Whether you call them casseroles, covered dishes or hot dishes, one-dish baked meals are quick, easy and perfect for the whole family. This pizza Tater Tot casserole is a fun twist on pizza for Friday night dinner—no dough required! The recipe combines a saucy meat-and-veggie filling with layers of cheese and frozen Tater Tots for a satisfying comfort meal.

To make it, you’ll brown ground beef on the stovetop with chopped onion, bell pepper and mushrooms. Then, stir in jarred pizza sauce, top the dish with creamy mozzarella and Tater Tots, and bake it until the cheese is melty and the potatoes are crisp and golden. The result is saucy, meaty and cheesy, easy to customize with your favorite pizza toppings and great for feeding a crowd at parties, potlucks and game day celebrations.

Ingredients for Tater Tot Pizza Casserole

• Ground beef: You’ll need 1-1/2 pounds of ground beef. If you only have a 1-pound package of meat, you can bulk up the filling with extra veggies.
• Vegetables: Chopped green bell pepper, onion and mushrooms help thicken the meat mixture and give the casserole the same flavor as a veggie-topped pizza.
• Pizza sauce: You can use either store-bought jarred pizza sauce or homemade pizza sauce to coat the beef and veggie mixture. Jarred spaghetti sauce will work in a pinch, but the casserole will be saucier since it’s thinner than pizza sauce.
• Basil: Dried basil makes this dish taste even more like pizza. According to our fresh to dried herb conversion, you can swap in 3 teaspoons of fresh basil to match the flavor of 1 teaspoon dried basil. If you don’t have either, substitute Italian seasoning for basil.
• Cheese: What’s a pizza recipe without mozzarella cheese? This recipe calls for shredded part-skim mozzarella, but mozzarella slices will melt just as well. We also top the Tater Tots with shredded cheddar for extra cheesy flavor and a melty finish.
• Tater Tots: Tater Tots are one of our favorite shortcuts for adding rich potato flavor and an irresistible crispy texture to casseroles. This freezer staple serves as the golden brown crust in our pizza-inspired casserole. No need to thaw them first—the potatoes can go on the casserole and into the oven from frozen.

Taste of Home