Black Bean Tater Tot Casserole
This vegetarian casserole features a smoky, warming black bean base topped with cheesy tater tots. This is a Midwestern-style hot dish that's as nutritious as it is comforting.
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 562kcal
Equipment
- 1 8x11-inch baking dish or similarly sized dish
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or other neutral oil
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion diced
- 8 ounces white mushrooms roughly chopped with stems removed
- 2 whole carrots sliced into coins
- 1 medium orange bell pepper diced into 1 inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cloves garlic grated (can mince if you don't have a box grater or microplane)
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped chipotle chili peppers from a can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- pinch cinnamon
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce or 1 ¼ cup
- 32 ounce bag tater tots use ~⅔ of a bag
- 1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, prepare a 8x11-inch or similarly sized casserole dish by spraying it with cooking oil.
- Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with oil. Once hot, add the onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes to softened, then add the mushrooms, carrots, and pepper.
- Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened and the onions are starting to brown. Sprinkle with salt.
- Stir in the garlic, chopped chipotle chili peppers, and tomato paste. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, to toast the tomato paste and saute the garlic.
- Stir in the chili powder, oregano, paprika, and cinnamon. Toast, stirring frequently, for just 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
- Add the rinsed black beans and enchilada sauce. Stir to combine. Continue cooking on medium heat until warmed through, just 2-3 minutes.
- If using a casserole dish, transfer the black beans to a lightly oiled 8x11-inch baking dish. Smooth and flatten the beans into a uniform layer.
- Top with frozen tater tots, about ⅔ of the package. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese. Cover tightly with an oven-safe lid or foil.
- Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tots are golden. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Tater tots: Any variety of tater tots or "potato puffs" works. I like to cover the black beans completely with the tater tots in neat rows.
- Vegetables: Feel free to substitute with different vegetables. I recommend keeping the mushrooms, as they add a fair amount of texture to the dish.
- Baking dish: This recipe is written for an 8x8 baking dish, but any similar size works. Note that larger dishes require more tater tots for the topping, while smaller require less.
- Leftovers: Let the tater tot casserole cool before covering with foil or a lid and transferring to the fridge. Keep for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing: I recommend freezing the casserole before baking the tater tots. Let the casserole thaw overnight in the fridge before baking per recipe instructions. Note that thawed tater tots will cook a touch more quickly than frozen tater tots.
- Because the tots are topped with cheese, they aren't super crispy. For really crispy golden tots, omit the cheese, or place cheese below the tots.
Nutrition
Calories: 562kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 1052mg | Potassium: 1051mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1500IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 314mg | Iron: 4mg
