John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots is a hearty one dish dinner recipe that will satisfy the taste buds of young and old alike.

This naturally gluten free recipe makes a great comfort meal any time of the year but especially when the weather is cooler.

This easy dinner recipe yields 6 - 8 servings.

Add your favourite salad alongside John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots if you like, to complete your meal.

Every mouthful is loaded with Tator Tots, ground beef smothered in salsa, corn and a variety of cheeses.

Printable Recipe Card with a Full List of Ingredients and Instructions is Located at the Bottom of the Post.

Be sure to read through the entire post so that you don’t miss out on any important tips and tricks!

To begin making John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots I put a bag of Tater Tots out to thaw before I diced up a yellow onion and green pepper.

Then I put some olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat and added lean ground beef.

When the ground beef was almost browned I added some salt, pepper and the diced vegetables I had prepared.

Once the meat was completely cooked I dumped in a can of corn and some chunky salsa of choice.  For a bit of heat I chose medium.

I reduced the heat to simmer and let it continue cooking while I prepared the cream cheese mixture.

For the cream cheese layer I mixed some Herbs and Chives cream cheese (to reduce dairy I used Tofutti brand), Miracle Whip and onion powder together in a small bowl.

I made sure it was well combined.

Next I shredded some marble cheddar cheese and some Monteray Jack cheese with Jalapeño pepper.

Then I lined a greased 9" x 13" baking pan with the thawed Tater Tots.

Once the Tater Tots were in place I spread the meat mixture evenly on top of them.

Next I spread the cream cheese mixture out as evenly as possible over top of the meat mixture.

Before putting the pan in the oven I spread the shredded cheeses over the top.

I baked the John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots in a preheated 350F oven for 40 - 45 minutes.

After removing the casserole from the oven I allowed it to cool for a few minutes before serving.

This delicious, layered casserole recipe is loaded with Tater Tots and ground beef.  You control the heat with your choice of salsa.

This hearty casserole is a great dinner choice.

John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots will definitely be added to our dinner rotation!

Printable Recipe Card with a Full List of Ingredients and Instructions is Located at the Bottom of the Post.

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PRINTABLE VERSION OF THE RECIPE CAN BE FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE

Ingredients You'll Need to Make this John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots:

• 800g Tater Tots thawed
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 1 green pepper diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 341ml can corn
• 5 cups chunky salsa
• 8 oz Herbs and Chives cream cheese (I used dairy free Tofutti brand)
• ½ cup Miracle Whip
• ½ tablespoon onion powder
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese blend
• 1 cup Monteray Jack cheese with Jalapeño peppers

How to Make John Wayne Casserole with Tater Tots:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9" x 13" baking pan.
2. Dice the yellow onion and green pepper.
3. Place the olive oil into a frying pan over medium heat.
4. Add the lean ground beef to the frying pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Break up meat while cooking. Cook until almost browned. Add cut up onion and green pepper and continue cooking.
5. While meat finishes cooking prepare cream cheese sauce by combining the cream cheese, Miracle Whip and the onion powder. 
6. Shred the cheddar cheese and the Monteray Jack cheese.
7. When the meat is cooked add the can of corn and salsa of choice to the frying pan and stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Place a layer of Tater Tots in the bottom of the prepared 9" x 13" baking pan.
9. Follow with the meat mixture. 
10. Spread the cream cheese mixture as evenly as possible over the meat layer.
11. Sprinkle the shredded cheeses over the top.
12. Bake in the preheated 350F oven for 40 - 45 minutes.
13. Remove casserole from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
14. Enjoy!