Freezer Meals 101

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tater tot

Tater Tot Sloppy Joes Casserole

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It may not be Instagram-pretty, but this is a meal your kids will be asking for again and again. This tater tot sloppy joes casserole is about as easy a recipe as they come. With just four ingredients, you’ve got a fully kid-approved dinner. white casserole dish with tater tots on top, plate and fork nearby. Text reads "Tatertot Sloppy Joes Casserole" #freezermeals101 #tatertot #freezercasserole #tatertotsloppyjoes #sloppyjoes #sloppyjoescasserole

I make this as a freezer meal, but if you prefer, you can bake it and eat it right after you assemble it. 

In my house, if it has tater tots, the kids will eat it. Whether it’s our Cheesy Slow Cooker Chicken Tater Tot Casserole, our Pizza Tater Tot Casserole, Beef and Veggie Tater Tot dish, or this one, it’s a hit. 

Tater Tot Sloppy Joes Casserole Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 32 oz. bag tater tots
  • 2 lbs. ground beef, browned
  • 15 oz. can Sloppy Joes sauce
  • 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

Assembly instructions:

  1. Brown the ground beef.
  2. Place the browned ground beef at the bottom of a casserole dish or aluminum tray. (If I’m freezing it, I use an aluminum tray. If I’m baking it to serve right then, I use a casserole dish.)
  3. Pour the sloppy joe sauce on top of the beef and mix well.
  4. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of the ground beef mixture.
  5. Take the tater tots and lay them in a single layer on top of the cheese.
  6. Cover tightly with two layers of aluminum foil. 
  7. Freeze.

collage of steps to make tater tot sloppy joes casseroleCooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Bake for 25 minutes at 400°.close up of casserole dish with tater tot sloppy joes and a plate with some on it ready to serve
Print
Tater Tot Sloppy Joes Casserole
Course: Main Course
Keyword: casserole, sloppy Joes, tater tot
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 470 kcal
Ingredients
  • 32 oz. bag tater tots
  • 2 lbs. ground beef browned
  • 15 oz. can Sloppy Joes sauce
  • 8 oz. cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Brown the ground beef.

  2. Place browned ground beef at the bottom of a casserole dish or aluminum tray.

  3. Pour the sloppy joe sauce on top of the beef and mix well.

  4. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of the ground beef mixture.

  5. Take the tater tots and lay them in a single layer on top of the cheese.

  6. Cover tightly with two layers of aluminum foil.

  7. Freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.

  2. Bake for 25 minutes at 400°.

You might also want to check out these other freezer meal tater tot casseroles:

Easy Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casseroleclose up of easy cheesy tater tot chicken casserole with cheese

Tater Tot Pizza Casserole fork lifting some tater tot pizza casserole from a dish

Crock Pot Tater Tot Casserole with Beef and Veggiescrockpot with tater tot beef and veggie casserole that has cheese on top

Easy Cheesy Tater Tot Chicken Casserole

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My kids will eat pretty much anything if it involves tater tots. This cheesy tater tot chicken casserole is no exception. And I like that it is an easy make-ahead crockpot recipe that is a dump-and-go! mash of food on a white plate next to a fork with text that reads "Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole" #freezermeals101 #tatertotcasserole #chickendinner #cheesychickenTater tot casseroles are a go-to around here. I’m not sure that our kids could choose a favorite between our Ground Beef and Vegetable Tater Tot Casserole, Pizza Tater Tot Casserole, and Tater Tot Casserole with Ground Sausage.

This all-in-one meal is family-friendly and tasty. This is exactly the kind of dinner busy families need for those crazy weeknights juggling homework, soccer or piano practice, and trying to get supper on the table.

Cheesy Tater Tot Chicken Casserole Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. chicken breasts, boneless and skinless*
  • 32 oz. bag of frozen tater tots
  • 1 small bag of bacon bits or 3 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 12 oz. can evaporated milk
  • salt and pepper

*You can cube the chicken breasts or leave them whole.

Assembly Instructions:

  1. Place the chicken in a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. Add the tater tots, bacon bits or crumbled cooked bacon, shredded cheese, evaporated milk, and seasonings.
  3. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

collage of chicken tater tot casserole in the crockpot and on a plateCooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Spray your crockpot with nonstick spray or use a crockpot liner (these are a major mess saver!).
  3. Dump the bag contents into the slow cooker.
  4. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Variations on this recipe:

  • Use tex mex or nacho blends of shredded cheese in place of the cheddar to kick it up a notch.
  • If you want things to be even cheesier, add additional cheese to the top in the last 15 minutes of cooking.
  • Substitute turkey bacon for the bacon.
  • Use imitation bacon bits instead of bacon or omit it altogether.
Print
Cheesy Tater Tot Chicken Casserole
Course: Main Course
Keyword: casserole, chicken, tater tot
Servings: 6
Calories: 691 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. chicken breasts boneless and skinless*
  • 32 oz. bag of frozen tater tots
  • 1 small bag of bacon bits or 3 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
  • 12 oz. can evaporated milk
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
Assembly Instructions:

  1. Place the chicken in a large resealable freezer bag.

  2. Add the tater tots, bacon bits or crumbled cooked bacon, shredded cheese, evaporated milk, and seasonings.

  3. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.

  2. Spray your crockpot with nonstick spray or use a crockpot liner (these are a major mess saver!).

  3. Dump the bag contents into the slow cooker.

  4. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Recipe Notes

*You can cube the chicken breasts or leave them whole.

 

You might also be interested in these recipes:

Tater Tot Casserole with Ground Beef and Veggiesclose up of cheese covered tater tot casserole with beef and veggies in a slow cooker

Pizza Tater Tot Casseroleclose up of tater tot pizza casserole

Beefy Rice Crock Pot Casseroleclose up of a bowl of beefy rice slow cooker casserole

Tater Tot Casserole with Beef and Veggies

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My kids will eat pretty much anything as long as it involves tater tots. This tater tot casserole with beef and veggies is an easy all in one meal that can be made ahead and then popped in the crockpot on cooking day. This is a quick and easy comfort food. a black crock pot is filled with a cheesy casserole and a spoon scooping some of it out with text that reads "Tater Tot Casserole with beef and veggies" #freezermeals101 #tatertotcasserole #beefandvegcasserole Our original tater tot casserole is based on the Duggar recipe except that we use ground sausage instead of turkey and don’t use the chicken soup (so I guess it’s totally different!) is most of our kids’ absolute favourite thing to eat, but it’s not all that healthy. We love our tater tot pizza casserole, but I wanted more variety. I’ve been trying different ideas for a new one and this one fits the bill.

This has meat and vegetables and my kids all love it. Healthy AND something my kids will actually eat gives this recipe major points!

I make this tater tot casserole as a freezer meal, but if you prefer, you can always cook it the same day instead. Better yet, make two. Eat one and freeze the other so you’ve got an easy weeknight meal for next week!

Tater Tot Casserole with Beef and Veggies:

Tater Tot Casserole Ingredients:

  • 750 g bag frozen tater tots
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef, browned
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables
  • 10.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp. dry mustard powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups of cheddar cheese, shredded

collage of tater tot beef and veggie casserole in the crockpot and freezer bagAssembly instructions:

  1. Brown ground beef and cool slightly.
  2. Place beef in a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Add the chopped onion and mixed vegetables.
  4. In a mixing bowl, stir together soup, evaporated milk, garlic, and seasonings. Pour into the bag over the other ingredients.
  5. Place the shredded cheese in a medium freezer bag.
  6. Remove the excess air from both bags, seal, and staple together above the fold.
  7. Freeze.

Crockpot cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump the contents of the large bag into the slow cooker.* Cook on high for 3-4 hours or 6 hours on low.
  3. Top with cheese near the end of cooking.
  4. Serve.

*This casserole tends to stick to the sides of the slow cooker making it hard to clean afterwards, so I suggest using Crock-Pot liners. They are food safe and can be thrown out after use making clean-up a breeze!

Oven cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Place contents of the large bag in a 9×13 casserole dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes.
  3. Serve. close up of tater tot beef and veggie casserole in the crockpot

More family favourite freezer meals:

Print
Tater Tot Casserole with Beef and Veggies
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: tater tot casserole
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 569 kcal
Ingredients
  • 750 g bag frozen tater tots
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef browned
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
  • 10.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/4 tsp. dry mustard powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Assembly instructions:

  1. Brown ground beef and cool slightly.

  2. In a large bowl, stir together soup, evaporated milk, garlic, and seasonings.

  3. Add the chopped onion and mixed vegetables.

  4. Add cooled beef and mix gently.

  5. Add tater tots and mix again. Spoon mixture into a large (gallon) freezer bag.

  6. Place the shredded cheese in a medium freezer bag.

  7. Remove the excess air from both bags, seal, and staple together above the fold.

  8. Freeze.
Crock pot cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.

  2. Dump the contents of the large bag into the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or 6 hours on low.

  3. Top with cheese near the end of cooking.
  4. Serve.
Oven cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.

  2. Place contents of the large bag in a 9x13 casserole dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes.

  3. Serve.

Tater Tot Pizza Casserole Freezer Meal

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Freezer meals don’t get much more kid-friendly than combining tater tots and pizza flavours. This Tater Tot Pizza Casserole can be made as a freezer meal or layered and cooked immediately. This Tater Tot Pizza Casserole is super kid friendly #freezermeals101 #kidfriendly #casserolerecipeThis recipe bakes in a square casserole dish, but can easily be doubled and made in a rectangular casserole dish.

In a family our size, we always double it. Our kids love tater tots and they love pizza. This one is always a hit!

Tater Tot Pizza Casserole Recipe:

  • 2 cups frozen tater tots
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp. basil
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional
  • 1/4 cup pepperoni slices
  • 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Freezer meal instructions:

Place the frozen tater tots, tomato sauce, seasonings, pepperoni, and chopped green pepper in a large resealable bag. Remove the excess air and seal.

Measure out the shredded cheddar cheese into a medium-sized freezer bag and seal. Staple the bags together above the seal. collage of tater tot pizza casserole in a square panOn the day you cook this, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Dump the contents of the large bag into a square baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese on top.

Cover with tin foil. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes. If cheese is not fully melted, remove the tin foil and cook for another 5 minutes. close up of tater tot pizza casserole

Cook immediately instructions:

Lay the frozen tater tots in an even layer on the bottom of your casserole dish.

In a small bowl, mix together the tomato sauce and seasonings. Spread the tomato sauce over the tater tots.

Sprinkle the cheese on in an even layer and finish with your choice of pizza toppings. collage showing steps to layer ingredients for the tater tot pizza casseroleCover with tin foil. Heat oven. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes.

This recipe is so versatile. You can add sliced mushrooms, finely cubed ham, crumbled bacon, chopped onions, or diced tomatoes. Whichever flavours you like on your pizza you can add to the tater tot casserole.close up of tater tot pizza casserole on a fork One of the greatest things about this recipe is that it’s so easy for little ones to help with it. They can dump the tots in the pan, spread the tomato sauce over the tater tots, and sprinkle on the toppings.

If you made it ahead as a freezer meal, they can pretty much assemble the whole thing. Depending on their age, they may need help putting it into the oven. This recipe is a great way to give kids a bit of independence in the kitchen.

Here are some other kid-friendly make-ahead meals:

Instant Pot Turkey Sloppy Joes collage of instant pot turkey sloppy JoesMake-Ahead Pancake Mini Muffins close up of mini pancake muffins for kids

Print
Tater Tot Pizza Casserole Recipe
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: casserole, pizza, tater tot
Servings: 4
Calories: 184 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2 cups frozen tater tots
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp. basil
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes optional
  • 1/4 cup pepperoni slices
  • 1/4 cup green pepper chopped
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Freezer meal instructions:
  1. Place the frozen tater tots, tomato sauce, seasonings, pepperoni, and chopped green pepper in a large resealable bag. Remove the excess air and seal.

  2. Measure out the shredded cheddar cheese into a medium-sized freezer bag and seal. Staple the bags together above the seal.

  3. On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Dump the contents of the large bag into a square baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese on top. 

  4. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes.
Cook immediately instructions:
  1. Lay the frozen tater tots in an even layer on the bottom of your casserole dish.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the tomato sauce and seasonings.
  3. Spread the tomato sauce over the tater tots.
  4. Sprinkle the cheese on in an even layer and finish with your choice of pizza toppings.
  5. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes.
Recipe Notes

This recipe is so versatile. You can add sliced mushrooms, finely cubed ham, crumbled bacon, or diced tomatoes. Whichever flavours you like on your pizza you can add to the casserole.