This quick and easy tater tot casserole recipe is made without cheese, without eggs, and without cream of mushroom soup! It comes together with ground beef, onion, dairy free milk, broth, mixed vegetables, and frozen tater tots.
Tater tot casserole is also known as tater tot hotdish depending where you live! It's a simple, hearty, and comforting casserole, perfect for quick weeknight meals.
A typical tator tot casserole will have meat, potatoes, veggies, canned condensed soup, and cheese.
How to Make Tater Tot Casserole without Cream of Mushroom Soup
To make this kid friendly dairy free casserole, here's what you'll need:
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Flour, gluten free if needed
- Broth
- Dairy free milk
- Mixed vegetables
- Frozen tater tots
No dairy, no problem! We're going to create a quick roux that will help thicken everything up.
Start by browning ground beef and cooking the onion. To make a roux, add the flour and stir to coat everything. Pour in broth and bring to a simmer. Add plant based milk of choice and stir until thickened. Add veggies and grab your baking dish!
Note: You can add any extra veggies you may have such as zucchini, squash, bell pepper, mushrooms, and more.
How Long To Cook Dairy Free Tater Tot Casserole
Transfer meat and veggie mixture to a 9x13 baking dish then top with frozen tater tots.
Cook for 30 minutes then if desired, sprinkle some dairy free shredded cheese on top and place casserole dish back in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheeze melts.
This meal is hearty, comforting, and perfect for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s
nostalgic for me because everytime I make it, I’m reminded of past
holiday dinners. It’s a great dish to have during the holidays to mix up
traditional turkey and mashed potatoes!
Ground Beef Tater Tot Casserole Recipe FAQ
Use whichever milk you have on hand! You just want to make sure it's plain and unsweetened. I typically use oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, or flax milk.
To make this a meatless tater tot casserole, omit the ground beef or use beefless crumbles instead.
Frozen tater tots are often times gluten free but not always. Be sure to always check nutritional labels!
They're most popular around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the holidays season but I enjoy this cheap & easy dinner all year long either as a main dish entree or side.
More Dairy Free Dinners
Looking for more dairy free comfort food classic recipes? Try these next.
- Thick & Creamy Potato Soup
- Meat Free Eggplant Parmesan
- Egg Free & Dairy Free Meatballs
- Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole
- One Pan Unstuffed Peppers Skillet
- Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Dairy Free Green Bean Casserole
- Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Dairy Free Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ¼ cup broth
- ¼ cup dairy-free milk
- ½ cup mixed vegetables
- 2 cups frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking oil.
- Warm about a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet and cook ground beef until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks.
- Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in flour to coat everything then stream in broth and bring to a simmer.
- Stir in dairy-free milk and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thick, stirring occasionally.
- Add vegetables, give everything a final stir, and transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.
- Top with tater tots and bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!
Suggested Products
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet with Red Silicone Hot Handle Holder, 10.25-inch
Black Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set
STAUB Ceramics Rectangular Baking Dish
Missy says
This was very good and much simpler than I thought it would be! My family loved it! There was not a single bit left over. I guess I need to make two pans next time. I used GF flour and it worked great!
Jenna Urben says
I'm so happy to hear that, Missy 🙂 It's one of my favorite meals to make!
Debbie says
What kind of broth?
Jenna Urben says
You can use whatever type of broth you prefer – beef, chicken, or veggie will all work.
C says
Thank you for the great recipe! And the button to make 2x, 3x the amount is awesome!! Thanks so much!!
Jenna Urben says
You're welcome and thank you for leaving a comment! Very happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and my blog 🙂 Have a wonderful day.
Becky says
the recipe indicates broth, is that chicken broth or what flavor of broth? And what kind of dairy-free milk do you use?
Jenna Urben says
Hi Becky, thanks for commenting! For broth, you can use chicken broth, beef broth, or veggie broth. For dairy free milk, use any unsweetened and unflavored non dairy milk you have – I usually use oat milk, almond milk, or soy milk. I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Mallorie says
Looking at making this for a friends freezer… how long would you recommend baking it from frozen? Covered or uncovered? Thanks!
Jenna Urben says
Hi Mallorie! To cook from frozen, bake uncovered at 350F for about 60 minutes.
However if time permits, let the casserole defrost in the fridge for 1 day. Then loosely cover the dish with foil and reheat at 350F for 45-55 minutes.