French Onion Tater Tot Casserole
Tater tot casserole like you’ve never seen it before!
you're making mealtime meaningful.
I love tater tots. I love potatoes in all forms, really, but tater tots are at the top of my list. I also love casseroles, as is evidenced by all of the casserole recipes we have here on 12 Tomatoes. Therefore, it’s safe to say my favorite casserole is tater tot casserole. Seasoned beef and veggies in a creamy, cheesy sauce topped with tots? Yes, please!
I didn’t think anything could top the traditional recipe, but I was happy to be proven wrong. This French Onion Tater Tot Casserole is absolutely incredible. It’s everything I love about the original dish, only with a delicious French onion sauce.
You’ll start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F. For this recipe, it’s best to use a cast iron skillet. You’ll cook part of it on the stovetop and then pop it into the oven to finish off baking.
Melt butter, olive oil, and onions together in a large skillet. And I do mean large! Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Then, pour in white wine a little at a time. Cook another 8-10 minutes until onions are caramelized. If you’ve never caramelized onions this way, you’re in for a treat!
Once the onions are done, push them to the side of the pan and stir in ground beef, thawed veggies, garlic, thyme, parsley, cayenne, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat as it cooks, another 5 minutes until the meat is browned. Stir in flour and cook another minute. Add more wine, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the burner and sprinkle Gruyere cheese on top, followed by the tater tots. Bake for 20 minutes, until the tots are golden. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the tater tots and bake another 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve topped as desired with fresh thyme and chives.
As you can see, this recipe pulls out all the stops! If you love tater tot casserole, you’re going to want to give this dish a try!
French Onion Tater Tot Casserole
Yield(s): Makes 6-8 servings
15m prep time
45m cook time
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, divided
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 16oz mixed frozen veggies, thawed
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 2 pounds frozen tater tots
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Fresh chives, for topping (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Melt butter, olive oil, and onions together in a large oven-safe skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened.
- Pour in 1/2 cup of the wine a little bit at a time. Cook another 8-10 minutes until onions are caramelized.
- Push the onions to the side of the pan and stir in ground beef, thawed veggies, garlic, thyme, parsley, cayenne, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat as it cooks, another 5 minutes until the meat is browned.
- Stir in flour and cook another minute. Add remaining 1/2 cup wine, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and sprinkle Gruyere cheese on top, followed by the tater tots. Bake 20 minutes, until the tots are golden.
- Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the tater tots and bake another 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve topped as desired with fresh thyme and chives.