Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole

Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole - Baked tater tot casserole layered with flavor packed sloppy joe mixture and cheese baked to a golden perfection. This is comfort food at its finest!

My mouthwatering tater tot casserole is the perfect super easy kid friendly dinner! It is loaded with delicious crisp tater tots, sloppy joe mixture, and melty cheddar cheese. We topped ours with a dollop of sour cream and green onions.

This casserole only takes about an hour to make from start to finish and the majority of the cooking is done in the oven which makes this recipe so easy. It serves about 6 people, so if you are cooking for a large crowd you can easily double the recipe.

To store leftovers, cover completely cooled casserole in an airtight container or wrap whole casserole tightly in plastic wrap or foil and place in the fridge. This casserole will last in the fridge for up to two days.

We used our leftovers for breakfast and it was amazing. We topped a slice of the tater tot casserole with a fried egg and a splash of hot sauce. To reheat leftovers just pop a slice in the microwave for about a minute.

If you want to reheat casserole in the oven, heat oven to 350 degrees. Cover casserole with foil and bake for about 30 minutes until nice and hot.

Tools to have on hand for this recipe:

• 13" x 9" Baking Dish - To bake your tater tot casserole in.
• Large Skillet - For cooking the sloppy joe mixture.
• Wooden Spoon - For cooking the sloppy joe mixture.
• Measuring Spoons + Cups - To measure your ingredients.
• Cutting Board - For chopping onions and peppers.
• Chef Knife - For chopping onions and peppers.

Ingredients you need to make Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole recipe:

• Tater Tots - You'll need a 2 lb. bag of frozen tots.
• Ground Beef - I used 85/15 ground beef but you can use whatever you have on hand. You can also use ground turkey if you'd like.
• Green Bell Pepper - Or you can use Anaheim peppers.
• Onion - I used yellow onion but white or red onion would be ok too.
• Garlic Cloves - Fresh garlic is best in this recipe.
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Salt
• Brown Sugar - Light or dark brown sugar both work great.
• Ketchup
• Tomato Sauce
• Mustard - Yellow mustard is best in this recipe, but you can also use grainy, dijon mustard.
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Black Pepper
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Cheddar Cheese - I used shredded sharp cheddar but you can also use mild, white, or your favorite cheese.

How to make Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole:

First, make the sloppy joe mixture: Add ground beef, onions and peppers to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until beef is browned. Add remaining ingredients to the skillet and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the sloppy joe mixture is cooking, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Next, arrange the casserole: Very lightly oil baking dish. Layer half of the tater tots on the bottom of the casserole dish. Evenly pour sloppy joe mixture on top of the tater tots. Sprinkle half the cheese on top of the sloppy joe mixture. Top with remaining tater tots and then sprinkle top with remaining cheese.

Bake casserole for 40 minutes until top is golden and lightly bubbly along the edges. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving. Top with sour cream and chopped green onions(optional)!

If you enjoyed this recipe, here are a few more casserole style recipes I think you'll love:

• Baked Cheesy Gnocchi in Meat Sauce - Layered with gnocchi, ground beef, broccoli, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and baked to a golden perfection!
• Baked Chicken Burritos - Shredded rotisserie chicken, black beans, cilantro lime rice and stuffed into flour tortillas.
• Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Enchiladas - Slow cooker shredded salsa chicken wrapped in king size tortillas with jack and cheddar cheese topped with homemade enchilada sauce.
• Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas -Flavor packed enchiladas loaded with shredded chicken, sour cream and cheese smothered in green enchilada sauce topped with sliced avocado and fresh cilantro.
• Baked Ziti Recipe - My baked Ziti is loaded with ground beef, spinach, onions, tomatoes and is all baked to a golden perfection with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. 

Here area few more of my favorite potato recipes for you to try:

• Roasted Rosemary Garlic Potatoes - Fresh rosemary and garlic baked red potatoes with a light golden crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
• BBQ Loaded Hasselback Potatoes -  Slathered in garlic butter and topped with melted cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, sour cream and green onion, these are mouthwatering good. 
• Baked Potato Wedges - Seasoned potato wedges baked to golden perfection are the perfect appetizer or side dish. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces!
• Oven Steak Fries - With a very light crunch on the outside and soft potato center, these baked fries are mouth watering delicious.
• Scalloped Potatoes -Thinly sliced potatoes layered in a creamy sauce with cheddar cheese baked to a golden perfection.