Mexican Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
For the Beef Mixture:
- 1-pound ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup bell peppers, any color, diced
- 2 tsp. ketchup
- 3 tsp. yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2-½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded, separated
- 32 ounces Tater Tots, frozen
- Chives, chopped, for serving, optional
- Crispy bacon, crumbled or bacon bits, for serving, optional
For the Gravy/Sauce:
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 chicken bouillon
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
Instructions
To prepare to bake casserole:
- Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the gravy/sauce ingredients; set aside.
To prepare the beef mixture:
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook/crumble the ground beef with the onions until browned and cooked through.
- Add minced garlic and bell peppers; cook for 1 – 2 minutes; remove from heat and drain grease.
- Place back on the heat; season lightly with salt, pepper, ketchup, yellow mustard and tomato paste; stir to combine.
- Sprinkle flour over the meat mixture; stir to combine; cook for 2 minutes or until the smell flour of is no longer present.
- Add the beef broth mixture, in small splashes, and use a silicone spatula to clean the bottom of the pot; this will add more flavor to the sauce; don’t add the liquid too quickly in order to keep the base nice and thick; bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer; let it thicken and reduce for 5 minutes; remove from heat.
To assemble and bake the casserole:
- If your skillet isn’t oven safe, transfer to a lightly greased 9-inch x 13-inch casserole dish.
- Top first with the corn and then with 2 cups of the cheese.
- Top with an even layer of frozen tater tots.
- Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and add additional ½ cup cheese.
- Return to the oven and bake 5 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with chives, crispy bacon or bacon bits prior to serving.
