Tater tot casserole is classic comfort food, but it’s usually loaded with heavy cream soup, lots of cheese, and very few veggies. With a few smart swaps, you can turn tater tot casserole into a family-friendly, lighter one-pan meal that still tastes like the real thing and fits better on a healthy food blog.
Recipe Overview
Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 30–35 minutes
Total time: 50–55 minutes
This version keeps:
The crispy tater tot topping everyone loves
A creamy, savoury filling
…but swaps in:
Lean ground turkey instead of higher-fat beef
Greek yogurt + broth instead of canned cream-of-something soup
Extra vegetables for fibre, colour and volume
Turkey & Veggie Filling
1 tbsp olive oil
450 g lean ground turkey (about 1 lb, 93–95% lean)
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1½ cups frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried Italian herbs (or mix of oregano + thyme)
½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
½ tsp black pepper
Creamy “No-Can” Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil or butter
2 tbsp flour (all-purpose or whole-wheat)
1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup 2% milk or unsweetened soy milk
½ cup plain Greek yogurt (2% or 0%, at room temp)
1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional, for depth)
½ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar or mozzarella
Tater Tot Topping
600 g frozen tater tots (about 21 oz – enough for a single layer)
Optional: extra ¼ cup shredded cheese for the very top
Heat the pan
In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
Brown the turkey
Add ground turkey.
Cook 6–8 minutes, breaking it up with a spatula, until no longer pink.
Add aromatics
Stir in onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened.
Add garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring.
Add vegetables and seasoning
Add diced red pepper and frozen mixed vegetables.
Season with paprika, dried herbs, salt and black pepper.
Cook another 3–4 minutes until vegetables are just tender and excess moisture cooks off.
Turn off the heat and set aside.
Start the roux
In a separate saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil or butter over medium heat.
Add 2 tbsp flour and whisk for 1–2 minutes until it smells slightly nutty (this is your base).
Add liquids slowly
Gradually whisk in the broth, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
Add the milk and keep whisking until the sauce thickens and gently simmers (3–5 minutes).
Flavour & enrich
Turn heat to low. Stir in Dijon mustard (optional) and shredded cheese.
Once cheese melts, remove from heat and let sit 1–2 minutes.
Add the yogurt
Stir in the Greek yogurt off the heat to avoid curdling.
Whisk until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust salt/pepper as needed.
Preheat the oven
Heat oven to 200°C / 400°F.
Mix in the skillet
Pour the creamy sauce into the skillet with the turkey and vegetable mixture.
Stir until everything is evenly coated.
Transfer to baking dish
Lightly grease a medium casserole dish (around 23×33 cm / 9×13 in).
Pour in the turkey–vegetable–sauce mixture and spread into an even layer.
Arrange tater tots
Place frozen tater tots on top in a single, even layer.
Keep them fairly close together for a solid crispy “lid.”
Optional cheese
Sprinkle a small handful of cheese over the tater tots if you want extra crisp and flavour.
Bake
Bake at 200°C / 400°F for 30–35 minutes, until:
The sauce is bubbling up around the edges.
The tater tots on top are golden and crisp.
Rest
Remove from the oven and let the casserole rest 5–10 minutes before serving.
This helps it set, so slices hold together better.
These values are estimates based on typical ingredients and baking (no extra cheese on top):
Calories: 400–430 kcal
Protein: 32–35 g
Carbohydrates: 25–30 g
Fat: 16–20 g (mostly from olive oil, cheese and tots)
Fiber: 4–6 g
Key nutrients:
Iron & zinc from turkey
Calcium & B12 from milk, cheese, yogurt
Vitamin C & antioxidants from bell pepper and mixed vegetables
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