Pizza Tater Tot Casserole – the classic tater tot casserole you grew up with gets a makeover! A fun and easy casserole recipe that has all the flavors of your favorite pizza.
Did you grow up eating tater tot casserole? I lived in Minnesota until I was almost 10 years old, so at my house it was tater to hot dish. But you know what I am talking about, right? Ground beef with cream of mushroom soup, tater tots, cheese, and some kind of vegetable in it. My mom always made it with corn. My husband’s mom always made it with green beans. One thing we have in common is neither of us liked it!
I think we probably had it once every 2 weeks, and every time I was not a happy kid. I am sure I complained, but there wasn’t much of a choice, whatever mom made you ate. Thankfully she at least left the Kraft Singles off my portion. To this day, I know my mom makes it a couple times of year for my dad, because he loves it. I can’t remember the last time I had it, at least 20 years. Maybe I can convince her to use this Creamy Mushroom Soup instead of the canned stuff next time she makes it.
Today we are giving the classic tater tot casserole a makeover that my family loved. No cream of anything soup, no fake cheese, and all flavors my family loves. I used a mix of Italian sausage and pepperoni for the base of my casserole. You could add mushrooms, green peppers or any of your favorite pizza toppings. My family kind of has a thing for things that taste like pizza, but aren’t. Pizza Pasta Skillet is one of our favorites.
Pizza tater tot casserole is super easy to throw together. Whatever meat or veggies you want to use just get mixed with some pizza sauce and cheese. Then top with tater tots and bake. I like to start baking the tater tots while I am working on browning the sausage and assembling everything. That way I make sure my tater tots are extra crispy!
So take your family back to what it was like when you were a kid, but with something they will like! Pizza tater tot casserole is definitely something the whole family will love. If you are looking for another fun way to mix up Tater Tot Casserole check out The Girl Who Ate Everything’s Taco Tater Tot Casserole. I saw her version and was totally inspired to make this one.
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 small onion , finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 cup Pepperoni slices , chopped
- 1 (14 oz) jar pizza sauce
- 1 (28 oz) package tater tots
- 2 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese , shredded
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non stick spray. Set aside.
- Optional - arrange tater tots on a baking sheet and place in oven to start cooking while you prepare the rest.
- In a large skillet, brown sausage and onion together until onions are tender and sausage is cooked. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat, and pour into a large bowl. Mix in pepperoni slices, pizza sauce, and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Pour into prepared baking dish.
- Top evenly with tater tots. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until tater tots are crispy and everything is hot. Top with remaining cheese, and bake for 5 minutes until melted.
- Serve immediately.
[…] Growing up, pizza casserole was one of my favorite meals. This recipe replaces the pasta with all the potato-y goodness your […]