This Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole has a spicy green chili and cream cheese filling with crispy fried onions and melted cheddar cheese on top. It’s an easy side dish to serve with just about any kind of roasted or grilled protein.
This is a copycat recipe for Truth BBQ Tater Tot Casserole. If you've ever been lucky enough to visit Truth BBQ in Houston Texas, you know what I'm talking about. It's the most amazing BBQ joint in all the land, and their sides are just as good as their smoked meats, and that's saying a lot. This one is the best of the best and everyone is going to love it!
If you’re looking for more easy casserole recipes, you can also try our classic Cheesy Potato Casserole, Green Chili Rice Casserole, or start the day with this Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole.
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Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole
If you like potato casseroles, you will love this spicy, cheesy tater tot version. It’s comfort food that has it all—shredded potatoes, a flavorful cream cheese filling made with onions and green chilis, melted cheddar cheese, and crispy fried onions on top.
This tater tot casserole is made without meat, so it’s a perfect side dish to serve with just about any chicken or beef main dish. If you want to turn it into a main course, you can cook ground beef along with the onions and garlic. Voila!
Another reason to love this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to 2 months. Serve it during the holidays for a crowd, as a BBQ side in the summer, or during the week for your family.
Key Ingredients
- Onions - diced onions are cooked in butter and garlic and form the base of flavor for the cheesy mixture. You’ll need about 1 ½ cups of diced white or yellow onions.
- Frozen Tater Tots - any kind of frozen tater tots will work here. Keep them frozen until you are about to make this recipe. If you pull them out to thaw, they will become soft and lose their shape completely before you can use them in the recipe.
- Cream Cheese - you will need one block of cream cheese for the filling. Full fat will make the most creamy filling but lite will work.
- Sour Cream - this adds a little extra tangy flavor to the filling and tastes especially good with green chilis.
- Green Chilis - I love to use diced green chilies from the can. Be sure to drain them before adding.
- Cheddar Cheese - you will need some shredded cheddar cheese for the filling and some to sprinkle on top before baking. Any kind of cheddar or cheddar blend will work well. For a little extra spice you could even substitute pepper jack cheese.
- French’s Fried Onions - these are sprinkled over the top just before baking for a little extra flavor and crunch.
How to Make This Spicy Tater Tot Casserole
- Cook the onion and garlic. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the onion in butter until it lightly caramelizes—about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook while stirring until the garlic is translucent—about 2-3 more minutes.
- Make the cheesy mixture. Add the chicken broth, cream cheese, sour cream, and green chiles into the pan with the onions. Use a whisk to mix until the cream cheese is fully incorporated and melted.
- Assemble the casserole. Spread the tater tots into a lightly sprayed casserole dish and sprinkle on 2 cups of shredded cheese. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the tater tots and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese and the fried onions evenly over the top.
- Bake. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the edges are bubbly and lightly golden brown.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yup! Just prep completely, then wrap well and store in the fridge overnight. The next morning, pull your baking dish from the fridge and preheat the oven for at least 30 minutes. Especially with a glass baking dish, you want to be sure that your baking dish has enough time to come to room temperature so that you don’t risk the chance of it shattering in the oven. From there, just bake as directed.
Yes! Simply prep, wrap with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you are ready to eat it, pull into the fridge overnight to thaw. The next day, pull the baking dish out to room temperature while you preheat your oven and then bake as directed.
This recipe is a tater tot casserole without meat, so it would make the most sense as a side dish. However, if you wanted to turn it into a main course you could. Just add a little ground beef, shredded chicken, or even keep it vegetarian and add extra veggies like sauteed mushrooms and peppers.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: cover any leftovers with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: you can freeze this both baked and unbaked. Cover with plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil, then store frozen for up to 2 months. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight. The next day, pull it out to room temperature while you preheat your oven. If you are baking it completely, follow the directions in the recipe. Otherwise, you can heat until warmed through.
- To reheat: pull leftovers out to room temperature while you preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Reheat for about 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through.
Spicy Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 large Yellow Onion (about 1½ cups) diced into ½" pieces
- 3 Pounds Tater Tots
- 2 teaspoons Garlic minced
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 2 4-oz cans Diced Green Chiles
- 3 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese (save 1 cup to sprinkle on the top before baking)
- 1 cup French's Fried Onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray the inside of a 9" x 13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add the butter and diced onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion lightly caramelizes—about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook while stirring until the garlic is translucent—about 2-3 more minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, cream cheese, sour cream, and green chiles into the pan with the onions. Use a whisk to mix until the cream cheese is fully incorporated and melted.
- Spread the tater tots in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle on 2 cups of shredded cheese. Mix together loosely. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the tater tots and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese and the fried onions evenly over the top.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the edges are bubbly and lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Easy Casserole Recipes
- Green Chili Rice Casserole
- Creamed Corn Casserole
- Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Twice Baked Potato Casserole
- Denver Omelet Breakfast Casserole
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
- More Side Dish Recipes
- More Potato Recipes
This spicy tater tot casserole is comfort food with a twist. It's made with a bag of frozen tater tots, a spicy cream cheese filling, and topped with crispy fried onions.
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