Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole Jump to Recipe Leave a Review NF Pin Share Tweet This Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole is made from scratch without any canned soup! It’s an easy, creamy, and comforting meal that’s great for a weeknight dinner, special weekend treat, or delicious potluck dish. Plus it only takes 20 minutes of hands-on time! I can’t believe August is almost over!!! That means school time is around the corner or has already started for some of you and that means busy nights. When I am going to be having a busy night I like to use help from my crock pot. And when life gets crazy I tend to crave comfort food. Enter this Bacon Cheeseburger Crock Pot Tater Tot Casserole! Why you will LOVE this recipe: It’s super easy to make! There is nothing better than a simple dinner that pleases everybody in the family. It’s made from scratch with no canned soups. This makes it that much healthier without losing the creamy goodness of a traditional soup version. This recipe is versatile and has options. You can substitute a can of cream soup if you prefer, you can bake it in the oven like a traditional tater tot casserole, and you can easily downsize the recipe to serve a small family. Depending on how your day is going, you can serve this dish as is or serve with a simple tossed salad, or steamed vegetables and some crusty bread. YUM! Ingredients: To start this recipe, you will need lean ground beef, bacon, onion, and garlic. Then you will need flour, milk, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Hot sauce adds just a touch of spice, but is optional. Last you will need cheddar cheese, frozen mixed vegetables (whichever combination of veggies you prefer), sour cream, salt, pepper, and frozen tater tots. How to make Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole: In a large skillet brown ground beef, bacon, onion and garlic over medium heat until beef is no longer pink. Sprinkle the flour over the ground beef and stir well to combine. Then stir in the milk, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar, frozen vegetables and sour cream. Spray the crock pot with non-stick spray. Place some tater tots in the bottom of the crock pot, then pour the meat gravy over tater tots. Arrange remaining tater tots on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-3 1/2 hours. In the last 10 minutes of cooking sprinkle with extra cheddar if desired, then cover and finish cooking. Tips for making this casserole: To make a lump-free gravy, the trick is to mix the flour with the browned hamburger. It was a trick I learned a very long time ago from watching my mom and grandma cook. I use this method to make biscuits and gravy too and it works every single time. Make sure to break up the beef well with a wooden spoon or ground meat masher while browning it. Don’t forget to spray the slow cooker with non-stick spray! This will save you a lot of sticking and mess. FAQs Can I freeze bacon cheeseburger tater tot casserole? Yes, this casserole freezes well. Allow it to cool fully, then place in an air-tight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in the oven or in the microwave. Can I make it ahead? Since this is a slow cooker recipe, you are able to make everything ahead and serve it later that day. You could also make the hamburger gravy mixture ahead and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days. Then you can rewarm the mixture slightly and assemble the casserole in the slow cooker, cook according to the directions, and serve fresh. Can I use fresh veggies instead? Yes, you can use fresh carrots, celery, green beans, or corn. Make sure to chop any fresh veggies into very small pieces so that they cook thoroughly. More slow cooker comfort food recipes: Slow Cooker Pot RoastSlow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatball SoupMashed Potatoes in the Slow CookerSlow Cooker French Dip SandwichesSlow Cooker Beef and Bean Sloppy Joe’s HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for all my latest updates! 5 from 2 votes Print Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 3 hrs Total Time 3 hrs 20 mins This Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole is made from scratch without any canned soup! It's an easy, creamy, and comforting dinner that only takes 20 minutes of hands-on time. Course: Beef, Main Dish, Slow Cooker Cuisine: American Keyword: Bacon, beef, casserole, Cheeseburger, crockpot, Easy, slow cooker, tater tot casserole Servings: 8 servings Calories: 470 kcal Author: Malinda Linnebur Ingredients 2 pounds lean ground beef 10 strips bacon, diced 1 small onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced â…“ cup all purpose flour 3 cups milk 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce dash of hot sauce, optional 3 cups cheddar cheese, plus a little extra for topping if desired 1 (12-16 oz) bag frozen mixed vegetables ÂĽ cup sour cream salt and pepper to taste 1 (2 pound) bag frozen tater tots Instructions In a large skillet brown ground beef, bacon, onion and garlic over medium heat until beef is no longer pink. Sprinkle the flour over the ground beef and stir well to combine. Stir in the milk, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar, frozen vegetables and sour cream. Spray the crock pot with non-stick spray. Place some tater tots in the bottom of the crock pot. Pour meat gravy over tater tots. Arrange remaining tater tots on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-3 1/2 hours. In the last 10 minutes of cooking sprinkle with extra cheddar if desired. Cover and finish cooking. Recipe Notes Substitute canned soup: If you would like to substitute in your favorite cream soup just omit the flour, milk, Worcestershire, and sour cream. If you are making the full recipe add in 2 cans. Half the recipe: If you would like to downsize this recipe just cut the ingredient amounts in half except for the tater tots. To make in the oven: If you would like to make this recipe in the oven, spread meat gravy in a 9×13 casserole dish and top with tater tots. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until the tater tots are to your liking. Tips for the gravy: To make a lump-free gravy, the trick is to mix the flour with the browned hamburger. It was a trick I learned a very long time ago from watching my mom and grandma cook. I use this method to make biscuits and gravy too and it works every single time. Freezer instructions: To freeze, cool completely and store in an air-tight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in the oven or microwave. Nutrition Facts Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole Amount Per Serving Calories 470 Calories from Fat 270 % Daily Value* Fat 30g46%Saturated Fat 16g100%Cholesterol 130mg43%Sodium 414mg18%Potassium 588mg17%Carbohydrates 11g4%Fiber 1g4%Sugar 6g7%Protein 37g74% Vitamin A 566IU11%Vitamin C 2mg2%Calcium 441mg44%Iron 3mg17% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the information shown is just an estimate. See this recipe on Julie’s Eats and Treats, where I’m a contributor! Subscribe Never Miss A Recipe! Weekly Recaps Daily Emails