Lightened Up Tater Tot Casserole (Gluten Free)
This Lightened Up Tater Tot Casserole is packed with lean ground turkey, loads of vegetables and a creamy homemade cheddar sauce! A perfect gluten free dinner for even your pickiest eaters!
Sometimes you just need comfort food! That is exactly how I felt a couple weeks ago. Just good old comfort food!
My traditional go to is Cheesy Chicken and Rice but we needed something a little different, a little heartier. So I decided to go a different route. This route led me right to one of my favorite things- a hearty, filling Lightened Up Tater Tot Casserole that’s Gluten Free!
I made this Lightened Up Tater Tot Casserole and it was such a hit! Traditional Tater Tot Casserole is packed with ground beef, loads of cheese and a couple cans of cream of soup. It has been years and years since I have had the traditional version, but I did remember the general mix of flavors.
This Tater Tot Casserole with sour cream version uses lean ground turkey, a ton of mixed vegetables, a homemade cream of soup with no fillers, sharp cheddar cheese and gluten free tater tots. It is a simple, wholesome, meal that even your pickiest eaters will love! The best part- it’s gluten free!
Are Tater Tots Gluten Free?
Y’all, what a potato blessing we’ve been given in this gluten free household. Ore-Ida Tater Tots are gluten free!
Thank Heavens, because I love a good casserole, hold the gluten. You can’t make a Gluten Free Tater Tot Casserole without these fabulous tots!
Ingredients for Gluten Free Tater Tot Casserole
As always, here is an overview of the ingredients used for this tater tot casserole with sour cream. For the complete recipe, just keep scrolling.
- Ground turkey- you can also use ground chicken or beef.
- Onion- diced
- Minced garlic
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Frozen mixed veggies- use any combination that you prefer here.
- Butter
- Gluten free Bisquick- if you aren’t gluten free, regular Bisquick will work fine.
- Milk- I used fat free.
- Shredded cheddar- I used reduced fat.
- Sour cream- I also used a reduced fat sour cream here.
- Gluten free tater tots- Ore-Ida brand is gluten free.
By adding in sour cream to this casserole, you make it deliciously creamy without weighing it down. This Tater Tot Casserole with sour cream is a game changer!
How to prepare Tater Tot Casserole with Sour Cream
Here is how we make it! First, we start by choosing lean ground turkey in place of ground beef. This cuts down loads of calories!
Use a large cast iron skillet to brown the turkey and throw in one small chopped onion, minced garlic and a bit of garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper. Next, we add an entire bag of mixed vegetables. You can use any variety you like but I used a bag with corn, peas, green beans and carrots. This hearty mixture is the base for your casserole.
Then, remove your veggie mix and put into a bowl. Place your skillet back on the heat. In place of a canned cream of soup, we use just a few basic staples to make our own.
Melt a little butter in your skillet, add the gluten free flour and stir well so that your flour forms almost a “paste”. Following this, add the milk to the skillet, while stirring, until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and add half the cheese and sour cream.
Then you just add this back to your meat and vegetable mixture in the bowl and combine. Place back in the skillet and top with some shredded cheese and tater tots. Just bake for 30 minutes and enjoy! Your whole family will love this Lightened Up Tater Tot Casserole!
Storage and Reheating of Lightened Up Tater Tot Casserole
If you aren’t well versed in the way of cast iron skillets, the biggest rule is not to keep them soaking in the sink! To keep my skillets looking fresh, I usually take my dishes out of them fairly quickly so I can clean and reseason the skillet quickly.
After you have enjoyed your Gluten Free Tater Tot Casserole, take your leftovers out of the skillet and store in an airtight plastic or glass container in the fridge. This Tater Tot Casserole with sour cream will stay fresh in the fridge for 4-5 days.
To reheat, you can either reheat in the oven, stovetop or in the microwave. It totally depends on if you want the crunch in the tater tots! If you’re into a little crunch, you can warm this casserole in the oven warmed to 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. I would recommend warming in your cast iron.
For the stovetop method, I would also use the cast iron. Warm your cast iron on the stovetop until you can feel the heat coming off of the skillet. Add your Lightened Up Tater Tot Casserole to the skillet and warm to your desired temperature.
If you’re using the microwave, place on a microwave safe plate and warm in 30 second increments until your desired temperature has been reached. Let cool for a minute or two before enjoying.
Easy Comfort Food Recipes
- Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Buffalo Chicken Tenders
- One Pan Pork Chops and Rice
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Get the Recipe: Lightened Up Tater Tot Casserole (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bag frozen mixed veggies
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons gluten free Bisquick
- 1 cup fat free milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 1/2 cup light sour cream
- 3 + cups tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium heat and brown the turkey. Add the chopped onion, minced garlic and a bit of garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper.
- Add a bag of mixed vegetable and stir well.
- Remove the mixture from the pan to a mixing bowl and return the skillet to the stove.
- Add the butter and allow it to melt. Add the gluten free flour and stir well and allow it to brown lightly. Pour in the milk while stirring until the mixture begins to thicken.
- When it has thickened well, remove from heat and add half the cheese and the sour cream.
- Pour the cream of soup mixture in the mixing bowl with the meat and vegetable mixture, stir well.
- Add the mixture back to the cast iron skillet and top with the remaining cheese and tater tots.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
I literally JUST told my husband that I want to make a version of a tater tot casserole that I used to have when I was little. This looks SO good, Annie! I love the cheese in here and the fact that it’s lightened up. Sounds so good for dinner…pinning this one!
Gah how I love tater tots!! And this casserole … why have I never had a casserole with tater tots before??
This is so pretty! I love tater tots so much and this casserole is like the grown up version, especially in that pretty skillet.
Thank goodness this is lightened up because I think I would eat the whole darn thing! This looks so good, especially because I kind of go nuts for tater tots. Love this!
My family is pretty much ADDICTED to tater tot casserole, and I love that this one is lightened up so I don’t have to feel guilty about making it “several times a week” 😉
I have always love Tater Tot casserole. This looks delish in the skillet. What is the oven temperature–It’s not in the recipe above?
Thanks so much!
Hi Maria! I fixed it! That is an important piece of information, huh? 🙂
It sounds delicious. Can’t wait to try it! But yes, what is the oven temp? 350?
Hi Ila! Sorry about that! The oven temp is 400, I fixed it! 🙂
Annie I love love tater tots and this casserole sounds perfect for weekend binge watching!! Happy weekend friend 🙂
My mom used to make tater tot casserole when I was growing up, but it was never this pretty! You did such a nice job with the presentation and I love how you lightened it up with ground turkey!
Your version sounds better than the original!
looks so comforting!
I love to have lighter versions of my favorite comfort food dishes! This looks fantastic!
This would go over very well at my house! Love the layer of veggies under those beautiful tots.
What a fun take on a tater tot casserole! I love the sub of ground turkey and lighter ingredients.
Great way to lighten it up! I haven’t had tater tot casserole since I was a kid!! Now I want to make it again!
This is brilliant! It looks so good with the crisp edges! I’m also digging the fact that it’s lightened up… gives me a great excuse to go back for seconds. 😉
This would go over SO well here! We love the classic comfort foods like this one!
I’m a total sucker for tater tot casserole – and blessed be it’s healthier now? Thank you!!
Tator tots are one of my favorite things to eat but I don’t make them as much as I should. I love all of the veggies and cheesy goodness too! I need to add this to my weeknight menu.
Do the tater tots need to be thawed before baking?
Nope! 🙂
Could this be assembled the day before and refrigerated?
Yes that should be fine!
I like crispy tater tots… Would prebaking them or setting the temp to 450 be okay… Or 400 bake covered and then crank up the heat uncovered at the end???
Hi Rachel, we like crispy tots too and I usually broil the casserole for a couple minutes until they are nice and crisp.
This was very good – I subbed Aldi’s GF Baking/Biscuit mix for Bisquick and Greek Yogurt for Sour Cream.