We have taco Tuesday, and we love take-out Fridays, but now we can start a tater tot Thursday! Slow cooker John Wayne casserole with tater tots is a crockpot dinner recipe for families that everyone will enjoy, no matter how picky.

Slow cooker John Wayne casserole with tater tots is a crockpot dinner recipe for families that everyone will enjoy, no matter how picky. Tater Tot Casserole with Ground Beef | Tater Tot Crockpot Recipes | Tater Tot Casserole Recipes | Slow Cooker Casserole Recipes with Beef | Crockpot Recipes with Ground Beef | Crockpot Recipes with Tater Tots | Crockpot Dinner Recipes | Easy Dinner Recipes | Crockpot Meal Planning #slowcooker #casserole

A tater tot casserole is a great option for family dinners. It is an even better option when there is more to it than just tater tots and some meat. In fact, you can make this slow cooker John Wayne casserole with tater tots recipe and really elevate those tots.

Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots Close Up of Casserole in a Bowl

Your family will love this recipe as well. You may even end up adding this recipe to your monthly rotation of recipes. Crockpots get a lot of praise for being so easy to use and making dinner even easier.

However, this recipe is a little different. For example, you dump the ingredients in many crockpot dinner recipes and set your crockpot to low, medium, or high, and that is it.

Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots Overhead View of a Bowl of Casserole with a Spoon

You will need to do a little more than that for this recipe. There is ground beef in this slow cooker John Wayne casserole with tater tots. That means you will need to brown the meat before you toss it in the crockpot.

Luckily, the crockpot cooking time is lessened because of that. This recipe may not be as simple as others, but it is well worth the extra effort.

John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots

Name: John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 270 min
Ingredients: 32 oz Bag of Tater Tots (Frozen, not thawed); 1 Lb Ground Beef; 1 Small Yellow Onion (Diced); 1 16 oz Can Diced Tomatoes; 1 Green Bell Pepper (Diced); Shishito Peppers (The version in the pics used 3 but you can adjust for heat preference); 1 1.3 oz Trader Joe's Taco Seasoning Mix; 16 oz Sour Cream; 8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Shredded); 1/8 tsp Salt; 1/4 tsp Pepper; 1/2 tsp Onion Powder

John Wayne casserole is made up of a lot of little things, just like any other casserole. Some of the stuff is easy to find, but some will require some prep work before you get to cooking.

The frozen tater tots will be easy, and you can easily find a can of diced tomatoes. But the yellow onion, green bell pepper, and shishito peppers will need to be diced.

The ground beef will also need to be browned and drained before you toss it in the crockpot. But the little extra effort will help make this dish a family favorite.

Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots Close Up of a Bowl of Casserole Topped with Sour Cream

Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots Directions

Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots Overhead View of a Crockpot with a Layer of Tater Tots

Spray your crockpot with non-stick spray. Add tater tots to the bottom of the crockpot and evenly spread them out.

Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots Overhead View of a Skillet with Browned Meat and Diced Veggies

Brown the hamburger, onion, bell pepper & shishito peppers in a cast-iron skillet or pan. When the meat is brown, drain the fat.

Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots Overhead of Skillet Filled with Browned Meat and Tomato Sauce

Add diced tomatoes to the meat mixture and combine.

Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots Meat Sauce Layered Over the Tater Tots in a Crockpot

Pour the meat mixture over the tater tots, creating a layer.

Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots Sour Cream Mixture in a Bowl with a Spoon

Mix sour cream, salt, pepper & onion. Add approximately 4 oz of cheese (save the remainder of the cheese for the top layer at the end).

Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots Sour Cream Layered On Top of the Meat Mixture in a Crockpot

Spread the sour cream layer over the meat mixture.

Cover and cook on low for approximately 4 to 4 1/2 hours. (Keep lid closed during the cooking time).

After cooking is done, add the remaining cheese over the top for a final layer.

Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots View of the Melted Cheese Layer in a Crockpot

Cover for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

When ready to serve, you can top your slow cooker John Wayne casserole with tater tots with salsa, green onions, or a topping of your choice.

Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots Overhead View of a Bowl of Casserole with a Spoon and Ingredients Next to It

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