Ella Langley Casserole–an easy ground beef or turkey dinner made with salsa, cream cheese, corn and crispy tater tots for the ultimate comfort food meal.
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Ella Langley Casserole
(This recipe is adapted from Facebook and has classic church cookbook vibes with a southern flare…just like the energy of an Ella Langley song.) Think taco night mashed up with classic tater tot casserole. The crispy tots on top, the creamy cheesy filling underneath, the little bit of crunch in every bite… it’s pure comfort food. Salsa is the secret ingredient because it adds flavor, acidity and spice without a huge ingredient list. No canned soups are needed for this tater tot casserole because cream cheese is used instead and it goes over well! Enjoy!
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Ground beef–or ground turkey
- Diced onion–or dry minced onion
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Worcestershire sauce
- Tomato paste
- Chicken broth–or beef broth or water and Better than Bouillon chicken base
- Cream cheese
- Frozen corn–or canned corn, drained
- Salsa–or picante sauce
- Cornstarch
- Shredded cheddar cheese–or Colby Jack or pepper jack
- Tater tots–or crispy crowns
Steps
Heat oven to 400° F. Heat a cast iron skillet (or a frying pan that can go in the oven) over medium high heat. Add in the beef/turkey and break it up. Add in the onion. Brown for 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Stir in the salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire and tomato paste.
Stir in the broth, cream cheese, corn and salsa and heat through until cream cheese is melted and incorporated.
In a small bowl stir together cornstarch with 1 Tbsp of cold water until smooth. Stir the mixture into the pan to thicken the sauce.
Stir in the cheddar until melted.
Add the tater tots on top and bake for 40 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve with a green salad, fresh fruit, roasted vegetables or tortilla chips and guacamole.
- I used my cast iron skillet*. A cast iron skillet works perfectly because you can go straight from stovetop to oven. If you want you can transfer from a pan to a 9×13 inch pan.
- You can add a can of drained black beans or pinto beans to stretch the meal further.
- Frozen fire roasted corn works great in this recipe and adds extra flavor.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days although the tater tot portion of this dinner is definitely better the first day because the tots are crispy.
- Other recipes you can make with
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Ella Langley Casserole
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
An easy ground beef or turkey dinner made with salsa, cream cheese, corn and crispy tater tots for the ultimate comfort food meal.
Ingredients
- 16 oz ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 cup diced onion or 2 Tbsp dry minced onion
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken or beef broth
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup salsa or picante sauce
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 16 oz tater tots
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400° F.
- Heat a cast iron skillet (or a frying pan that can go in the oven) over medium high heat. Add in the beef/turkey and break it up. Add in the onion. Brown for 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Stir in the salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire and tomato paste.
- Stir in the broth, cream cheese, corn and salsa and heat through until cream cheese is melted and incorporated.
- In a small bowl stir together cornstarch with 1 Tbsp of cold water until smooth. Stir the mixture into the pan to thicken the sauce.
- Stir in the cheddar until melted.
- Add the tater tots on top and bake for 40 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Category: Beef, Ground Turkey
- Method: Stove and Oven
More tater tot recipes…
Mandatory Midwest Casserole
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Truth Casserole
A dish with tater tots, smoky bacon, spicy Rotel, creamy sour cream, mushroom soup, and plenty of melted cheddar for a cheesy, comforting dish with a little kick.
Instant Pot Napoleon Dynamite Soup
A cheesy hashbrown ground beef soup that is topped with tater tots in the place of croutons.
BYU Casserole
BYU Casserole, also known as hotdish, is a fun family favorite! It’s got ground beef, tater tots and a creamy sauce. This version can be made in your Instant Pot with an air fryer lid or it can be baked in the oven.
Instant Pot Tater Tot Casserole
The hot dish your mom used to make with ground beef, veggies and tater tots only it’s made in the Instant Pot instead of the oven.
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
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