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Partially baked potato tots form small cups for cooked beef and cheddar macaroni. Fill only the cups the measured potatoes can form, and serve extra macaroni alongside.
The archived recipe did not reconcile the measured volume of tots with a fixed muffin count. Tot size and tin shape vary, so this revision deliberately makes no twelve-cup promise. Count out four or five tots for each well and stop when the measured potatoes run out. Extra macaroni is part of the meal, not a reason to overload fragile shells.
Ingredients and measurements
- 2 cups frozen tater tots
- Cooking spray or oil for the muffin tin
- 1 cup dry elbow macaroni; 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
- Optional: 2 tablespoons ketchup; Optional: 1/4 cup diced pickles
Preparation and baking
- Stage 1
Heat oven to 425°F and grease a standard muffin tin. Divide the measured tots among only as many wells as can hold four or five tots each; leave other wells empty.
- Stage 2
Bake ten minutes to soften, then use a spoon to press tots carefully over each base and partway up the sides. Bake about ten minutes more, until the shells hold their shape.
- Stage 3
Cook macaroni according to its package and drain. Brown the beef with onion and garlic powders, checking 160°F, then drain fat.
- Stage 4
Melt butter separately, stir in flour for about a minute, then whisk in milk gradually. Stir until thickened, lower heat and melt in cheddar.
- Stage 5
Combine sauce, macaroni and beef. Taste before seasoning. Spoon a modest amount into each potato cup; do not force all the filling into the available shells. Keep extra filling for serving alongside.
- Stage 6
Bake filled cups about ten minutes, continuing until centers reach 165°F. Let stand until firm enough to lift with a spoon. Add optional ketchup and pickles.
Use a spoon rather than fingers while the potatoes are hot. Press across the bottom first, then gently toward the sides. If a wall has a gap, move a small piece from a thicker area before the second bake. The shells need to hold together when filled; they are not deep pastry cases.
How many cups does this make?
Whisk milk into the butter-flour mixture in several additions. Let each addition loosen the paste before adding more. Reduce heat before stirring in cheese and avoid boiling it hard. Drain pasta well before combining, since water left in the elbows would thin the measured sauce.
How should the potato shells be shaped?
Let the cups settle briefly before easing a spoon underneath. Lift from the base and support the sides. Serve ketchup and pickles after baking rather than wetting the potato shells beforehand. Any cup that breaks can be served in a small bowl with the extra macaroni instead of being pressed back into a hot tin.
How can the cheese sauce stay smooth?
Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and use within three days. Store extra macaroni separately if convenient. Reheat to 165°F and expect the potato shells to soften.
What is the best way to serve them?
For more recipes to serve alongside, see cheeseburger french fry casserole or mac cheese meatloaf. Use that recipe’s own quantities rather than mixing formulas. This guide revises the archived potato-cup recipe and explains its variable yield. FoodSafety.gov supports the cooking-temperature checks, not the recipe proportions. A Pinch Of Lemon has not kitchen-tested this version. Existing photographs are illustrative. FoodSafety.gov cooking temperature chart.
Common Questions About This Recipe
- How many cups does this make?
The archived recipe did not reconcile the measured volume of tots with a fixed muffin count. Tot size and tin shape vary, so this revision deliberately makes no twelve-cup promise. Count out four or five tots for each well and stop when the measured potatoes run out. Extra macaroni is part of the meal, not a reason to overload fragile shells.
- How should the potato shells be shaped?
Use a spoon rather than fingers while the potatoes are hot. Press across the bottom first, then gently toward the sides. If a wall has a gap, move a small piece from a thicker area before the second bake. The shells need to hold together when filled; they are not deep pastry cases.
- How can the cheese sauce stay smooth?
Whisk milk into the butter-flour mixture in several additions. Let each addition loosen the paste before adding more. Reduce heat before stirring in cheese and avoid boiling it hard. Drain pasta well before combining, since water left in the elbows would thin the measured sauce.
- What is the best way to serve them?
Let the cups settle briefly before easing a spoon underneath. Lift from the base and support the sides. Serve ketchup and pickles after baking rather than wetting the potato shells beforehand. Any cup that breaks can be served in a small bowl with the extra macaroni instead of being pressed back into a hot tin.