Description
A comforting one‑dish meal combining seasoned ground beef in a sloppy joe style sauce, topped with melted cheese and crispy tater tots.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (lean)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 15 oz (about 1 can) tomato sauce
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 32 oz frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 °F (≈ 190 °C).
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, onion, and green pepper until beef is browned and vegetables are softened. Drain off excess fat.
- Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper. Simmer 3–5 minutes to meld flavors.
- Spread the beef mixture evenly into a greased 9×13‑inch (or similar) baking dish.
- Sprinkle 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese over the beef mixture.
- Arrange frozen tater tots in a single layer over the cheese.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until tater tots are golden and crisp.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheese over the tater tots, and bake another 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let the casserole rest a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for beef.
- Use freshly shredded cheese for better melt; pre‑shredded often has anti‑caking agents.
- Make ahead: assemble (except tater tots & top cheese), refrigerate up to 24 hours, then bake when ready.
- Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days; reheat in oven or microwave.
- You can freeze after baking (cool first), up to 2 months; thaw overnight before reheating.
- Add extras like chopped jalapeño, corn, or mushrooms to the beef mixture for variation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (of 6)
- Calories: ≈ 527 kcal
- Sugar: ≈ 11 g
- Sodium: ≈ 1,282 mg
- Fat: ≈ 32 g
- Saturated Fat: ≈ 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ≈ 11 g
- Trans Fat: ≈ 1 g
- Carbohydrates: ≈ 44 g
- Fiber: ≈ 4 g
- Protein: ≈ 20 g
- Cholesterol: ≈ 69 mg
