Description
Hearty Pizza Tot Casserole brings classic comfort food together with crispy potato gems and zesty Italian flavors. Melted cheese, savory meat, and golden tater tots combine for a crowd-pleasing meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups marinara or pizza sauce
- 1 pound (454 grams) ground beef
- 1 bag (32 oz or 907 grams) frozen tater tots
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup mini pepperoni slices
- 1 small onion, diced
- ½ bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- ¼ cup sliced green onions
- ¼ cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat the oven to 400F (200C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Meat Foundation: In a large skillet, brown ground beef with onions over medium heat until meat is fully cooked and onions are translucent. Drain excess fat completely.
- Flavor Infusion: Incorporate marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper into the meat mixture. Simmer briefly to blend flavors thoroughly.
- Base Layer Assembly: Spread the seasoned meat evenly across the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the first layer of shredded cheese over the meat.
- Crispy Topping Creation: Arrange tater tots in a single, overlapping layer across the cheese-covered meat. Generously top with remaining cheese, ensuring complete coverage.
- Baking Process: Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until tater tots turn golden and crispy, and cheese melts into a bubbling surface. Optional: Add pepperoni, olives, or bell peppers during the final 5 minutes for extra flavor.
- Serving Preparation: Allow the casserole to rest briefly after removing from the oven, letting ingredients settle before serving this hearty, pizza-inspired comfort dish.
Notes
- Optimize Meat Browning: Ensure ground beef is thoroughly browned and crumbled to enhance flavor and texture, preventing any raw or chewy meat pieces.
- Cheese Distribution Strategy: Layer cheese both under and over tater tots for maximum melting and creating a deliciously gooey base and crispy top.
- Customize Flavor Boosters: Experiment with different pizza toppings like jalapeños, sausage crumbles, or various cheese blends to personalize the casserole’s taste profile.
- Crispy Tot Perfection: Pat tater tots dry before arranging to guarantee a crunchier, more golden-brown topping that maintains its texture during baking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 950 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg