Beef Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole

5 from 3 votes

Beef Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole

Beef Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole is a cheesy beef casserole recipe using the same flavors of a sloppy joe with cheddar cheese and potato tater tots. An easy dinner idea for busy nights for the family. #beefcasserole #sloppyjoes #hamburgercasserole

Cook Time35

Total Time35

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course

Servings: servings

Calories: 786kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
15 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound tater tots more or less

Instructions

Heat a medium pot or large skillet over medium heat.
Cook the ground beef until cooked through, approximately 7-10 minutes. Drain excess fat.
1 pound ground beef
Add the garlic, onion powder, and chili powder to the meat. Stir until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
2 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoon onion powder, 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, water, and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Let simmer over low heat for 10 minutes for flavors to combine. If it gets thick, add a little more water. Adjust seasonings to taste.
15 ounces tomato sauce, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
Preheat oven to 400F.
Pour the meat mixture into a 6x9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheddar across the top of the meat.
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Layer the tater tots in rows across the top, using approximately 1 pound of tater tots (1/2 standard bag). Sprinkle the remaining cheese across the top of the tater tots.
1 pound tater tots, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Bake the casserole until the tots are cooked through when inserting a fork and the cheese is melted, approximately 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

I found the smaller 6x9 inch baking dish was perfect for this recipe. A "normal" baking dish is much larger and would give you less meat for the same amount of tater tot coverage. Other options include doubling up the meat for a larger casserole, making more servings, or using any other smaller baking dish like loaf pans or square dishes.

If you want it saucier, add an additional 1/2 cup of water. This also tends to make the tater tots break down more and less likely to hold their shape due to the moisture.

I use onion powder to keep it more kid friendly, but you can easily use approximately 1/3 cup of diced onion instead of the powder.

Nutrition