A crispy, delicious twist on the classic dish. This Tater Tot Shepherd's Pie is easy, tasty, and perfect for the entire family.
What is Tater Tot Shepherd's Pie?
Great question. This recipe is a fun twist on a traditional shepherd's pie or traditional cottage pie. A traditional shepherd's pie is a dish of minced lamb or beef covered with mashed potatoes. Basically, a delicious complete meal in the form of a hearty casserole or pie. Over time this dish has evolved to a dish including mashed potatoes, a meat mixture, vegetables, with some topped with delicious biscuits. Get ready to evolve the dish again.
This tater tot cottage pie brings a Midwestern flair to the dish by topping it off with a layer of crispy tater tots vs. the classic potato or biscuit options. This is an easy recipe that combines many of the original components, less work, and tater tots! Convinced yet? Try this tater tot masterpiece for the first time, and I promise there is no going back!
Tater Tot Shepherd's Pie Ingredients
Gather these ingredients for a shortcut shepherd's pie recipe that is sure to be a hit!
- lean ground beef
- tater tot rounds
- cream of chicken soup
- mixed vegetables (frozen)
- shredded cheddar cheese
- worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper
How to Make a Tater Tot Shepherd's Pie
Follow these instructions to make this delicious recipe for the whole family:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with olive oil and set aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Brown ground beef and drain excess grease from skillet. Add salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Stir.
- Add in the veggie mixture and can of soup. Stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Pour the mixture into the casserole dish.
- Evenly distribute the tater tots across the top of the casserole.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly on top of the layer of tater tots.
- Bake at 375 for 30 mins.
- Let cool and enjoy!
Tater Tot Shepherd's Pie Substitution Ideas
Try these substitutions for this shepherd's pie tater tot casserole if you're looking for a change:
- Meat: If you don't love beef for your ground meat, you could try ground turkey instead.
- Veggies: Use whatever frozen veggies you have on hand! I used a mixed bag of corn, carrots, and green beans. You could also use fresh vegetables.
- Soup: Instead of cream of chicken, you could use cream of mushroom soup.
How long does Tater Tot Shepherd's Pie last in the fridge?
This recipe will last up to 5 days in the fridge. With this in mind, definitely think about adding this to your list of hearty ground beef casseroles to meal prep. It's an easy way to make sure your dinners are locked and loaded for the week.
How to Meal Prep this Recipe
This is a great recipe to meal prep if you know you have a week of busy nights ahead of you. The easiest way to meal prep is to simply make the recipe according to the instructions.
After this, split the recipe into 6 equal portions. Take out of the baking dish, and place into individual containers. Then, when you're ready to enjoy this yummy comfort food, pull out a container, heat in the microwave, and enjoy!
How to Make Shepherd's Pie with Tater Tots
If you are asking this question, you certainly came to the right place. There isn't a better place to find out how to make shepherd's pie with tater tots!
I find that the best way to add tater tots to the shepherd's pie is to evenly layer them on top of the filling. That way, they don't get soggy, and instead get golden brown and crispy.
How to spice up your Shepherd's Pie?
Once again, you came to the right place! With a crispy layer of delicious tater tots and some melty cheese on top, this is certainly not your grandma's shepherd's pie.
Trust me and try this recipe, it's full of creaminess, yummy veggies, delicious ground beef, texture, and plenty of pizzazz.
What can I use to Thicken my Shepherd's Pie?
The can of creamy soup mixed with the beef layer really work to thicken this recipe's hearty filling. If you still aren't satisfied with the level of thickness, you can mix 1 tablespoon of corn starch with 1 cup of beef broth and add to the filling. Corn starch is a thickening agent and will most certainly help your filling do so.
Other Delicious Tater Tot Ideas
Try out these other tater tot inspired dishes at Jordo's World:
Tater Tot Shepherd's Pie
Equipment
- casserole dish
- Large Skillet
- Measuring Cups
Ingredients
- 1 lb 93% lean ground beef
- 6 servings tater tot rounds
- 1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
- 12 oz bag mixed frozen veggies (corn, green beans, carrots)
- ½ cup cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking grease and set aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown ground beef and drain excess grease from skillet. Add salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Stir.
- Add in the mixed vegetables and can of soup. Stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Pour the mixture into the casserole dish.
- Evenly distribute the tater tots across the top of the casserole.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly on top of the tater tots.
- Bake at 375 for 30 mins.
- Let cool and enjoy!
Jamee says
Delicious! I used leftover mashed potatoes and it was so good 🙂
Hope Gustafson says
This is SO easy & delicious!!!! Honestly, the hardest part of the entire recipe is browning the meat (that should tell you how easy it is!). We definitely will be eating this again!! YUM!
Rae says
This recipe hit all the highlights: easy, yummy, and high protein! We aren’t but tater tot fans so we topped with quartered biscuits and it was delish.
Jordan Smith says
LOVE the idea of using biscuits instead! Glad you all enjoyed.
Ashley says
I loved how simple this recipe was! After having my first baby, I needed simple go to recipes that could come together quickly and this one nailed it. My husband loved it as well(hello tater tots)!
Julia Golding says
So good!! Will be making again!