Healthy Tater Tot Casserole with Beef and Lentils

This Healthy Tater Tot Casserole is an upgraded comfort food recipe made with simple, real-food ingredients to keep the whole family nourished and satisfied. We’ve incorporated canned lentils and frozen veggies for more nutrition in the most convenient ways. With minimal prep time and a total time of about an hour, it’s a hearty casserole dish that can easily be stored for later and reheated when you need a quick meal.

This post was created in partnership with the Northern Pulse Growers Association.

What Is Tater Tot Casserole Made Of?

Here’s what you’ll need to make this healthy casserole recipe today: 

• Avocado oil – may sub olive oil
• Yellow onion – you’ll need one yellow onion; may sub white onion
• Ground beef – look for 90-93% lean ground beef; may substitute ground bison, ground turkey, or ground chicken
• Diced mushrooms – you’ll need 8 ounces of mushrooms. White button, cremini, or baby bella mushrooms all work well in this tater tot casserole recipe
• All-purpose flour – may sub all-purpose gluten-free flour for a gluten-free version
• Chicken broth – either store-bought chicken broth or homemade bone broth will work
• Seasonings – you’ll need salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper
• Lentils – feel free to use brown or red lentils; for quick assembly, use canned lentils
• Frozen mixed vegetables – use a 12-ounce bag of frozen mixed vegetables

• Cauliflower rice – use store-bought cauliflower rice, or make homemade cauliflower rice
• Cheddar cheese – we recommend buying a block of cheese and shredding it yourself for the best melty results. Sharp cheddar cheese is another great option
• Frozen tater tots (crispy crowns) – you’ll need one 28-ounce package of tater tots. You can use shredded hash browns, though we find that tots work best for crispy tater tots in this hotdish

Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.

Ingredient Spotlight: Lentils

Lentils are a pulse crop along with other common beans and peas, including chickpeas, pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans, split peas, and more. Many pulse crops are grown in the U.S., and of those, 80-85% are grown in Montana and North Dakota. 

We love to incorporate lentil because they’re a budget-friendly way to add plant-based protein and fiber to a variety of recipes. Also, lentils are also full of health benefits! For example, lentils are:

• Rich in thiamine, niacin, folate, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, and manganese
• A good source of vitamin B6
• An excellent source of polyphenols, which have antioxidant properties to help boost the immune system
• A nutritious, complex carb source to keep you full

How to Make a Tater Tot Casserole

1. Preheat your oven, and grease a baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then, add part of the oil and onions, and sauté until the onions start to become fragrant. Add the ground beef, and break it into pieces as it cooks.
3. Drain the mixture, and transfer it to the prepared baking dish.
4. Add the remaining oil and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are soft. Add the flour, stirring to coat the mushrooms. Then, add the broth one cup at a time, stirring constantly. Simmer until the mixture thickens to a gravy-like texture.
5. Pour the mushroom mixture into the baking dish over the beef mixture. Add the cooked lentils, frozen mixed vegetables, frozen cauliflower rice, and part of the shredded cheese. Stir to combine, and spread the mixture evenly across the baking dish.
6. Layer the tater tots on top, pressing down lightly. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
7. Bake until the casserole is bubbly and the tater tots are golden brown on top.

For serving size and the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing calories (kcals), protein, carbohydrates/carb, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.

How to Store

Store leftover tater tot casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Or, freeze the cooled leftovers for up to three months.

To freeze before baking: To keep the tater tots crisp, we recommend assembling the casserole and freezing it before baking. To eat, allow the casserole to thaw in the fridge overnight, and bake in the oven as directed in the recipe card.

Try More Recipes With Lentils

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie with Lentils (Gluten Free Cottage Pie)

Hearty Slow Cooker Vegan Chili with Lentils

Saucy Beef and Lentil Meatballs (Easy Weeknight Meal)

Beef and Lentil Stew (Moroccan-Spiced)

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Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 17 reviews

Healthy Tater Tot Casserole with Beef and Lentils

Get those comfort-food flavors and coziness, but infused with nutrition from the addition of lentils, ground beef, and plenty of veggies. This high-protein, high-fiber version of tater tot casserole is free of highly processed ingredients and it’s family friendly, too.

Prep: 20 minsCook: 35-40 minsTotal: 55-60 mins

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Servings: 9 servings 1x

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Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons avocado oil, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 lb lean ground beef (we use 90/10 or 93/7)
• 3 cups diced mushrooms (8 oz package)
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (use gluten-free flour if needed)
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or beef broth
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can cooked lentils (or 2 cups cooked lentils)
• 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 cup frozen cauliflower rice
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 (28-ounce) package frozen tater tots or crispy crowns

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Mist a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add one teaspoon of oil and onions. Sauté for 2 minutes then add the ground beef. Break into small pieces as it cooks through, about 8-10 minutes.
3. Drain the cooked onion-ground beef mixture, if needed, and transfer it to the prepared baking dish.
4. To the same skillet, add the remaining 2 teaspoons avocado oil and the mushrooms. Cook over medium heat for 2-4 minutes or until mushrooms are soft. Add the flour, stirring to evenly coat the mushrooms. Slowly add the broth one cup at a time, stirring constantly to avoid flour lumps. Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until thickened. Add the salt, garlic and onion powders, and black pepper. Stir to combine. 
5. Pour the mushroom mixture into the baking dish over the ground beef mixture. Add the cooked lentils, frozen mixed vegetables, frozen cauliflower rice, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Stir well.
6. Stir and spread the mixture out evenly in the baking dish.
7. Layer the tater tots over top of it in an even layer and press down very lightly. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup shredded cheese on top. 
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and the tater tots are golden brown on top.
9. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 1/9th of casserole
• Calories: 390
• Fat: 20 g
• (Sat Fat: 8 g)
• Sodium: 676 mg
• Carbohydrate: 29 g
• (Fiber: 6 g
• Sugar: 4 g)
• Protein: 28 g
• Cholesterol: 58 mg

Dietary

Egg-FreeNut-free

© The Real Food Dietitians

Recipe By: Ana Ankeny

The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel Cook of Half Acre House.

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