Keto Tater Tots Casserole
An American dish that’s lots of fun for adults and kids to eat – a tater tot casserole! This Keto tater tot casserole is first made with a layer of seasoned and cooked ground beef. Then, a layer of gooey melted cheese sauce fills the dish. On top of the cheesy beef is a thick layer of Keto tater tots made with cauliflower instead of potatoes. Finally, an extra layer of cheese is added to melt in between the fluffy tots. It all broils in your oven until it’s hot and gooey. Serve each slice with a spatula! Enjoy the casserole at the family dinner table or you can divide the casserole amongst meal prep containers.
How to Make It
Step 1
Chop raw cauliflower into large pieces and add them to a big pot. Fill the pot with water and bring it to a boil on the stove. Boil the cauliflower for about 10 minutes or until it’s soft through the core. Use a pair of tongs to transfer the cauliflower to a blender or food processor. Blend the cauliflower while it’s hot until smooth.
Step 2
Blend salt, pepper, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast into the cauliflower. Transfer the seasoned cauliflower to a large mixing bowl, and stir the mixture to release steam and cool it down. Wait for the cauliflower to be cool (about 15 minutes), then stir ground pork rinds and shredded cheddar into the mixture. You may need to grind a bag of pork rings in a blender before measuring the amount you need.
Step 3
Turn on an oven to preheat to 350 F (180 C), and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop tater tots in 2-tablespoon portions from your mixing bowl. Arrange all the scooped tater tots on the lined baking sheet. Then, bake the tater tots for 30 minutes. They’ll need to cool for 10 minutes before they’re removed from the tray.
Step 4
While the tater tots are in the oven, make the other components of the casserole. In a large pan on the stove, combine ground beef and olive oil. Break the ground beef up into small bits with a spoon, then season the beef with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and chili powder. Cook the pan over high heat while occasionally stirring the ingredients until the beef is cooked through.
Step 5
Leave the beef aside to cool. Next, combine heavy cream and butter in a small pot. Heat these ingredients over low heat on your stove, whisking until the butter melts. Whisk cheddar cheese and salt into the pot until the cheese melts and the sauce comes together. Set the cheese sauce aside as well to cool and thicken.
Step 6
Once the tater tots, beef, and cheese sauce are all prepared, turn on your oven’s broiler to high heat. While the broiler is heating, arrange the ground beef in the bottom of a glass dish. Next, pour the cheese sauce over the beef, and give the glass dish a jiggle to help the sauce settle and spread over the beef. Arrange the cooled tater tots across the top of the casserole dish. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over the tater tots to fill the spaces in between them.
Step 7
Place the casserole dish in your oven and broil it for approximately 10 minutes. For doneness, the edges around the dish should be browned and the tops of the tater tots will be darker golden. The mozzarella cheese should be melted and the cheese sauce will be hot and gooey. Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes before slicing it into squares for serving.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower
2 lb
- Salt
0.25 tsp
- Black pepper
0.25 tsp
- Garlic powder
0.25 tsp
- Nutritional Yeast
2 tbsp
- Fried pork skins
2 oz
- Cheddar cheese
0.5 cup, shredded
- Ground beef
1 lb
- Olive Oil
2 tsp
- Salt
0.5 tsp
- Black pepper
0.5 tsp
- Onion powder
0.25 tsp
- Garlic powder
0.25 tsp
- Chili powder
0.5 tsp
- Heavy cream
0.75 cup
- Butter, unsalted
3 tbsp
- Cheddar cheese
0.75 cup, shredded
- Salt
1 dash
- Mozzarella cheese
0.5 cup, shredded