This recipe starts with lean ground beef sautéed with onions until perfectly browned, then combined with corn and a savory gravy. This hearty mixture is layered in a baking dish and topped with creamy mashed potatoes. But the real twist comes with the topping: a generous layer of frozen tater tots, which bake to crispy perfection in the oven. After baking for 30 minutes, shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese are sprinkled over the tots and melted until bubbly and golden brown. The result is a casserole with a perfect balance of flavors and textures—the rich, savory filling is complemented by the crispy tots and gooey cheese. It’s an easy, crowd-pleasing dish that takes the classic comfort food to a whole new level. Whether for a weeknight dinner or a family gathering, this casserole is sure to be a hit!
Shepherd’s Pie Tater Tot Casserole
Shepherd’s Pie Tater Tot Casserole combines the comfort of traditional shepherd’s pie with a fun, crispy twist! 🥧🥔 Topped with golden tater tots, this dish brings together seasoned meat, veggies, and cheesy goodness for a dinner that everyone will love.
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup diced yellow onions
12 oz canned corn, not drained
1/2 cup water
0.87 oz beef gravy mix
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
Mashed Potatoes
1 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp margarine
4 oz instant mashed potato mix
1/2 cup milk
- Topping
28 oz frozen tater tots
2 cups shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese blend
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Dump ground beef into a large saute pan over medium-high heat, along with a dab of margarine or butter.
- Crumble the ground beef well as it cooks.
- Add the diced onions to the pan with the ground beef while it's cooking.
- Stir well and continue cooking until the onions are translucent and the ground beef is fully cooked.
- Add the canned corn to the pan and stir well.
- Add the water, gravy mix, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to the pan and stir until all of the ground beef is coated in gravy.
- Dump the ground beef mixture into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish and spread it out evenly.
- Set the dish aside while you prepare the mashed potatoes.
- Pour the water and margarine into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Once the water is boiling remove the pan from the heat and pour in the mashed potato mix and the milk.
- Stir just until combined and then let the potatoes sit for 1 minute.
- After one minute stir until smooth and creamy.
- Spread the mashed potatoes over the ground beef mixture in the baking dish.
- Place the tater tots in a single layer on top of the mashed potatoes.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake the casserole for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the tater tots.
- Return the dish to the oven and continue baking until the cheese on top is completely melted and just starting to brown. 4-6 minutes.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and allow it to sit for a few minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!