Chili Cheese Tater Tot Casserole

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Chili Cheese Tater Tot Casserole is a twist on a family favorite recipe.  Homemade chili, cheese, hot dogs, tater tots….need I say more?!?!

chili cheese tater tot casserole in a dish

I grew up eating tater tot casserole, and it was a childhood favorite.  My brother and I always cleaned our plates with this meal.  My mom often put mixed vegetables in her tater tot casserole.

I guess it was a way to get us to eat more veggies.

Almost everyone has a recipe for the original tater tot casserole so I thought I would make a different version.  Well, a completely different version! This tater tot hot dog casserole is a fun twist!

If you’ve been looking for more casseroles, be sure to try my Sausage Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole, Corn Casserole, Upside Down Pizza Casserole, and Chicken and Stuffing Casserole.

Why You’ll Love Chili Cheese Tater Tot Casserole

  • Satisfying
  • Fun and Delicious
  • Kids and Adults Love It!
  • Comfort Food
  • 10 Ingredients
  • Hot dog tater tot casserole is great for entertaining too!
chili dog casserole on a plate

How To Make Chili Tater Tot Casserole

Step 1: Prep the baking dish

Start by preheating the oven. Grease a baking dish and set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the chili

Brown the ground beef and drain. Then mix in the chili beans, tomato sauce, hot dog slices, and seasonings. Stir well.

Step 3: Assemble

Place chili in the baking dish. Sprinkle with onions and cheese. Add tater tots and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with more cheese, then bake the tater tot hot dog casserole for an additional 3-5 minutes. Serve the chili dog casserole and enjoy!

plate filled with chili cheese tater tot casserole

Frequently Asked Questions

CAN I MAKE CHILI TATER TOT CASSEROLE WITH CANNED CHILI?

Yes, in a pinch you can use canned chili for this chili dog casserole. You are going to have the best results making homemade chili, but it’s completely up to you. Honestly, this hot dog tater tot casserole is pretty amazing either way!

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER TATER TOT HOT DOG CASSEROLE?

After the casserole has cooled down completely, add it to a food container. Add a tight fitting lid and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

HOW DO YOU REHEAT HOT DOG TATER TOT CASSEROLE?

You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or oven. For the microwave, place on a microwave safe plate and cover with a paper towel. Heat for 1-2 minutes, stir, and continue heating until hot.
For the oven, preheat to 350 degrees and warm the chili tater tot casserole for 10-15 minutes or until hot.

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Chili Dog Tater Tot Casserole

Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: tater tot casserole
Chili Dog Tater Tot Casserole is a twist on a family favorite recipe. Chili, cheese, hot dogs, tater tots….need I say more?!?!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 413kcal
Author: Malinda Linnebur
Print Recipe Save Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 (15oz) can chili beans
  • 1 (15oz) can tomato sauce
  • 4 hot dogs cut into small bites
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
  • 1 (32oz) package tater tots

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish, set aside.
  • CHILI: Brown ground beef until no longer pink. Drain completely. Add in chili beans, tomato sauce, hot dogs and seasonings. Stir to combine.
  • ASSEMBLY: Spoon chili into prepared dish. Sprinkle chopped onions on top then sprinkle 2 cups cheddar on top. Arrange tater tots on top of the cheddar (the whole package may not be used). Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Return to oven for 3-5 minutes just to melt the cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 621mg | Potassium: 393mg | Vitamin A: 790IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 427mg | Iron: 3mg

43 thoughts on “Chili Cheese Tater Tot Casserole”

  1. 5 stars
    I was looking for a way to use up leftover chili (trying to stretch the grocery budget amidst rising food costs!), and came across your recipe. It was definitely a hit, my spouse went up for 2nds & 3rds- and took the last portion in his lunch today. This recipe is going into our “keepers” file for sure! Thanks for the recipe:)

    Reply
    • Thanks for sharing and so glad you liked it! I am hoping to post more recipes to help stretch the grocery budget because the food prices are getting crazy!!

      Reply
      • 5 stars
        This was a fantastic recipe for leftover homemade chilli. Adding wieners, tator tots and cheese was ingenious and as stated a great way to extend the food budget. It is a great comfort food for cold days in 🇨🇦. Absolutely loved it! Kate

        Reply
  2. 5 stars
    You are just too, too nice! 😁 We do forget though that there are cooks who follow a recipe EXACTLY and don’t understand they can adapt to their family preferences, and those that use them as a guideline and “tweak” it a little. I made your recipe this morning and cooked the onions with the hamburger, basically to hide them from eyes that would spy them and not be happy 😉.
    We will be eating later today, but I have an eye for good recipes, and this is one! Thank you!

    Reply
  3. How stupid. I wanted a hot dog cass with tater tots. This is a HAMBURGER cass with just 4 hot dogs?????? Not what was advertised!!!!

    Reply
      • You are just too, too nice! 😁 We do forget though that there are cooks who follow a recipe EXACTLY and don’t understand they can adapt to their family preferences, and those that use them as a guideline and “tweak” it a little. I made your recipe this morning and cooked the onions with the hamburger, basically to hide them from eyes that would spy them and not be happy 😉.
        We will be eating later today, but I have an eye for good recipes, and this is one! Thank you!

        Reply
  4. 5 stars
    I am gonna make this as soon as I get to the store to buy some hotdogs cause I am all out. My husband and I both love chili dogs.

    Reply
    • I can’t say for sure but I think 2 cans would be enough. Thanks for asking and sorry I couldn’t be of more help! Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
      • I’m making it now and using 2 cans.
        The carb count has to be wrong though. With the chili and tater tots, 7 carbs is way too low.
        My cans of chili have 52 carbs each and then the tater tots are 22 carbs for 10. I used about half a bag. Then 3 carbs per hot dog. I’m guessing about 204 for the entire pan so if you get 6 servings, carbs are about 34 per serving.

        Reply
        • I will look into this. The recipe has an autogenerate option and I have always wondered how accurate it is. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

          Reply
    • I haven’t made this from frozen so I can’t say for sure but I would guess at least an hour. Thanks and I hope you enjoy!! 🙂

      Reply
  5. I love the original tater tot casserole. I raised my kids on it. Now, it’s just the 2 of us and I can’t wait to try this. My husband is all over anything that taste like a chili dog. Thanks

    Reply
  6. We had this for supper tonight and it was delicious! My wife said it needed just a little more heat, so may use HOT chili beans rather than the mild ones we used. Maybe add a package of chili seasoning.

    Reply
  7. Tater tot casserole WAS my childhood, but adding the chili dog twist takes this to a whole other level! My kids are going to go bananas over this!

    Reply

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