Cheesy Pizza Tot Casserole (Printer-friendly)
Comforting dish with crispy tater tots, savory sauce, and melted cheese topped with pizza favorites.
# 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)
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 thin layer of oil.
02 - Arrange frozen tater tots in a single layer across the prepared baking dish. Drizzle olive oil evenly over the tots. Bake for 20 minutes until lightly golden and starting to crisp.
03 - Remove dish from oven. Spread pizza sauce evenly over the partially cooked tots. 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 across the cheese layer. Top with remaining mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan cheese.
05 - Return casserole to oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes until cheese is fully melted, bubbly, and golden brown on top.
06 - Allow casserole to rest for 5 minutes before serving to let cheese set and make cutting easier.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It transforms frozen tots into something magical that tastes like pizza night but feeds a crowd effortlessly
- The crispy edges and gooey cheese center create that perfect texture combination everyone craves
02 -
- Never skip that first bake of the tots or they'll turn soggy underneath all that delicious sauce and cheese
- Letting it rest for those five minutes before serving makes all the difference for clean portions
03 -
- Use a large baking dish so the tots can really crisp up rather than steam
- Grating your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded makes for much better melting