The best of Mexican and American cooking in one pan.
For some reason, I’ve been really in the mood for Mexican food lately. Maybe it’s the summer heat that makes me feel like I’m down in sunny Mexico, and I start craving the spices to go with it. Whatever the reason, I’m just going with it.
After whipping up some Zucchini Taco Rolls and an Easy Taco Pasta Salad, I was looking around my kitchen for new things to cook up Mexican-style, and I happened upon a bag of Tater Tots in the freezer. And I thought, well, hey…I’ve already done Tater Tot Nachos, so why not go all the way and turn Tater Tots into a one-dish Mexican casserole?
The key to this dish is sofrito – a zesty blend of onion, garlic, tomatoes, and spice that’s used in all kinds of Latin American cooking. Adding just a spoonful of this to your ground beef, along with the regular taco seasoning, gives it a kick that turns the Mexican flavor up to 11. (If you can’t find sofrito, you can use salsa – but try for sofrito if you can.)
This spiced-up ground beef, mixed with black beans, corn, and Mexican cheese, blends together into a hearty, Mexican-spicy base for the casserole. And layering the Tater Tots on top gives it a golden, crunchy crust. Together, they’re the best of Mexican flavor and American ingenuity, in one.
Mexican Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1 teaspoon of taco seasoning
8 ounces of corn kernels
8 ounces of black beans, drained
1 tablespoon of sofrito, or 1/4 cup salsa
1 cup of Mexican blend cheese
16 ounces of tater tots
Optional topping: cilantro and sour cream
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Over medium high heat, add in ground beef, taco seasoning, and sofrito or salsa. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until beef is browned, stirring occasionally. Drain excess grease. Add in beans and corn. Stir until well combined.
2. Add meat mixture to a casserole pan, top shredded cheese and tater tots.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until tater tots are cooked and slightly golden. Serve topped with optional cilantro and sour cream.
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Mexican Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1 teaspoon of taco seasoning
- 8 ounces of corn kernels
- 8 ounces of black beans drained
- 1 tablespoon of sofrito or 1/4 cup salsa
- 1 cup of Mexican blend cheese
- 16 ounces of tater tots
- Optional topping: cilantro and sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Over medium high heat, add in ground beef, taco seasoning, and sofrito. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until beef is browned, stirring occasionally. Drain excess grease. Add in beans and corn. Stir until well combined.
- Add meat mixture to a casserole pan, top shredded cheese and tater tots.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until tater tots are cooked and slightly golden. Serve topped with optional cilantro and sour cream.
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Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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