Okay this might sound crazy, but I did think of this recipe concept as I fell asleep one night. I had recently tried this Indian style tater tot recipe, and became obsessed. As I was trying to fall asleep, my mind was racing. Usually as I am falling asleep, I am thinking about anything I have ever done and regretted in my life (healthy I know) but suddenly, a bulgogi style tater tot casserole popped in my head. Whenever recipes come in my head like this I feel like Willy Wonka from the Johnny Depp version where he is a kid tasting all types of candy and having a “light bulb” moment lol.
The base of this recipe starts off with a bulgogi inspired beef. The sauce is so savory and delicious it gives this dish a ton of flavor. I add veggies in there, because why not?? Then we take it to crazy town and start adding tater tots and cheese and sriracha mayo, oh my! Please trust me on this it is so good and it just works! Top with plenty of cilantro and red onion, and you have a delicious unique dinner! This would pair perfectly with kimchi, or my Spicy Cucumber Salad!
Another great thing about this casserole, is it comes together pretty simply. Once you sauté the vegetables and the beef, the casserole does the rest of the work for you in the oven. If you really want to take it to the next level, make your own spicy sriracha mayo to drizzle on top. You can also use store bought! I used the Kikkoman Sriracha Mayo and it was delicious.
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Why You’ll Love This Casserole
How to Make This Tater Tot Casserole
Please see recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe details.
- Prep. Before you start cooking, chop all of your veggies so everything is ready to go. In a large casserole dish, spray with non-stick spray or coat with oil.
- Sauté the onions. Be patient and let them caramelize a bit in the pan. After a few minutes, add in the jalapeños and bell peppers. Sauté for another few minutes, then add the garlic. After everything is nice and soft, add in the spices and coat the vegetables.
- Brown the meat. Since this is 2 pounds of meat, I do this in batches. I take out half of the veggie mixture and set aside. Then to the pot I add in one pound of meat and cook. Then once that batch is done, take it out and set aside, mix in the next pound of meat with the reserved veggies and cook this batch of meat.
- Prep the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together, soy sauce, brown sugar, and seasonings.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the reserved meat and veggies back into the pot. Time to add in those tomatoes. Pour in the prepared sauce as well. Simmer on low until tomatoes release their juices, around 15-20 minutes. Stir in the spinach.
- Pour into the pan. Once the meat has simmered, taste and adjust for salt if needed. Pour mixture into your prepared casserole dish. Top with a single layer of tater tots.
- Bake! For 40-50 minutes until everything is bubbly and the tater tots are golden brown. I like to add the cheese with 10 minutes left on the timer so it melts nicely.
- Remove and let cool for 10 mins. Top with cilantro, green onion, kimchi, spicy mayo and enjoy!
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Bulgogi Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
Method
- Before you start cooking, chop all of your veggies so everything is ready to go. In a large casserole dish, spray with non-stick spray or coat with oil.
- Next we are going to sauté the onions. Drizzle a large pot with avocado oil and add the onions over medium heat. Be patient and let the onions cook down, this will add a depth of flavor! After a few minutes, add the jalapeños and bell peppers. Cook for another few minutes, then add the garlic. After the veggies are soft add in the spices and coat the vegetables.
- Time to brown the meat! Since this is 2 pounds of meat, I like to separate this into to two batches, for ease of cooking. Remove half of the vegetable mixture and set aside. Add in the first pound of meat and cook for a few minutes until browned. Remove from the pot, add in the reserved vegetables and second pound of meat, repeat the same process.
- While this second batch is cooking, let's prep the bulgogi sauce. In a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, and seasonings.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Once the second batch of meat is done, add in the reserved meat and vegetables back to the pot. Add in the bulgogi sauce, and add in the tomatoes at this time. Give it a good stir and let simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- After everything has simmered, stir in the spinach. Taste at this point and add salt or any seasonings you think it needs. Pour the meat and vegetable mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Top with a single layer of tater tots. I cram as many of those bad boys on top as I can, the more tater tots the better!
- Bake for 40-50 minutes until everything is bubbly and the tater tots are golden brown. About 10 minutes before the casserole is done, I like to top with the cheese so it gets nice and melty.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Top with cilantro, green onion, kimchi, and spicy mayo. Enjoy!!
Notes
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