Main Dishes Casserole Recipes Vegetable Tater Tots® Turkey Tater Tot Hot Dish 4.7 (13) 11 Reviews 5 Photos This turkey tater tot hot dish is everything you want from upper-Midwest comfort food, where a casserole is not a casserole, but is called a hot dish. The contrast between the savory, saucy, meaty turkey on the bottom, and the crispy, cheesy tater tot top makes this absolutely irresistible. By John Mitzewich John Mitzewich John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on October 23, 2023 Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 5 5 5 5 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Servings: 8 Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe This amazing ground turkey casserole — topped with cheesy, crispy tater tots — is simple to make, easy on the budget, and a perfect choice for feeding large groups of hungry people. It’s also not a casserole. It’s a hot dish. And what’s the difference between a casserole and a hot dish? There isn’t any, other than the location where you’re making this. This is called a casserole everywhere except in the Upper Midwest. There, it’s a hot dish (or hotdish, depending who you ask). Now that I’ve explained that mystery, we can focus on just how great this was. For me, this is the epitome of American comfort food. I loved everything about it. If turkey isn’t your thing, this will work with beef or any other ground meat (so we can add “versatile” to its list of attributes). I was also going to say you could make this with mashed potatoes instead of tater tots, but I won’t. Anyway, whether you use tots or not, or call it a casserole instead, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy! More recipes: Try the latest and greatest recipes from Chef John! Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 cups sliced brown mushrooms 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste 1 cup chopped onion 2 pounds ground turkey 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1 pinch cayenne pepper 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 (4 ounce) can diced Hatch green chilies, or other diced chilies 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced 2 1/2 cups chicken broth 6 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese, divided 1 (32 ounce) bag frozen tater tots Directions Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over high heat, and cook and stir mushrooms with a big pinch of the salt until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onions and sauté until onions turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add turkey, and cook for a few minutes, breaking meat up into smaller crumbles. Stir in the rest of the salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Reduce heat to medium high, and cook until turkey is lightly browned and crumbly and liquid is mostly evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle over and stir in flour; cook, stirring, to cook out the raw taste of the flour, another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in green chiles, bell pepper, and chicken broth. Wait for the mixture to simmer, and cook, stirring, until the liquids thicken, and the texture is to your liking, about 2 minutes. Mixture can be reduced to thicken further, or broth can be added for a thinner texture. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Transfer to a 9x12-inch, 9x13-inch, or equivalent casserole dish and smooth out the top. Top surface evenly with 4 ounces shredded cheese, and press cheese in lightly with the tip of a spatula. Cover casserole surface evenly with 1 layer of frozen or thawed tater tots (if using frozen, add a few minutes to the oven time). Reserve any remaining tots for another use. Top with remaining cheese. Bake in the preheated oven until tater tots are crisp and golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Chef John I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 711 Calories 44g Fat 44g Carbs 39g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Calories 711 % Daily Value * Total Fat 44g 56% Saturated Fat 13g 67% Cholesterol 150mg 50% Sodium 1390mg 60% Total Carbohydrate 44g 16% Dietary Fiber 5g 16% Total Sugars 5g Protein 39g 78% Vitamin C 67mg 75% Calcium 243mg 19% Iron 5mg 25% Potassium 1011mg 22% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.