Description
A delicious and easy pizza tater tot casserole that combines crispy tater tots with classic pizza flavors. Perfect for game day or a kid-friendly dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (32 oz) bag frozen tater tots
- 1 lb Italian sausage or ground beef
- 1 (24 oz) jar pizza sauce (or marinara)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (optional, but so good)
- 1 cup mini pepperoni slices (plus extra for topping)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt + black pepper, to taste
- Optional toppings: sliced black olives, diced bell pepper, mushrooms, fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage (or ground beef) until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain excess grease.
- Stir pizza sauce into the cooked meat. Add Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes (if using). Simmer 2–3 minutes.
- Spread the meat sauce mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella over the sauce. Add mini pepperoni (and any optional veggies).
- Arrange frozen tater tots evenly across the top (a tight single layer works best for crispy edges).
- Bake 25–30 minutes until the tots are crispy and golden.
- Sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella (and Parmesan if using) over the top. Add extra pepperoni. Bake 8–10 minutes more until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let rest 5 minutes, then scoop and enjoy. Top with basil/parsley if desired.
Notes
- Use pre-cooked sausage for quicker prep.
- Swap pepperoni for cooked bacon or ham if preferred.
- Leftovers reheat well in the oven or microwave.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: pizza tater tot casserole, pepperoni tater tot casserole, cheesy pizza casserole, easy tater tot casserole, game day casserole, kid friendly dinner casserole