Cheesy Pizza Tot Casserole (Printable version)

Comforting casserole featuring crispy tater tots, savory pizza sauce, and melty cheese with classic pizza toppings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Base

01 - 1 (32 oz) bag frozen tater tots
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Sauce

03 - 2 cups pizza sauce
04 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
05 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
06 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

→ Cheese

07 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
08 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Toppings

10 - 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni (optional, or use vegetarian pepperoni)
11 - 1/2 cup sliced black olives
12 - 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
13 - 1/4 cup diced red onion

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or a small amount of oil.
02 - Arrange frozen tater tots in a single, even layer across the prepared baking dish. Drizzle olive oil evenly over the tots. Bake for 20 minutes until lightly golden and beginning to crisp.
03 - Remove dish from oven. Spread pizza sauce evenly over the partially baked tater tots using a spatula or spoon. Sprinkle dried oregano, basil, and garlic powder over the sauce layer.
04 - Sprinkle half of the mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the sauce. Distribute pepperoni, black olives, bell pepper, and red onion evenly across the cheese. Top with remaining mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan cheese.
05 - Return casserole to oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted, bubbly, and golden brown on top.
06 - Remove from oven and let casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. This allows the cheese to set slightly for easier serving.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • It turns ordinary ingredients into something that disappears faster than you can say pizza night
  • The crispy tots underneath all that cheese create the most incredible texture combination nobody saw coming
  • You can customize the toppings based on whatever is hiding in your refrigerator
02 -
  • That first bake of the tots is non negotiable, skip it and you will end up with sad, soggy potatoes underneath all that cheese
  • Do not be tempted to add more sauce than called for, excess liquid is the enemy of crispy tots
  • The dish needs those five minutes of resting time or it will slide apart when you try to serve it
03 -
  • Skip pre shredded cheese if you can and grate your own, it melts so much better and you can control the salt level
  • If your tots are still frozen in a solid block, give the bag a good whack on the counter to separate them before arranging in the dish

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