This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please see our full disclosure policy for details.
There’s comfort food, and then there’s Totcho Casserole! It’s a playful mash-up of two classics…tater tot casserole and fully loaded nachos. It delivers the heartiness of a family favorite with the fun of a build-your-own nacho bar.
Table of Contents
I’ve been making this casserole for years and it’s one of those recipes that never fails. It’s cozy, filling, and endlessly adaptable, making it perfect for both busy weeknights and casual gatherings.
When my kids were little, they would dig into the nacho casserole as-is…no toppings required. But now that they’re adults, it’s a whole different story. By the time they’ve loaded theirs with every topping imaginable, you can barely see the tater tots underneath. People love being able to customize their own serving!
What are Totchos?
Totchos are tater tot nachos! Tater tots serve instead of traditional tortilla chips…and are usually topped with nacho cheese and other taco toppings, they are amazing.
Ingredients Needed for this Recipe
- Ground Beef: Choose a leaner cut of burger to avoid excess grease.
- Taco Seasoning: This helps give the filling a wonderful zesty flavor.
- Black Beans: I love black beans but a kidney bean would also work wonderfully.
- Tater Tots: Frozen tater tots become the “chips for this faux nacho recipe}.
- Shredded Cheese: It creates a layer between the meat mixture and tots on top.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Totcho Topping Ideas:
- Additional Salsa
- Sliced green onion
- Sliced olives
- Jalapeno slices
- Sour cream
- Additional shredded cheese
- Avacado/Guacamole
- Pickled shallots
- Shredded lettuce
- Taco Sauce
How to make Totcho Casserole
- We have to start by making the base layer of the Totcho casserole. Brown ground beef and season with a packet of taco seasoning.
- I love adding beans to my nachos, so I added black beans to the filling along with corn kernels. The corn gives you the flavor you are missing from the corn chips. The final addition to the filling is salsa. The best part about adding salsa to the filling is that it has the onion and green chilies in it already.
- Pour the meat mixture into 9×13 pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Spread it out into an even layer.
- Top the meat filling with a can of nacho cheese. Spread the nacho cheese out over the top so that it covers everything.
- And because nacho cheese just doesn’t seem like enough…add a layer of shredded cheese.
- The frozen tater tots go next! Add them in a single layer over the top of the cheese. I love to keep everything nice and symmetrical.
- Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and add another cup of cheese over the top of the tater tots, return to the oven for the last 10 minutes. I love how nice and brown the taters tots get. I especially love how the cheese bakes into them!
- Let the casserole sit for a few minutes before serving. This will allow everything to set up and not fall apart when you serve. Look at those awesome layers of goodness!
- The final step is to top your Totcho Casserole with the rest of your nacho toppings. Everyone can customize their own for the ultimate dinner. Everyone will love it!
Expert Tips
- It is important to always drain the beans before adding them to the filling. If you leave the juice in, your finished casserole could have a watery consistency.
- I prefer frozen corn in the filling but canned or even fresh corn would also work great. Use what you have on hand.
- If you like your tater tots super crispy, you can always turn on the broiler for a few minutes. It is important that you watch it carefully, it can burn quickly.
- There are a few places to find nacho cheese at the grocery store. Grab it in the aisle with all fo the Mexican food or in the chips aisle.
Storage and Freezing
Leftover Totchos can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days as long as it is stored in a good airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. NOTE: The texture of the casserole can suffer a bit the longer it is stored.
The casserole with tater tots will also freeze well {without toppings} for up to 3 months.
Do you love casseroles? Try these recipes…
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below and tag @practicallyhomemade on Pinterest!
Totcho Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 pound ground beef
- 1 ounce taco seasoning
- 1 cup black beans, drained
- 1 cup corn kernels, frozen
- 1 cup salsa
- 15 ounces nacho cheese
- 3 cups shredded cheese, divided
- 28 ounces frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Brown ground beef in a nonstick pan over medium high heat, add taco seasoning and water. Allow the water to cook down for a couple of minutes. Add the black beans, corn kernels and salsa to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
- Top the meat layer with nacho cheese and spread out over the top to cover. Top nacho cheese layer with 2 cups of shredded cheese. Finally add the frozen tater tots in a single layer over the top of the cheeses.
- Bake for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and spread 1 cup of shredded cheese over the top of the tater tots. Return to oven and continue to bake for 10 minutes or until the tater tots are crispy.
- Remove and let the casserole set for a couple of minutes. Serve with toppings and enjoy. Store leftovers in refrigerator for up to 4 days. Make ahead of time and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
