fall apart during the cooking process. Place half of the frozen tater tots in a single layer at the bottom of the crock pot. This first layer serves as a base for the casserole, so make sure they are evenly distributed.
Meat and Vegetable Layer
The next step is to add a layer of cooked ground meat and vegetables. You can choose between ground beef, ground turkey, or chicken for this recipe. Cook the meat with diced onions, breaking it apart until it is no longer pink. Drain the excess fat, and then mix the cooked meat with vegetables, milk, condensed soup, and seasonings like Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, or taco seasoning. Spread this mixture evenly over the first layer of tater tots.
Cheese Layer
Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese generously over the meat and vegetable layer. You can also add other types of cheese, such as Swiss cheese, if you prefer. The cheese layer adds a delicious, creamy texture to the casserole.
Final Layer of Tater Tots
Top off the casserole with the remaining half of the frozen tater tots. This final layer completes the layering process, creating a sandwich-like structure with the meat and vegetable mixture in the centre.
Additional Toppings
Before covering the crock pot to begin cooking, you can add some final toppings to the tater tots. You can pour milk over the top, or if you prefer a heartier dish, add more shredded cheese. Some recipes also suggest adding bacon pieces or other meats as a final topping.
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Cooking the beef
To cook the beef for your tater tot casserole, start by heating a skillet on medium-high heat with some olive oil. Add the ground beef and diced onions and cook until the beef is browned and no longer pink, crumbling the beef as it cooks. Drain the excess fat and remove from the heat. You can also add diced peppers and minced garlic to the beef at this stage for extra flavor.
If you're using pre-cooked rotisserie chicken instead of beef, make sure to season it well with salt and pepper or any other seasonings you like, such as Cajun seasoning or blackened chicken seasoning. You can also coat the chicken in honey mustard sauce before adding it to the crockpot for extra flavor.
Once the beef is cooked, transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add milk, condensed soup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and any other seasonings you like. Stir everything together until well combined. You can also add frozen vegetables to this mixture if desired.
Now you're ready to start layering your casserole in the crockpot. Spread the beef mixture over a layer of frozen tater tots in the crockpot. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and top with another layer of tater tots.
Cover and cook your tater tot casserole in the slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. If you want to add even more cheese, sprinkle some on top before serving. And that's it! You've now got a delicious, family-friendly meal that everyone will love.
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Mixing the filling
To make the filling for your tater tot casserole, you'll need to cook some beef or chicken. For beef, use a skillet to brown the ground beef with diced onions, cooking and breaking it apart until the meat is no longer pink. You can also add in some black beans, corn, salsa, green chiles, and taco seasoning for extra flavour. Drain the fat, then add the beef to a large mixing bowl. If you're using chicken, coat it in honey mustard sauce before adding it to the crock pot.
Next, add milk, condensed soup (cream of chicken or mushroom), Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you like to the bowl. Stir to combine. You can also add in frozen vegetables or cheese at this stage, or save the cheese to sprinkle on top before serving.
If you're using beef, you can add the cheese now, stirring it into the mixture before spreading it over the tater tots in the crock pot. If you're using chicken, layer the tater tots, beef, veggies, cheese, and remaining tots in the crock pot, then pour the soup mixture over everything.
For an extra cheesy tater tot casserole, sprinkle more cheese on top before serving. You can also add bacon pieces to the filling or use them as a topping.
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Cooking the casserole
Spray the crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. This will help with the cleanup afterward. If you have a crock pot liner, you can use that instead.
Arrange half of the frozen tater tots in a single layer at the bottom of the crock pot. It is important that the tater tots remain frozen until you are ready to add them to the pot, as letting them thaw will make them mushy and they will fall apart too easily while the casserole is cooking.
In a skillet, brown the ground beef with diced onions, cooking and breaking it apart, until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the fat away. You can also use ground turkey or chicken if you prefer.
Add the beef to a large mixing bowl with milk, condensed soup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and any other seasonings you like. Stir to combine. You can also add frozen vegetables to the mixture, or make it extra cheesy with shredded cheddar cheese.
Spread the meat mixture over the tater tots in the crock pot, then sprinkle with cheese and top with the other half of the tater tots.
Cover and cook in the slow cooker on high for 2-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. If you want to add cheese, do so during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
Feel free to sprinkle with even more cheese before serving, and serve with your favorite vegetables or a fresh, green salad.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need frozen tater tots, ground beef, cheddar cheese, and condensed cream of mushroom soup. You can also add milk, onions, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce.
It takes 3-4 hours to cook on low heat and 3 hours on high heat. If you want to cook it for longer, you can cook it for 6-8 hours on low heat.
Make sure to keep the tater tots frozen until you are ready to add them to the pot. You should also spray the crock pot with a non-stick cooking spray to make cleanup easier.
