Kevin's Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole

No canned soup here — Kevin the Bacon rebuilt his childhood Campbell's-soup casserole completely from scratch: seasoned ground sirloin, a homemade gluten-free roux with better-than-bouillon and chicken stock, two melty cheeses, all piled over a crispy tater tot crust.

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Ingredients

  • •1 ½ lb ground sirloin (93/7)
  • •1 ½ cup frozen mixed vegetables
  • •1 cup mushrooms, quartered (optional)
  • •1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • •1 ½ cup Colby jack cheese, shredded
  • •1 cup extra-melt cheese, diced
  • •2 cloves garlic, diced
  • •½ yellow onion, diced
  • •1 bag (32 oz) tater tots
  • •2 tbsp gluten-free flour (or regular flour)
  • •1 tbsp better-than-bouillon (chicken)
  • •1 ¼ cup water, for the bouillon
  • •1 ½ cup chicken stock
  • •1 tbsp butter
  • •salt & pepper (to taste)

Steps

  1. Pre-bake the tater tots: Line the bottom of your casserole dish with tater tots and bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes — just enough time to get everything else prepped.
    15:00
  2. Brown the beef: Dice the onion and garlic. In a pan with no added oil (the ground sirloin has enough fat on its own), brown the beef with the onion, garlic, and fresh thyme.
  3. Add mushrooms (optional): If using, quarter the mushrooms into large bites and stir them in.
  4. Mix the bouillon: Stir the better-than-bouillon into 1¼ cup of water until dissolved.
  5. Dice the cheese: Dice up the extra-melt cheese and set aside.
  6. Add vegetables & butter: Add the frozen vegetables and a small knob of butter to the pan, and let the butter melt in.
  7. Thicken with flour: Sprinkle in the gluten-free flour (regular flour works too) and cook until the liquid in the pan is absorbed.
  8. Add stock & cheese: Pour in 1½ cup of chicken stock along with the diced extra-melt cheese and mix everything together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Assemble: Once the tater tots are crispy, pour the beef mixture over the top and cover with the Colby jack cheese.
  10. Bake: Bake at 325°F on convection for 30 minutes.
    30:00
  11. Broil to finish: Finish under the broiler for 2 minutes to get that beautiful golden color on top.
    2:00
  12. Serve: Let it rest briefly, then serve. Leftovers are even better the next day.
Kevin's Tip: Skip the oil entirely — 93/7 ground sirloin has enough fat on its own. And King Arthur's pound-for-pound gluten-free flour performs exactly like regular flour here, so use whichever you have on hand.
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