Cheeseburger Macaroni Tater Tot Cups (Print-Friendly Version)
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.
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House placeholder — AdSense units launch here# Ingredients You’ll Need:
01 - 2 cups frozen tater tots
02 - Cooking spray or oil for the muffin tin
03 - 1 cup dry elbow macaroni
04 - 1/2 pound ground beef
05 - 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
06 - 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
08 - 2 tablespoons butter
09 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
10 - 1 cup milk
11 - 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
12 - Optional: 2 tablespoons ketchup
13 - Optional: 1/4 cup diced pickles
# How to Make It:
01 - 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.
02 - 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.
03 - Cook macaroni according to its package and drain. Brown the beef with onion and garlic powders, checking 160°F, then drain fat.
04 - Melt butter separately, stir in flour for about a minute, then whisk in milk gradually. Stir until thickened, lower heat and melt in cheddar.
05 - 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.
06 - 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.
# Extra Suggestions:
01 - 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.
02 - 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.
03 - 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.
04 - 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.