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Looking for a hearty, comforting dinner that comes together quickly? This Air Fryer cheesesteak tater tot casserole is about to become your new favorite.
It packs in all the rich, savory flavors of a classic cheesesteak with the crispy, golden goodness of tater tots- all in your Air Fryer. You’ll just need about 15 minutes of hands-on kitchen time to make this- just like with my Air Fryer taco casserole recipe.
This recipe is incredibly easy to customize. You’ll just need a handful of pantry staples and within no time, you’ll have a cheesy, crowd-pleasing meal on the table, ready to be devoured.
Casseroles are perfect for family weeknights, and my Air Fryer pizza pasta casserole has been a huge hit! That’s actually what inspired me to try another casserole recipe, and here we are!
Quick Look At This Recipe
✨ Flavor: Savory and cheesy! Perfect for a quick weeknight meal- just like my Air Fryer stuffed peppers.
⏱️ Prep time: 15 minutes.
🔥 Cook time: 25 minutes.
⏲️ Total time: 40 minutes.
👥 Servings: 4 servings.
🥄 Tools: Air Fryer.
❄️ Freezer friendly: Yes. Can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to 3 months.
👩🏻🍳 Tip: Avoid overcooking the veggies and meat in the pan. They’ll continue cooking in the Air Fryer.
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Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s crispy, cheesy, and loaded with flavor- just like my Air Fryer loaded tater tots recipe.
- You’ll just need a pan and your trusty Air Fryer- it’s quicker and less messy than traditional casseroles.
- It’s just right for busy weeknights- like my Air Fryer lasagna stuffed shells.
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground beef: Lean ground beef works best! I used it for my Air Fryer cowboy casserole recipe too!
- Brown gravy mix: For that savory flavor.
- Veggies: I used a mix of chopped onion and bell peppers to bulk up the casserole.
- Seasonings: Just some salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sometimes I like to use my Air Fryer roasted garlic when I have it at hand.
- Cheese: Shredded Provolone or Mozzarella work best!
- Frozen tater tots: Use any brand you prefer. You can also swap these for shredded potatoes or shredded hash browns if you want to.
- Oil: Your regular olive oil.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- Toss in other veggies like mushrooms, spinach, or multiple bell pepper colors for extra nutrition and flavor.
- Use a mix of ground beef and sausage for a richer taste or use chicken or turkey to make it leaner.
- For a spicy kick, add sliced jalapenos, red pepper flakes or a splash of your favorite hot sauce, like I did when I made my Air Fryer chicken wings.
- You can also try using a different cheese like Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or white cheddar.
How to Make Air Fryer Cheesesteak Tater Tot Casserole
- Sauté onions in oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and seasonings and mix well.
- Cook until the beef is no longer pink, then add the bell peppers and gravy mix.
- Pour in water and mix well. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and turns saucy.
- Transfer to an Air Fryer safe pan and top with some of the shredded cheese.
- Top with a single layer of frozen tater tots.
- Transfer to the Air Fryer basket and cook for 12 minutes.
- Remove from the Air Fryer, top with the remaining cheese and pop it back in again.
- Air fry for additional 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melty and golden brown.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
This hearty and wholesome casserole can be enjoyed on its own, or paired with a simple salad or a light veggie side. I love teaming it up with my Air Fryer frozen vegetables whenever I have a bag at hand, but you can also keep it simple and just pai it with some Air Fryer green beans or Air Fryer broccoli.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- If the cheese seems to be browning too quickly, cover the dish with foil and pop it back in.
- Allow the casserole to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Preheating your Air Fryer ensures even cooking and crispy tater tots- so make sure you don’t skip it. I did this when I made my Air Fryer tater tots and Air Fryer bacon wrapped tater tots too.
- Remember to drain the grease well- this prevents the casserole from becoming too oily or soggy.
- Check the pan size. I used an 8 inch pan here, but if you’re using a larger pan, it’ll mean thinner layers and faster cooking time.
Recipe FAQs
You can store the leftover casserole for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Simply cover it up with foil or cling wrap and pop it in.
To reheat the leftovers, simply pop them in a preheated oven or microwave until they’re nice and warm.
You can freeze this air fried cheesesteak tater tot casserole for up to 3 months. Just make sure you cool it down completely, cover it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil before freezing it.
More Casseroles
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Air Fryer Cheesesteak Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 1 pound ground beef, I used ground chuck 80/20
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, ground
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup bell pepper , (I used an orange bell pepper, but you can choose any color peppers)
- 0.87 ounces brown gravy mix
- ½ cup water
- 2 ½ cups provolone, shredded
- ¾ pound frozen tater tots
Instructions
- In a skillet, over medium heat, add oil and onions. Cook the onions until they are translucent.
- Add the ground beef. Using a heatproof spoon, break it into pieces and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Mix and keep cooking until the ground beef is no longer pink. Drain excess grease.
- Add the diced pepper. Mix well.
- Sprinkle the brown gravy mix over the meat and pour in the water. Mix well and bring to a boil.
- Once the mixture is thickened and the ground beef is well coated, turn the heat off.
- Preheat the air fryer to 340 degrees F.
- Oil an 8-inch cake pan. (Or any pans that will fit in your air fryer.)
- Pour the ground beef mixture into the prepared cake pan. Spread evenly.
- Sprinkle evenly ½ to ¾ cup of shredded cheese over the meat mixture.
- Add the frozen tater tots in one layer over the cheese.
- Cover and cook for 12 minutes at 340 degrees F.
- Uncover and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese over the tater tots.
- Air fryer for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden to your liking.
- Cool for 3-5 minutes.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
- Add mushrooms, spinach, or a combination of different bell peppers to bulk up the casserole.
- Use a mixture of ground beef and ground sausage for a different flavor profile.
- I used a Cosori 6.0 QT Turbo Blaze. An 8-inch cake pan fits perfectly in the basket. If you need to use a different-sized cake pan, take the cooking time into account. A bigger pan means thinner layers, which will cook faster.
- Use frozen tater tots. They will cook up crispier and prevent the casserole from becoming soggy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
43 grams of protein in this delicious dish!