Description
Enjoy the flavors of pizza in a comforting casserole form with this delicious Pizza Tot Casserole. It’s a family-friendly meal that combines crispy tater tots, savory meat sauce, gooey cheese, and zesty pepperoni for a satisfying dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Tater Tot Layer:
- 1 (32-ounce) bag frozen tater tots
Meat Sauce:
- 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (15-ounce) can pizza sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Cheese and Toppings:
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ½ cup mini pepperoni slices or chopped pepperoni
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil spray for topping
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Cook Meat: In a large skillet, cook ground beef or sausage until browned. Add onion and garlic, cook until softened.
- Prepare Sauce: Stir in pizza sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Layer Casserole: Spread meat mixture in a baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Arrange tater tots over the top.
- Bake: Bake for 30 minutes until tots are crispy. Top with remaining mozzarella, pepperoni, and Parmesan. Bake until cheese is melted.
- Serve: Serve hot with a side salad.
Notes
- Customize with your favorite pizza toppings like mushrooms, olives, or bell peppers.
- For a spicier version, use hot Italian sausage and add crushed red pepper flakes.
- Leftovers reheat well in the oven or air fryer to maintain crispiness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 820 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
