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This cheesy tater tot casserole with brisket takes care of your cravings in one dish! Leftover brisket combines with homemade queso for a dish the whole family loves.
Y’all know I follow the 80/20 rule, right? The one where we try to eat nutrient-dense foods, lots of veggies, et cetera, 80 percent of the time, and splurge 20 percent? Well, my friends, this falls squarely on the 20 percent side.
Tater tot casserole (or hotdish if you’re from Minnesota) is one of those comfort-food dishes those of us who hail from the Midwest are pretty familiar with. We had it a lot as a kid and to tell the truth, I was never a fan.
This is mainly due to the fact that the traditional recipe is made with cream of mushroom soup, and I was a staunch opponent of all things mushroom.
Cream of mushroom soup has teeny-tiny pieces of mushroom in it, and yep, I was such a brat that I would pick out all the pieces and set them aside on my plate, forever annoying my parents.
Still, the thought of the dish — a cheesy, saucy dish topped with crispy potatoes — brings forth lots of feelings about growing up in Wisconsin, even if I didn’t eat it back then.
I decided to create my own version, using my favorite things about our time in Texas: brisket and queso. The result? Absolute heaven!
If you love tater tot casserole, you’ve got to give this cheesy tater tot casserole with brisket a try!
Ingredients for tater tot casserole
You’ll need:
Cooked brisket: To make this tater tot casserole truly Texas-style, of course you have to start with brisket.
Pick up some extra at your BBQ pit stop and save it for this recipe. Be sure to get a good mix of lean and fatty, as well as some bits that have a good char on them.
You will need about 2 cups of chopped cooked brisket.
Shredded cheese: We’re making a homemade cheese sauce, and you’ll also need some extra cheese for the top. I use a mix of Monterey jack cheese and cheddar cheese.
You can also use pepper jack cheese, extra sharp cheddar, or even a smoked cheese! Choose your favorite.
Flour – A bit of flour helps to create the roux for the cheese sauce. All-purpose flour works great here.
Butter – Use unsalted.
Milk – I use 2% milk when making cheese sauce. If you want a richer sauce, use whole milk.
I have not made this recipe with nondairy milk. If you choose to, make sure it is unflavored and unsweetened.
Tomatoes with diced chiles – You can most often find this combo sold as Rotel brand, but you might also have a store brand available. Or, swap in fresh tomatoes and diced jalapeños or roasted peppers.
Instead of cream of anything soup, we’re mixing up a thinner queso.
Frozen tater tots – To be honest we don’t usually keep tater tots on hand, but they are the only thing that will do for this cheesy casserole! I like the extra crispy variety.
Note that while this recipe calls for the whole bag of tater tots, the size and shape of your pan will determine how many you use.
If you use an enameled cast iron skillet like the one pictured, you will have some tots left over.
You don’t need to thaw the tater tots before assembling the casserole.
Salt and pepper – For seasoning the queso.
Green onion – Also known as scallions, I like to add a bunch of chopped green onion on top before serving.
Cilantro – Optional, for garnish (or you can mix it into the cheese).
Sour cream – For serving.
How to make this recipe
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a casserole or 12-inch oven-safe skillet with nonstick spray.
Add the butter to a medium-size saucepan and melt over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to create a paste and cook until lightly golden brown.
Pour in the milk, whisking the whole time, scraping up and incorporating the roux. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is visibly thicker and just slightly bubbly.
Be careful here, as it can go from thin to thick quickly. You also don’t want the mixture to boil over.
Remove from heat. Whisk in the salt and pepper, then add 2 cups of the cheese. Whisk until completely melted and smooth.
Stir in the tomatoes and chile peppers. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
Spread the chopped brisket on the bottom of the casserole dish. Pour cheese sauce over the top.
Arrange the tots in a single layer over the top of the sauce, fitting in as many as possible with no gaps.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the remaining shredded cheese.
Return to the oven for 10 minutes, until the cheese is nicely melted.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. It will be hard to resist, but this step will allow the cheese sauce to thicken while it cools.
Top with chopped green onions, cilantro, and sour cream to serve!
Recipe suggestions
If you don’t have leftover brisket on hand, you have a few options for substitutions!
Swap in browned ground beef seasoned with your favorite taco seasoning, or use cooked shredded chicken. Leftover Thanksgiving turkey is also a great choice!
Tots come in lots of varieties now, so you can give sweet potato tots or even cheesy broccoli tots a try.
Want the dish spicier? Add chile powder, cumin, and garlic powder to the queso mix to taste.
Use your favorite salsa instead of Rotel!
If you want to try a different twist on the classic tater tot casserole recipe, try Big Mac Casserole!
What to serve with cheesy tater tot casserole
Honestly, dishes like these don’t really need much to round them out.
You can add some simple steamed vegetables or make a pan of roasted asparagus while the tater tot casserole is cooking.
Add some buttermilk biscuits, or homemade coleslaw.
You’ll love this twist on the classic tater tot casserole recipe!
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below!
It means so much when you enjoy my recipes, so let me know how it goes and leave a comment if you have any questions.
Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole with Brisket
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or mixture of cheeses, divided (about 10 ounces total)
- 10 ounces Ro-Tel style tomatoes, (tomatoes with chiles)
- 2 cups chopped cooked brisket
- 32 ounces frozen tater tots
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Sour cream, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a casserole dish or enameled cast iron skillet.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour to create a roux and cook, whisking, until golden brown.
- Whisk in milk, scraping up roux and incorporating. Cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in salt and pepper.
- Remove from heat. Whisk in 2 cups of cheese until completely melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in tomatoes.
- Scatter brisket on the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Pour cheese sauce over the top. Arrange tots on top of the sauce; some might sink down a little.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove from oven, scatter remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top. Return to oven for 10 minutes.
- When done, remove from oven and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken and the dish to cool slightly. Scatter green onions on top and serve with sour cream, if desired.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.
About Megan
I learned how to cook by exploring seasonal ingredients, and you can too! Meal time shouldn’t be stressful or complicated, and with fresh ingredients and easy methods, I’m here to help you enjoy the time spent in the kitchen. Read more…
I live by the 80/20 rule too, but I think mine is the reverse of yours! Trying to be better, and I am eating mushrooms, so I’m very proud of myself! All hail the “hotdish!” I’ve never had a tater tot casserole, but that’s going to change!
I am learning a few new dishes today with this theme. I have not ever eaten tater tots but they look sinfully good. I will absolutely eat them when I am doing my 20% naughty LOL.
This looks SO good. I’m a big fan of potatoes and cheese together, especially in the form of fries or tots. This dish would be perfect for a football-watching party. Can’t wait to try!
I live by the 80/20 rule too, but I think mine is the reverse of yours! Trying to be better, and I am eating mushrooms, so I’m very proud of myself! All hail the “hotdish!” I’ve never had a tater tot casserole, but that’s going to change!
Tater tots are my kind of splurge food, too! What a yummy casserole!
First of all, I STILL pick out all the tiny pieces of mushrooms out of the soup. And second, this is a rockin’ recipe with the brisket and cheese. Absolutely killed it! Let’s hear it for the 20% splurge. My husband would love it.
My family will absolutely love this Texas Tater Tot Casserole. It’s sheer comfort food. Nice to do Progressive Eats with you.
My family will absolutely love this Texas Tater Tot Casserole. It’s sheer comfort food. Nice to do Progressive Eats with you.
The whole world around here is going nuts for poutine. I don’t have the slightest interest in trying it – not sure why, but this Tater Tot Casserole has me salivating. Guess that means I’m much more into real comfort food than trendy stuff. If you get me into the frozen food aisle to buy Tater Tots, there are a lot of people around here who are going to be scratching their heads, wondering what’s happened. I’ll be laughing all the way to a big helping of this casserole.
Oh my gosh Megan, so totally decadent and I think even more so with your changes which I love. I have a thing for tater tots. I never buy them to have at home but they are the only food I ever crave from a fast food menu!
These would be the perfect Super Bowl dish; I might be watching the game. 🙂
My neighbor brought us a tater tot casserole this week and all I can say is, where has this deliciousness been for all of my life? Also your version is the ULTIMATE!! Hello brisket! This might be my new favorite food!
What an absolutely perfect recipe for our theme this month! I cannot wait to make this for my grandkids next time they visit – they’re both huge tot fans 🙂
Did I miss it in the recipe somewhere, but does the tator tots need to be defrosted for this recipe?
@Linda No, the tater tots don’t need to be defrosted! They cook up very well from frozen. Thanks for stopping by!
Oh does this look great!!
Made this for dinner on a whim the other night and it was SO good. Getting good brisket is tricky in the middle of IL, so I used taco meat instead but left the rest of the recipe as-is.
Husband and I fought over the leftovers. Will absolutely make again!
Made this for dinner on a whim the other night and it was SO good. Getting good brisket is tricky in the middle of IL, so I used taco meat instead but left the rest of the recipe as-is.
Husband and I fought over the leftovers. Will absolutely make again!
? I’m so glad you liked it Stephie!
This is delicious! Thank you
Thank you for this recipe! My daughter requested that I make it for the second time today.
Since we use almond milk instead of cows milk, I added 1.5 Tablespoons of nutritional yeast to give it more cheese flavor. We’ll be keeping this recipe!
That’s a great tip, Bonnie! I’m so glad you like it!
I’m sorry but the abondance of cheese sauce was too rich for our family and it totally overpowered the wonderful flavor of the left-over smoked brisket that I had hoped would be the star.
Hi Nancy, thanks for your review. It’s definitely got a lot of cheese sauce; the next time I make this dish I will test out some changes to improve it!
Sorry. Made it tonight and wasn’t a big fan. Too much going on and barely tasted the brisket on the bottom. Thanks for sharing though.