This one-pot Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole Recipe is low on fuss and clean-up. Perfectly spicy and homey while being a complete meal the whole family will love. Add it to your menu this week!
Please feel free to have a look at the extra info that I have provided alongside the main recipe to help achieve the best delicious result for this Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole.
What is Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole?
Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole is a simple and comforting casserole made with a few main components. It is also sometimes referred to as tater tot hotdish depending on where you live. You will usually find meat, potatoes, or another starch in these casserole recipes, along with vegetables, cheese, and canned soup.
For years, families have enjoyed making tater tot casseroles together as dinner because they are convenient and cost-effective since they can be prepared in one pan. You can feed a crowd with a single 9×13 inch pan of tater tot casserole, or you can easily provide two meals for a family of four with a single casserole.
Ingredients That You’ll Need:
- Taco seasoning – Follow the instructions below to make your own!
- Ground turkey – The best ground turkey combo is breast and leg meat since they add the most flavor and moisture.
- Yellow or white onion
- Sweet pepper – You can choose from red, yellow, or orange.
- Salsa – This Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole is wonderful with bottled salsa, so choose the heat and spice level that suits you and your family. Pineapple or peach salsa is also delicious in this recipe.
- Canned black beans or pinto beans
- Reduced – Fat-free shredded Mexican cheese blend – makes the recipe creamy, but not too heavy.
- Taco toppings
Recipe substitutions:
- Cheese – Instead of reduced-fat Mexican cheese blends, use full-fat Mexican cheese blends or shredded sharp cheddar cheese blends.
- Ground meat – A ground beef meat substitute will also work in place of ground turkey!
- Salsa – In a pinch, enchilada sauce can replace salsa, but it will change the flavor profile of the dish
- Canned beans – Black beans and pinto beans can easily be substituted with kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and canned corn
Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole Dietary Adaptations:
- Gluten-free: To make this recipe naturally gluten-free, double-check the ingredients for wheat in the tater tots.
- Vegetarian: Use a ground beef substitute instead of turkey.
- Dairy-free: Rather than a traditional shredded cheese blend, use dairy-free cheddar cheese.
- Vegan: Use a beef substitute in place of the turkey and dairy-free (or nut) cheddar cheese in place of the traditional cheese.
Can you use premade taco seasoning instead of homemade?
Yes, The Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole recipe can be made with storebought taco seasoning in place of homemade. Just substitute 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons of your favorite storebought taco seasoning and follow the rest of the directions!
What are the Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole toppings?
- Shredded lettuce
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Shredded cheese
- Sliced black olives
- Minced onions or green onions
- Cilantro
Can you make Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole without a cast-iron skillet?
Yes, you can easily prepare Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole without a cast-iron skillet. Simply cook up the turkey and beans in a large nonstick skillet and then pour them into a greased 8×13″ pan before layering the cheese and tater tots on top.
Follow the recipe directions and bake until the cheese has melted and the tater tots are crisp, or until the cheese has melted and the tater tots are golden brown!
Can you use sweet potato tater tots in Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole?
Yes, The Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole recipe can definitely be made with sweet potato tater tots. Sweet potato pairs well with Mexican seasonings.
Can You Freeze Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole?
Yes! Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole is notorious for its scrumptious frozen meals, and this breakfast casserole is no exception. Once completely cooled, wrap in hotel wrap, then cover with aluminum foil to protect against freezer burn. Just slow thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
In some cases, we like to freeze individual pieces so that we can grab one at a time as we need it. The smaller pieces can be reheated in the oven or microwave. Leftover Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole can last up to 2 months in the freezer.
How To Make Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole?
- Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine chili powder, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
- Use a 12″ cast iron or other non-stick skillets to heat the olive oil over medium or medium-high heat, or until the oil sputters when flicked with water.
- Saute the onion and sweet pepper in the skillet for 4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or so, or until the onions are translucent and the peppers are softening.
- Add the ground turkey and seasonings to the onions and peppers and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring and breaking up the turkey as it cooks, until it is crisp and cooked through, and the mixture is fragrant.
- Stir in the salsa and drained beans to the turkey mixture. Bring the ingredients to a boil and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture has thickened.
- Then, remove the pan from heat. If you’re using a cast-iron skillet, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the turkey, followed by the tater tots evenly spaced (about 1″ between each). If using a non-stick or non-oven safe skillet, pour the turkey into a greased 8 x 13″ baking dish and top with cheese. Pipe the tater tots on top and sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake the Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole for 22-25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the tater tots are crispy.
- Remove from the oven and serve hot with taco toppings of your choice!
What Can I Serve With Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole?
Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole is very filling on its own, though a few lighter sides can be nice to round it out:
How To Reheat Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole In The Microwave?
- In a microwave-safe dish, heat the Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole with a tiny cup of water to produce steam.
- Halfway through the cooking time, give it a brisk stir (if possible).
- Allow the dish to cool before serving!
Recipe Tips
- Taco seasoning: For the homemade seasoning blend, you can substitute 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons of storebought taco seasoning.
- Reheating leftovers: You can reheat individual servings of the casserole in a toaster oven on low for 2-3 minutes or in an oven at 300 for 5-6 minutes, or until the tater tots are crisp again.
- Making this recipe without a cast-iron skillet: After cooking the turkey and beans in a large non-stick skillet, pour them into a greased 8 x 13″ pan before layering cheese and tater tots on top. Bake the dish according to the directions, or until the cheese melts and is golden brown around the edges.
- Prepare all the ingredients before you start cooking: The Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole recipe moves quickly, so it’s best to have all the ingredients ready when you need them.
- Don’t drain the meat: Since the turkey is lean, it does not have to be drained. Also, the seasonings will drain out with the meat juices. If you’re using higher-quality ground beef, cook it first with the onions and peppers, drain it, and then mix in the seasonings with the salsa and beans.
- Bake the casserole uncovered: As a result, the tater tots crisp and golden up, as well as the cheese melts and turns golden brown.
FAQ Section
A casserole is a comforting, filling meal that usually contains meat, some kind of sauce or cheese, vegetables, and some kind of starch. Mix or layer all these ingredients together and bake or cook on the stove.
Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole is perfect for experimenting with different ingredients. Instead of ground beef, you can use turkey or chicken, or you can dice up chicken.
When baking from frozen, bake your 9 x 13-inch casserole uncovered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 75 minutes, or until the filling bubbles and the tater tots are golden and crispy. If baking immediately, bake your 9 x 13-inch casserole uncovered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes.
Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days after cooking, just let it cool completely and cover tightly with plastic wrap before storing.
Reheat individual servings of the Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole in either a toaster oven on low for 2-3 minutes, or in a 300-degree oven for 5-6 minutes, or until heated through and crisp again.
Try More Recipes:
Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
Homemade Taco Seasoning:
- 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Tater Tot Casserole:
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ large white or yellow onion diced
- 1 large sweet pepper red, orange, or yellow, seeded and diced
- 1 pound ground turkey preferably 90-93% lean
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 (15 ounce) can of black beans or pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 2 ½ cups frozen tater tots
Toppings:
- sour cream, extra cheese, cilantro, black olives, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, etc.
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine chili powder, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
- Use a 12″ cast iron or other non-stick skillets to heat the olive oil over medium or medium-high heat, or until the oil sputters when flicked with water.
- Saute the onion and sweet pepper in the skillet for 4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or so, or until the onions are translucent and the peppers are softening.
- Add the ground turkey and seasonings to the onions and peppers and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring and breaking up the turkey as it cooks, until it is crisp and cooked through, and the mixture is fragrant.
- Stir in the salsa and drained beans to the turkey mixture. Bring the ingredients to a boil and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture has thickened.
- Then, remove the pan from heat. If you’re using a cast-iron skillet, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the turkey, followed by the tater tots evenly spaced (about 1″ between each). If using a non-stick or non-oven safe skillet, pour the turkey into a greased 8 x 13″ baking dish and top with cheese. Pipe the tater tots on top and sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake the Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole for 22-25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the tater tots are crispy.
- Remove from the oven and serve hot with taco toppings of your choice!
Notes
- Taco seasoning: For the homemade seasoning blend, you can substitute 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons of store-bought taco seasoning.
- Reheating leftovers: You can reheat individual servings of the casserole in a toaster oven on low for 2-3 minutes or in an oven at 300 for 5-6 minutes, or until the tater tots are crisp again.
- Making this recipe without a cast-iron skillet: After cooking the turkey and beans in a large non-stick skillet, pour them into a greased 8 x 13″ pan before layering cheese and tater tots on top. Bake the dish according to the directions, or until the cheese melts and is golden brown around the edges.
- Prepare all the ingredients before you start cooking: The Pioneer Woman Tater Tot Casserole recipe moves quickly, so it’s best to have all the ingredients ready when you need them.
- Don’t drain the meat: Since the turkey is lean, it does not have to be drained. Also, the seasonings will drain out with the meat juices. If you’re using higher-quality ground beef, cook it first with the onions and peppers, drain it, and then mix in the seasonings with the salsa and beans.
- Bake the casserole uncovered: As a result, the tater tots crisp and golden up, as well as the cheese melts and turns golden brown.
Evelyn S
Monday 2nd of December 2024
Great family dinner, thank you. Will make it again.