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Chili Cheese Dog Tater Tot Casserole

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This chili cheese dog tater tot casserole is a one-pot weeknight wonder loaded with homemade chili, lit’l smokies, melty cheddar, and a crispy layer of tots on top. It’s pure comfort food that the whole family will go crazy for!

  • Author: Kylie
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 65 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 10 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Oven + Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground beef (80/20)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 10 ounce can Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chilies)
  • 15.5 ounce can chili beans
  • 8 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 12 ounce package beef lit'l smokies (or sliced up hot dogs)
  • 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots
  • Kosher salt
  • fresh cracked pepper
  • sour cream and sliced green onion, for garnish

Instructions

  1. HEAT IT UP. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. SAUTE ONION + GARLIC. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently for 6 minutes or until they’re super soft and almost starting to caramelize. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
  3. BROWN GROUND BEEF. Make a small well in the center of the large saute pan. Add ground beef along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper, and cook, crumbling with a spatula until cooked through. Use the fat from the beef to deglaze the bottom of the pan and scrape all the yummy bits off.
  4. SPICE IT UP. Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, and a couple large pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute.
  5. MAKE IT INTO CHILI. Add Rotel tomatoes, chili beans, tomato sauce, lit’l smokies, and a couple large pinches of salt and pepper.
  6. SIMMER. Bring to a gentle simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you don’t have an oven-safe pan like my 5-quart braising pan or large saute pan, transfer the chili mixture to a 9×13 white baking dish.
  7. ADD CHEESE + TOTS. Top with shredded cheese. Then add tater tots in a single layer on top of the cheese.
  8. BAKE. Bake, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes until the tater tots are cooked through and crisp on the top and the edges of the casserole are bubbly.
  9. REST + SERVE. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream and green onions and enjoy!
  10. SHARE THE LOVE. If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating and review below!

Notes

  • Use an oven-safe pot if you have one. Fewer dishes, and the chili stays hotter going into the oven. A 5-quart braiser or large sauté pan works great.

  • Don’t skip browning the beef in the same pot as the onions and garlic. Deglazing with the beef fat picks up all those caramelized bits and adds serious depth to the chili.

  • A single layer of tots is the move. Pile them too deep, and the bottom layer steams instead of crisping.

Find it online: https://midwestfoodieblog.com/chili-cheese-dog-tater-tot-casserole/