School’s out for summer! Celebrate with this easy garlic cheddar tater tot casserole. You can make this in the Instant Pot or the oven.
Garlic cheddar tater tot casserole
Whenever Skyler loves something I make he’ll tell me things like, “mom, this is bussin!” Which means it’s really good. He loved this tater tot casserole and the yummy flavor from the garlic. He was hoping for leftovers today but was sad when he saw that it was all gone.
As my kids wrap up the school year (this is the first year we’ve ever gotten out before memorial day) I like to make fun foods to celebrate all their hard work and accomplishments. This Instant Pot tater tot garlic cheddar casserole is definitely fun and not something I make every day of the week. It can be made in your Instant Pot with an air fryer lid or baked in the oven. It’s got great flavor it’s a fun way to serve tots.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Sour cream
- Cottage cheese
- Half and half
- Minced garlic
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Frozen tater tots–Ore Ida brand is best
- Cheddar
- Parmesan cheese
Steps
- Make the sauce: In a large mixing bowl add the sour cream, cottage cheese and half and half. Stir until combined. If you want a more creamy texture then blend until smooth with an immersion blender. Stir in the minced garlic, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Fold in the tater tots and half of the cheddar and all of parmesan.
- Pressure cook: Once tots are coated well scrape them into a 7×4 inch pot in pot dish* (or another deep pot in pot dish*). Pour 1 ½ cups water into Instant Pot. Place the tot dish on a sling* and lower it into the Instant Pot. Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 15 minutes on high pressure. When time is up move valve to venting.
- Crisp up the top: Sprinkle remaining cheddar on top. If you have an air fryer lid* place it on top of the Instant Pot and air fry at 400° F for about 5 minutes. If you don’t have an air fryer you can sprinkle the cheese on top and broil in your oven for 5 minutes.
- Eat and enjoy!
- Oven directions: You can easily make this in your oven instead of the Instant Pot. After you coat the tots in the sauce scrape the mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread it out evenly. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 more minutes.
Notes/Tips
- Blend the sour cream and cottage cheese together with an immersion blender for a more creamy consistency.
- Serve as a side dish to any dinner. This could even be served as a breakfast casserole alongside eggs and cinnamon rolls. Now that would be a fun last day of school breakfast!
- I used my 6 quart Duo Crisp* with 7×4 inch Fat Daddios Pan*.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- This recipe can be gluten-free. Make sure to buy a gluten-free variety of tater tots.
- Other recipes you can make with tater tots are: Tater Tot Casserole, Cracked Out Chicken Casserole, Lunch Lady Delight, Complete Cowboy Casserole and Starving Dude Casserole
More Cheesy Potato Recipes…
- Instant Pot 5-Ingredient Potato Casserole
- Instant Pot Man Lovin Potatoes
- Instant Pot Ruth’s Chris Copycat Potatoes
- Instant Pot Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
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Garlic Cheddar Tater Tot Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
School’s out for summer! Celebrate with this easy garlic cheddar tater tot casserole. You can make this in the Instant Pot or the oven.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds frozen tater tots
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar, divided
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl add the sour cream, cottage cheese and half and half. Stir until combined. If you want a more creamy texture then blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in the minced garlic, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Fold in the tater tots and half of the cheddar and all of parmesan.
- Once tots are coated well scrape them into a 7×4 inch pot in pot dish (or another deep pot in pot dish) that has been spayed with non-stick cooking spray. Pour 1 ½ cups water into Instant Pot. Place the tot dish on a sling and lower it into the Instant Pot. Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 15 minutes on high pressure. When time is up move valve to venting.
- Sprinkle remaining cheddar on top. If you have an air fryer lid place it on top of the Instant Pot and air fry at 400° F for about 5 minutes. If you don’t have an air fryer you can sprinkle the cheese on top and broil in your oven for 5 minutes.
- Eat and enjoy!
Notes
Oven directions: After step 1 scrape the mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread it out evenly. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 more minutes.
- Category: Side
- Method: Instant Pot/Air fryer lid
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I was looking for a different potato dish that resembled hash brown casserole but didn’t take as long — we had come in from church and I wanted to get a good lunch on the table quickly. This was perfect! And soooo good! My cooker has the air fryer lid so converting from pressure to air fryer super easy. I was afraid the garlic taste would be too much but not t was not. Thank you so much for this recipe! Def a keeper!
★★★★★
Oh! I didn’t have cream or half and half so I added 2 T melted butter. (I am from the Deep South. Gotta have some butter! 😉)
Thanks for the 5 stars Denise!
We didn’t have half -n-half so I substituted buttermilk. I also added Costco bacon crumbs. Rarely a delicious side dish.
I started with frozen Tater Tots and found that 15 minutes was not long enough in the Instant Pot with an immediate release of pressure. Next time I’ll try a 5 or 10 minute natural release after the 15 minute cooking cycle is completed.
★★★★★
good to know! Thanks for sharing your experience cooking this recipe!
Have you tried or could you make this with ground beef added?
Yes you could, just brown the beef before adding it in
It says 375 ⁰ F
What is the temperature for the oven method. You don’s list it.
Sorry about that. It is 375
How do I get a copy of your instant Pot cookbook
Hi there, I only have an e-book available. Here is info: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/order-your-cookbook-now/