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This BBQ Beef Tater Tot Casserole is a family favorite dinner! A ground beef dinner recipe with a sweet and smokey sloppy joe mixture, that’s topped with crispy tater tots and lots of cheese.
For more tater tot casserole be sure and also try this Shepherd’s Pie Tater Tot Casserole, Buffalo Ranch Chicken Tater Tot Casserole, or this Taco Tater Tot Casserole.
BBQ Beef Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
This sloppy joe tater tot casserole was a pure accident one night while I was making dinner. I had plans to make these BBQ Beef Ranchero Tacos and got all the way done before I realized that I had no taco shells! So my plan B for dinner had me scrounging in the pantry and freezer to try to find a way to salvage dinner.
I found a bag of tater tots in the freezer and a can of sloppy joe sauce… and the rest is history they say! It ended up being a delicious accident and something that my kids all gobbled up. I have made it over and over again since I first shared this recipe over 5 years ago.
I’m always on the lookout for kid-friendly dinners so I was pretty excited about this sloppy tater tot casserole recipe. It’s sweet from the bbq sauce and baked beans, combined with the savory ground beef that’s seasoned with sloppy joe sauce and dried seasonings.
Throw in a can of corn for some veggies and color, and you have a delicious dinner that’s topped with crispy potato tater tots and cheese. What could be better?!
Ingredients Needed
- Ground Beef : I use 93/7 ground beef for this recipe.
- Kosher Salt
- Sloppy Joe Sauce
- Original Baked Beans
- Corn : Use any variety if corn; yellow corn, white corn, southwestern corn, or gold n white corn.
- BBQ Sauce : I recommend using plain, regular bbq sauce. If you use a sweeter bbq sauce then the overall taste of the casserole will be much sweeter.
- Yellow Mustard
- Cumin, Garlic Powder, Chili Powder, Onion Powder
- Frozen Tater Tots
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
How To Make BBQ Beef Tater Tot Casserole (Full Printable Recipe)
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large skillet pan, over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef and salt until the beef is no longer pink. Drain the excess grease from the pan.
Add in the sloppy joe sauce, baked beans, corn, bbq sauce, mustard, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, and onion powder. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat to medium (or medium-low if needed) and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes or until it’s thickened.
Spread the bbq beef mixture into the prepared pan in an even layer. Top with 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Evenly layer the tater tots (in rows) over top the cheese.
Cook for 35-40 minutes or until the tater tots are browned, crispy, and cooked through, and the casserole is bubbling on the sides.
Add the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the tater tots and put the casserole back into the oven for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Let the casserole cook for about 5 minutes before serving it. Garnish with sliced green onions if wanted.
How To Store and Reheat Leftover Tater Tot Casserole
Store any leftover casserole inside the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The tater tots will get softer but leftovers are still really delicious.
Keep the casserole inside the baking dish and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap for storage. You can also remove individual portions of the leftover tater tot casserole into an airtight container for storage.
Reheat leftovers on a microwave-safe plate until heated through.
Can I Make It Spicy?
Yes, this casserole is very adaptable to a spicier heat level if that’s what your family loves. Add a can of diced green chilies in with the ground beef mixture. Use shredded Pepper Jack cheese. Add some cayenne red pepper or increase the chili powder. Add a splash of hot sauce into the sloppy joe mixture.
What Are Some Substitutions I Can Make?
- Ground Beef : Use ground turkey, ground pork, or ground chicken for a healthier and leaner option.
- Baked Beans : Although I recommend using original baked beans, you can substitute with any variety of baked beans you want.
- Corn : Use yellow corn, white corn, southwestern corn, or gold n white corn.
- BBQ Sauce : Any bbq sauce works great in this recipe! Use a spicy one for some heat, use a sweeter one like honey, hickory, or brown sugar for added sweetness.
- Mustard : Use spicy brown mustard, dijon mustard, honey mustard, or any other variety of mustard you like.
- Cheese : Any cheese works in this casserole! I use cheddar cheese or Colby Jack cheese when I make this recipe.
Recipe Tips
- When choosing the bbq sauce and baked beans, be careful that you don’t make it overly sweet (unless that’s what you want). Original baked beans have some sweetness, while the other varieties of baked beans will be much sweeter; such as hickory or brown sugar. BBQ sauce is also sweet especially if you choose a sweeter flavor like brown sugar or honey.
- Sloppy Joe sauce comes in a can and is easily found by the canned chili and canned beans.
- If you want more cheese then use more! I also recommend buying a block of cheese and using a box cheese grater to shred it yourself. It melts much smoother and creamier than the pre-shredded bagged cheese.
More Family Favorite Casserole Recipes To Try
- Creamy Broccoli Chicken Divan Casserole
- Chicken Teriyaki Casserole
- Ground Beef Cattle Drive Casserole
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
- Cheesy Spaghetti Chicken Casserole
- Dump and Bake Chicken Alfredo Casserole
- Pizza Pasta Casserole
BBQ Beef Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 can (15 oz) sloppy joe sauce
- 1 can (16 oz) original baked beans do not drain
- 1 can (15 oz) corn drained
- 1/3 cup bbq sauce
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375° F. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large skillet pan, over medium-high heat, brown ground beef and salt until meat is no longer pink. Break up and crumble meat as you cook it. Drain.1 lb lean ground beef, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add sloppy joe sauce, baked beans, corn, bbq sauce, mustard, and spices. Stir together and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. It should get slightly thicker as it simmers.1 can (15 oz) sloppy joe sauce, 1 can (16 oz) original baked beans, 1 can (15 oz) corn, 1/3 cup bbq sauce, 1 teaspoon yellow mustard, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Evenly spread the meat mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 1 cup of the shredded cheese and then layer the frozen tater tots, in a single layer, over top of the cheese.1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Cook for 30-35 minutes or until tater tots are browned and cooked through, and the casserole is hot and bubbling. Add the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese on top of the tater tots, and put the casserole back into the oven for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish the casserole with thinly sliced green onions if wanted.
Notes
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