Tater Tot Pizza Casserole Recipe
Tater Tot Pizza Casserole is a delicious and family-friendly recipe combining crispy tater tots, savory pizza sauce, melted cheeses, and flavorful seasonings baked to perfection. This comforting casserole makes a perfect meal for busy weeknights, offering a fun twist on traditional pizza with easy-to-find ingredients and optional add-ins like ground beef or veggies to customize your dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 (32 oz / 900 g) bag frozen tater tots
- 2 cups (480 ml) pizza sauce or marinara sauce
- 1 ½ cups (170 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup (50 g) shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup (50 g) sliced pepperoni
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Optional Add-Ins
- ½ lb (225 g) cooked ground beef or sausage
- ¼ cup diced bell peppers
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- ¼ cup diced onions
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Dish: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking and ensure easy serving.
- Partially Bake Tater Tots: Spread half of the frozen tater tots evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Drizzle them with olive oil for extra crispness and bake for 15 minutes to lightly crisp the tots.
- Layer Ingredients: Remove the dish from the oven and pour pizza sauce evenly over the pre-baked tater tots. Add any cooked meat or vegetables if using. Next, sprinkle mozzarella and cheddar cheeses evenly over the sauce. Arrange the remaining tater tots on top, then sprinkle oregano, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning over everything for added flavor.
- Bake Until Golden: Bake the casserole uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the top layer of tater tots turns golden brown. In the last 5 minutes of baking, place the pepperoni slices over the casserole and continue baking until the pepperoni crisps up.
- Cool and Serve: Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes before serving. Optionally garnish with fresh parsley or a drizzle of ranch dressing for extra flavor.
Notes
- You can customize this casserole by adding your favorite pizza toppings like cooked sausage, bell peppers, or olives.
- Partially baking the tater tots before layering helps them stay crispy after baking with the sauce and cheese.
- To make this recipe vegetarian, simply omit the pepperoni and any meat add-ins.
- Use a good quality pizza or marinara sauce for the best flavor.
- Letting the casserole rest before serving helps the layers set and makes it easier to slice.
Keywords: Tater Tot Pizza Casserole, easy casserole, family dinner, pizza casserole, baked tater tots, comfort food
Find it online: https://foodiecara.com/tater-tot-pizza-casserole-recipe/