This gluten-free tater tot casserole is a one-dish meal of classic comfort food that will become an instant family favorite and satisfy even your picky eaters. This great recipe is the epitome of a family friendly weeknight meal that the whole family will cheer for!
Where did tater tot casserole come from?
Wikipedia says that tater tot casserole originates from and has remained popular in the upper midwest United States. Casseroles and hot dishes both usually contain a variety of meat, veggies and starch.
Casseroles are especially popular for larger families who need to make big quantities of food on a budget. It’s one of those easy dinners for those busy weeknights. Jim Bob Duggar says their casserole variation is one of his favorite meals!
My grandma Donna used to make her own variation of this dish that only had peas in it. I always loved it so much! I have made just a few changes since then but it is still equally delicious.
How do you make it?
This is the best tater tot casserole recipe and couldn’t be easier to make or clean up. Simply start by putting some of the tater tots, cooked lean ground beef and vegetables together in 9×13 or deep 9×9 casserole dish.
Add the cream of chicken soup into the tots and ground beef mixture along with half of the cheese (or all if you are like me and don’t like it on top). Using a wooden spoon is a great way to make sure all the ingredients are evenly mixed.
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Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese on top of the tater tots if you love that gooey goodness. I usually forgo it but my family always appreciates when I add it on, they love lots of cheddar cheese.
Are tater tots gluten-free?
While many tater tots are gluten-free, it is important to always check. I’ve been surprised how any have wheat flour or other gluten ingredients in them.
Here are just a few that are gluten-free. As with anything, eat at your own discretion. If you have found any other brands, we’d love to hear about them in the comments below.
- Ore Ida Golden Tater Tots
- Cascadian Farms Spud Puppies (according to their twitter page: They don’t carry a gluten free claim, but there are no wheat allergens)
- Lamb Weston Crispy Potato Puffs (not labeled but also no warning of shared facility or gluten ingredients on the label)
Pro Tip: For more flavor, take a few extra minutes to make our homemade gluten-free cream of chicken soup to use instead of store bought. You won’t regret it!
Pro Tip: Double this recipe and put one pan in the freezer assembled and wrapped in tinfoil but not baked. You just saved yourself a night of cooking!
How else can I spice it up?
The great thing about this easy tater tot casserole recipe is that there are a few different alternatives that can really switch up the flavor profile a little bit. Try different ground meats like ground turkey or lamb. Put a few simple ingredients like green beans, bell peppers, or green onions on your grocery list and swap those in for the peas and/or corn.
Give this classic gluten-free tater tot casserole some Mexican flair by adding in 1 T taco seasoning and 1/3 C salsa. Also, switch your sharp cheddar cheese to pepper jack.
Can I freeze this gluten-free tater tot casserole?
It freezes so well! Assemble everything together in a baking dish then put aluminum foil over and freeze it. You would just need to pull it out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before baking.
OR you can go ahead and bake it first then freeze, its just as good the next day. You will just need to warm it up before serving. Perfect for those busy weeknights and picky kids!
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Gluten-Free Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 C or two 10 oz. cans homemade gluten-free cream of chicken soup
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 C fresh or frozen peas
- 1 C fresh or frozen corn
- 1/2 C fresh or frozen diced carrots
- 1 lb. ground hamburger cooked (leftovers from taco night work great here!)
- 1 C cheddar cheese more for topping if you'd like
- 1 32 oz. bag of gluten-free tater tots, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a 9x13 pan, combine vegetables, cooked beef, soup, salt, pepper, half the cheese (1/2 C) and half the tater tots
- Top with remaining tater tots and the other 1/2 C cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published March 14, 2014 with the photo below. I have updated the photos and the ingredients slightly but is the same classic recipe you love.
JD says
This is really good and easy to make, too. Thanks, Chandice!
Jess says
I’m so glad I found this! So many people in my family are either intolerant to gluten or have Celiac disease, so it’s always a struggle to think of new meal ideas when we are all together.
Chandice says
Thanks Jess, so glad you loved it!
Rachel says
Thank you so much for the easy instructions! I love that this is made using frozen veggies…such an easy to throw together on a weeknight! My husband and I love this!
Chandice says
Thanks Rachel, yes it is super easy! 🙂
Erin says
I made this for my family and my kids loved it! I loved how easy it was! Thanks for a great recipe.
Chandice says
Thank you! It is our kids favorite too! 🙂
Miki says
This recipe looks so good! Finding great recipes since going gluten free has been challenging so thanks for the tips.This looks like a recipe even my husband will eat.