Can I use ground lamb instead?

You can! Or ground pork, or ground turkey or chicken.

Where do I find Tater Tots?

They are waiting for you right this minute in the freezer aisle of your supermarket, usually hanging out next to the French fries.

Can this be made ahead of time?

Yep! If you can, make it all the way up until the baking part but if you need to, you can make it the whole way through and then warm it up for about 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Have a question that I didn't cover?

Pop your question in the comments section below and I promise to answer pronto!

Tater Tot Shepherd's Pie

Name: Tater Tot Shepherd's Pie Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 2 carrots, peeled; 2 celery stalks; 1 sweet onion, peeled and quartered; 6 tablespoons butter; Salt and black pepper; ¾ cup flour; 3 cups milk; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 1 ½ pounds frozen Tater Tots; Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Tater Tot Shepherd’s Pie Casserole

Tater tot shepherd's pie in a casserole.

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

This easy recipe for Tater Tot Shepherd’s Pie has all the flavors of that classic casserole, with the extra zip of Tater Tots!

Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 8 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop, Oven
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 carrots, peeled
2 celery stalks
1 sweet onion, peeled and quartered
6 tablespoons butter
Salt and black pepper
¾ cup flour
3 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 ½ pounds frozen Tater Tots
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 and spray a large casserole with cooking spray.
Put the beef and a pinch of salt and pepper to a large skillet and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or a spatula. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and set aside.
Put the carrots, celery and onion into a food processor and process until finely chopped.
Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the chopped veggies. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until they are starting to get soft.
Stir in a pinch each of salt and pepper, followed by the flour. Pour in the milk and simmer until nice and thick. Stir in the cheese until melted.
Add the beef to the vegetable cheese sauce and stir. Transfer to the casserole.
Lay the Tater Tots on top of everything, doing your best to get them in a single layer.
Bake until everything is bubbling and golden, about 40 minutes. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then scoop into warmed bowls, garnish with parsley (optional!) and serve!

Notes

- Ground Beef: We like the 80/20 variety of ground beef, but you can use a lower fat version…or ground lamb, turkey or even chicken.

- Tater Tots: These are chopped potatoes that are seasoned and pressed into little cubes. Look for them near the French fries in the frozen food aisle.

Find it online: https://www.framedcooks.com/tater-tot-shepherds-pie-casserole/