A vegetarian version of a Minnesota classic, this Healthy Tater Tot Casserole is loaded with veggies and made without soup. Whip up this meatless tater tot hotdish for a holiday dinner or just a cold winter’s night!
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Reading: vegetarian tator tot hot dish
As a proud resident of Minnesota (for over 3 years now!), I am very excited about this recipe!
For those of you who aren’t familiar with tater tot casserole, or “hotdish” as Minnesotans like to call it, it’s typically made with veggies, ground meat, cream of mushroom soup and cheese. Then it’s topped with frozen tater tots before going in the oven.
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Sounds like the ultimate comfort food, right?! It is. But, being that this is a Veg World (after all), I just had to put my own healthy spin on this dish. And how did I do that? Loaded it up with veggies (of course!) and cut the meat and canned soup.
Table of Contents
The Best Healthy Tater Tot Casserole Without Soup!
Besides this recipe being an ode to the great state of Minnesota, it has a lot of other things going for it. Here’s why you’ll love this vegetarian tater tot casserole.
- It has FIVE veggies. Yeah! And that’s not counting the tater tots (do those count as veggies??).
- You can make it ahead of time and just pop it in the oven when you need to.
- It makes more than a few servings, making it potluck- and Thanksgiving-friendly.
How to Make Healthy Tater Tot Casserole
For those of you from Minnesota, you can probably skip this section ;-)! For non-Minnesotans, let me give you a brief overview of making hotdish (more info in the recipe card).
- Saute the garlic, onion, mushrooms, carrots, peas, and corn in a large skillet.
- Add the milk and flour, and stir until it starts to thicken. Instead of using canned cream of mushroom soup to thicken it, adding milk and flour on your own will accomplish the same thing.
- Transfer to an 8×8 baking dish. Top with shredded cheese.
- Add the tater tots in an even layer on top.
Wait, it’s that easy? Sure is, friends, it sure is! But just to make sure you make a perfect Healthy Tater Tot Casserole with Veggies on the first try, I’ve compiled my top tips for you.
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Looking for more casserole recipes? Check out the Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole and Healthier Green Bean Casserole with Almonds while you’re here.
FAQ and Expert Tips
- Season with salt and pepper throughout the dish. This will help you boost the flavor of the dish.
- This tastes best with sharp cheddar cheese, but you can also sub Monterey Jack or even a mix of mozzarella and parmesan.
- To make this gluten free, use gluten free flour in place of all-purpose.
Can you freeze tater tot casserole?
- If you want to make this ahead of time, you can prepare the casserole (without baking it), and cover tightly with plastic wrap and then with foil before freezing. You can also use a disposable casserole dish with a cover for easy freezing (and so you can use your pan while it’s in the freezer)! It will last up to 4 months when frozen.
- You do not need to thaw the casserole in the fridge overnight before baking, since tater tots are cooked from frozen anyways. If you are only making it 1 day in advance, you can keep it in the fridge in its baking dish covered with foil instead of freezing it.
How do you reheat tater tot casserole?
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- To reheat, transfer a serving to a plate and put it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes on high.
- To keep the tater tots crispy while reheating, cover the whole dish with foil and put it in a preheated oven (300-350 degrees F) for ~30-40 minutes.
If you are making this dish for Thanksgiving, take a look at my Thanksgiving Menu and Prep Guide. It can help you organize your menu and timeline for the big day! You may also want to check out the Mini Vegetarian Pot Pies, Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce with Parsnips, Turnip and Beet Gratin, and Slow Cooker Arugula Mashed Potatoes.
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
I hope you enjoy this “hotdish”!
Lizzie
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