Frozen tater tots are a time saver in this delicious casserole, which combines the amazing flavors of ranch, bacon, cheddar cheese, ground beef, broccoli and more into the perfect one dish Cracked Hamburger Hash Casserole!
Why We Love It
We are hooked on anything that’s cracked these days, and I’m not talking about eggs. Cracked generally refers to the following ingredients: ranch, cheddar cheese and bacon served up in a dish in some tasty way. In Cracked Hamburger Hash Casserole, we combine the amazing flavors of cracked beef with frozen tater tots and other savory ingredients. The end result is absolutely amazing–and this is one of our favorites!
If you’re intrigued over frozen tater tots being thrown into a casserole and why I’m calling this recipe hash (though the below picture might give you a clue), keep reading. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Why You’ll Love It
Easy plating, easy serving and of course easy eating! Plus we add broccoli to this, so there’s your vegetable too (don’t worry, the kids won’t really taste it). Ready in less than one hour, this tasty casserole is savory and delicious– and is a great meal when everyone needs a little bit of comfort.
Ingredients for Cracked Hamburger Hash Casserole
- 1 lb. lean ground beef, cooked and drained (I often use extra lean/96%)
- 1/2 cup bacon flavored bits (can substitute cooked, chopped bacon)
- 2 tablespoons ranch dressing mix (or 1 packet)
- 2 cups raw broccoli, cut into small pieces
- 1 (10.75 oz.) can Campbell’s Healthy Request Cheddar Cheese Soup
- 16 oz. container reduced fat sour cream (Breakstone’s or Daisy’s recommended)
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese (2% milk)
- 22 oz. frozen tater tots– do NOT defrost (you will have a few servings left in the standard 32 oz. bag)
Hold up: Is this a Tater Tot Casserole?
Ok, you got me. Technically yes, because it has tater tots in it. But because they are mixed into the casserole with all the other ingredients AND because they fall apart and resemble diced potatoes after baking, we’re calling it hash.
It’s a you say potato–I say po-tah-to kind of thing. Now on to the recipe!
How to make Cracked Hamburger Hash Casserole
You’ll want to gather the following equipment:
- skillet with lid
- meat chopper
- large mixing bowl
- small mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- mixing spoons
- cutting board
- chef’s knife
- 13 x 9 casserole dish
To get started, cook that beef! Place the ground beef in your skillet. Use a meat chopper to mash it up. Then cook the beef over medium to high heat until brown and cooked through (picture below is raw beef before cooked).
Time saver:
While the beef is cooking:
- Chop up the broccoli into bite-sized pieces.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Kitchen Ready Betty tip: Meat choppers are an amazing little kitchen tool. With just a little bit of force, they work so well to eliminate clumps of ground meat. When selecting one for your kitchen, make sure to go with one that is heat resistant and non-scratch. I often go back to my skillet more than once while the meat is cooking to mash more! This also helps to evenly distribute the meat to ensure that it is thoroughly cooked through.
Next, place the drained, cooked meat in your large mixing bowl.
Add the bacon flavored bits and ranch mix. Stir until meat is evenly coated.
Fold in the chopped broccoli. Then set this bowl aside.
Cheddar cheese soup and sour cream time. In a separate, small mixing bowl, mix the cheddar cheese soup and sour cream together to create a smooth sauce. Once incorporated, add this mixture to your large bowl. Gently fold until all ingredients are coated with the sauce.
Add the shredded cheese and mix until blended.
Tater tot time! Fold the frozen tater tots carefully into the bowl. I’m not going to lie, this requires a little bit of persistence and elbow grease.
The bowl is really full now and there’s a lot of ingredients that have to be mixed together. Trust me, the reward is worth it! Eyes on the prize and keep on mixing! Once the tots are coated and folded in, it’s time to bake this into a dinner delight!
Prepare your 13 x 9 baking dish. Lightly grease your dish if it’s not non-stick (I do this by spraying some canola cooking spray into my dish and then gently spread it around by wiping it with a paper towel).
Spoon the tater tot mixture into the prepared dish. This mixture is thick and dense, so be sure to use your spoon to evenly distribute it!
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until casserole is slightly bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes before serving!
Cracked Hamburger Hash Casserole Leftovers?
We sometimes don’t have any– this is just that good– but if you do…
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Enjoy within five days.
Reheating instructions: Bake covered at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until the casserole is heated through.
You may also freeze this for up to 2 months. If never cooked, thaw completely and follow original baking instructions. If cooked and then frozen, thaw completely and then bake covered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until heated through.
A Note About the Beef
Ok, so yes, if you noticed in the ingredients list, this recipe calls for lean ground beef, but I often (and almost always) use 96%/extra lean.
Let me explain: I realize that 96% is not always easy to come by. It is also not everyone’s cup of {beef} and it is pretty expensive. That being said, I use extra lean because it works well in this recipe. It is surrounded by enough other rich ingredients and it never ever tastes dry. Lean/extra lean is fine for this because you simply don’t need the extra fat in this casserole.
I know that beef, like milk, is all about what we’re used to. You can dip down out of the 90s if you’re more comfortable with that, but I wouldn’t go any lower than 85% for this.
Cracked Hamburger Hash Casserole
Description
Ground beef, bacon, ranch, tater tots, cheese and more come together in this savory, one-dish delight. Technically a tater tot casserole, we're calling it hamburger hash because of the way the tater tots fall apart once this is baked!
Cracked Hamburger Hash Casserole
Instructions
Prep time.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Cook ground beef in skillet over medium high heat until browned. Drain excess liquid.
Use a meat chopper to mash up the meat before and during cooking to eliminate large clumps. This also helps to ensure that all the meat is thoroughly cooked through. -
Chop broccoli into small, bite-sized pieces.
To save time, do this while the meat is cooking.
Large Mixing Bowl.
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Place the cooked and drained ground beef into large mixing bowl.
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Add the bacon flavored bits and ranch mix. Blend until beef is coated.
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Add the chopped broccoli. Stir gently to incorporate. Set bowl aside.
Small Mixing Bowl.
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Empty contents of cheddar cheese soup and sour cream into a separate, small mixing bowl. Blend until smooth.
Put it all together!
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Add the soup mixture to the large bowl. Stir well.
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Add the shredded cheese and blend.
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Carefully fold in the frozen tater tots.
This step takes a little bit of persistence because there are a lot of ingredients to mix together now. Use a large mixing spoon and carefully scoop and fold contents of bowl from bottom to top to mix. Repeat as necessary until tater tots are incorporated.
Baking Dish.
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Lightly grease 13x9 dish. Then spoon casserole mixture into prepared dish.
Bake.
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Place baking dish in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, or until casserole is slightly bubbling.
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Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Leftovers? Refrigerator.
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Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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To reheat, bake covered at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until the casserole is heated through.
Leftovers? Freezer.
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You may freeze this for up to 2 months. Store in an airtight container/freezer packaging.
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If never cooked, thaw completely and follow original baking instructions. If cooked and then frozen, thaw completely and then bake covered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until heated through.
Note
I almost always use 96% lean ground beef for this recipe. I would not recommend going below 85%.
It is really helpful to use a very large mixing bowl for this-- there are so many ingredients to incorporate! I use a 4 quart glass mixing bowl and sometimes I wish I had an even bigger one!
Feel free to swap out cooked, chopped bacon for the bacon bits. I use the bits to save time and because frankly cooking bacon just isn't my thing!
User Reviews
Yeah, a new, easy recipe for ground meat. I’m definitely going to try this soon.
That’s great! It’s one of our favorites!