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Chili Cheese Dog Tater Tot Casserole
This Chili Cheese Dog Tater Tot Casserole is a fun, family-friendly dinner made with hot dogs, chili, melted cheese, and crispy tater tots.
SIMPLE ALL IN ONE PAN DINNER
Wanting to get out of the usual dinner rut? Try this Chili Cheese Dog Tater Tot Casserole. It’s such a fun recipe and it is a family pleaser! It’s a combination of two all-time classic favorite foods: chili cheese hot dogs and tater tots! One of my favorite things about this dish is that it is all made in one skillet which makes clean up even easier! It’s a win-win!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What’s the best cheese for this casserole? I love the Colby Jack Cheese, but you can use cheddar, Monterey Jack, or even a Mexican Cheese blend. What to serve with Chili Cheese Dog Tater Casserole? We serve this with a garden salad and a side of buttered corn. Any roasted or steamed vegetable would be good too. Could I use canned chili? If you really want to make this super simple, just grab two (15-ounce) cans of chili and add the sliced hot dogs then top with some cheese and tater tots for an even quicker meal to make. What if I don’t have an oven safe skillet? If you don’t have an oven safe skillet, you can use a 2 or 2.5 quart casserole dish like a 9-inch square baking pan. If using one of these, it’s possible that you won’t need as many tater rounds since it’s not as wide as a skillet. How long does leftover casserole last? You can keep this in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container, once cooled. You can reheat in the air fryer or the oven. You can freeze leftovers in a freezer safe container for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
ground beef – I used lean ground beef so there was no excess grease to drain but use whatever ground beef you prefer. Just be sure to drain any excess grease. Ground chicken, pork or turkey also work.
yellow onion, tomato paste, and garlic cloves – These three ingredients add so much flavor to the casserole. If you can find it, use a tube of tomato paste. What’s great about that is that you can squirt out just what you need and easily save the rest. It’s harder to do that with the canned tomato paste. I prefer freshly minced garlic but you can use the jarred stuff if you really like it.
chili powder, salt, black pepper, ground cumin, and paprika – A classic chili seasoning combo. Instead of these seasonings, you could use a packet of chili seasoning.
hot dogs – Use your favorite hot dog brand. We prefer all beef hot dogs but honestly, any kind (even chicken hot dogs) will work here.
rotel – Rotel is just the name brand for diced tomatoes with green chilis. I prefer the mild but you can get a hotter version. You can get the store brand version of this, it doesn’t need to be specifically the Rotel brand.
chili beans – If you’ve never purchased these before, please see my ingredient photo below. Bush’s Beans makes Chili Beans and as you can see below, Walmart has their own version (Great Value brand.) If you can’t find these, you could just use kidney or pinto beans.
cream cheese – I do like to soften the cream cheese up first. It helps it to melt and blend better into the mixture. However, if you forgot to soften it ahead of time, still use it. It will just take a little longer for it to melt.
colby jack cheese – You can add your favorite cheese to the casserole.
crispy rounds – These are just flat tater tots. I have found they tend to ensure the casserole is heated evenly and through. The regular tater tots may not cook quite as evenly unless maybe you use the mini tater tots.
green onions – I love the added color and onion taste these add but if you don’t have them, just skip! This will still taste great.
HOW TO MAKE CHILI CHEESE DOG TATER TOT CASSEROLE:
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Add the ground beef and onion to a 9-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Cook and crumble the ground beef until fully cooked and no pink left. Drain the beef of any excess grease and place back in the skillet. Add the tomato paste, minced garlic, and seasonings. Mix for 1 minute.
Add the hotdog slices, Rotel, chili beans, and cream cheese. Mix until everything is fully combined and the cream cheese has fully melted and combined. Sprinkle the cheese on top.
Add the crispy rounds in an even layer to the top. Bake for 30 minutes.
Optional: To make the tater tots extra crispy, set the oven broiler to high and broil for a couple of minutes to make them extra crispy. NOTE: Do not walk away from the oven at all while it is broiling. You need to keep a constant check to make sure they do not burn. Remove from the oven and top with green onions.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
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Tater Tot Enchilada Bake
Hot Dog Chili
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Chili Cheese Dog Tater Tot Casserole
A hearty beef and onion casserole with chili beans, cheese, hot dogs, and tater tots.
Course Dinner, Main CourseCuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes minutesCook Time 40 minutes minutesTotal Time 50 minutes minutes
Servings 8
Calories 485kcal
Author Brandie Skibinski
Ingredients1 pound ground beef½ cup diced yellow onion3 Tablespoons tomato paste1 Tablespoon minced garlic2 teaspoons chili powder½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon black pepper½ teaspoon ground cumin½ teaspoon paprika4 hot dogs, sliced (I prefer beef hot dogs)10 ounce can Rotel, drained15.5 ounce can chili beans, undrained4 ounces (½ block) cream cheese, softened2 cups shredded Colby Jack Cheese15 ounce bag crispy rounds (frozen and not thawed)2 Tablespoons chopped green onions (optional)
InstructionsPreheat the oven to 400° F.Add 1 pound ground beef and 1/2 cup diced yellow onion to a 9-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Cook and crumble the ground beef until fully cooked and no pink left. Drain the beef of any excess grease and place back in the skillet.Add 3 Tablespoons tomato paste, 1 Tablespoon minced garlic, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir to combine. To the skillet add, 4 hot dogs, sliced, 10 ounce can Rotel, drained, 15.5 ounce can chili beans, undrained and 4 ounces (½ block) cream cheese, softened. Mix until everything is fully combined and the cream cheese has fully melted. Sprinkle 2 cups shredded Colby Jack Cheese evenly on top. Then place the crispy rounds in an even layer to the top (you may not use the whole bag.) Bake on the middle rack for about 30 minutes (until the crispy rounds are cooked thoroughly and bubbly around the edges.) Optional: To make the tater tots extra crispy, set the oven broiler to high and broil for a couple of minutes to make them extra crispy. NOTE: Do not walk away from the oven at all while it is broiling. You need to keep a constant check to make sure they do not burn.Remove from the oven and top with 2 Tablespoons chopped green onions (optional) then serve!
Notes
Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
NutritionCalories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 27g | Sodium: 1279mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g
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