Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole

Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole uses all the ingredients of a traditional hotdish with the convenience of being able to prep dinner in the morning and have it ready when you want to eat.

If you’re looking for a tasty dinner idea with minimal effort, this delivers. Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole is similar to our Classic Tater Tot Casserole (Hotdish) and is perfect for busy nights. You can use wild rice or pasta, but if you use frozen tater tots like we do, the meal is assembled faster since they don’t require any additional prep work.

What meat should you use?

This casserole is made with lean ground beef, but you can choose any other ground meat such as chicken, pork, or beef.

Can you make it vegetarian?

Yes. You can definitely make this dish vegetarian. Simply omit the meat and you will still have delicious meal. Note that it will make a much smaller quantity though. Instead of beef you could also use cooked lentils or black beans. You could also sauté mushrooms and add them in place of the beef.

Can you freeze this dish?

You can make it ahead and freeze it if you want. However, if you do this (not freezing it as leftovers), I suggest not cooking the hash browns before freezing the dish. The reason for this is that the hash browns will take the same amount of time to cook the second time, plus they can dry out. Place the casserole in an airtight container, close tightly, and freeze it for up to 3 months.

What side dish goes best with this meal?

Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole is a complete dish with the meat, starch, and veggies like corn and green beans. However, this casserole also goes well with lettuce salads such as Wilted Lettuce Salad or Classic Wedge Salad.

Important Tips:

• Brown the meat before adding to the slow cooker.
• The tater tots won’t get crispy in the slow cooker.
• You can also make this dish with wild rice or macaroni instead of hash browns.

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