Description
Cheeseburger Tots are a fun and delicious twist on traditional cheeseburgers, featuring crispy tater tot cups filled with seasoned ground beef, onions, and melted cheddar cheese. Baked to golden perfection and topped with a tangy special sauce and mini pickles, these bite-sized treats make for a perfect party appetizer or family-friendly snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Tater Tot Cups
- 48 Frozen Tater Tots
- Grease for mini muffin pan (as needed)
Ground Beef Mixture
- 1 pound Ground beef
- 1/2 cup Finely diced onion
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons Ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Pickle relish
Topping
- 1 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
Special Sauce
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons Pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons Yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon White wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
Garnish
- 24 Mini Pickles for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) to ensure it reaches the proper baking temperature for the tater tot cups.
- Cook Ground Beef: In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef. Once browned, drain any excess grease, then return the beef and diced onions to the skillet. Cook together until the onions soften and become translucent.
- Mix Beef with Condiments: Stir in mayonnaise, yellow mustard, ketchup, and pickle relish into the beef and onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste, combining thoroughly.
- Prepare Tater Tot Cups: Grease a mini muffin pan well. Place three frozen tater tots into each muffin cup. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes to start crisping and softening the tots.
- Press Tater Tots: Remove the muffin pan from the oven and carefully press down the tater tots in each cup with a tamper or spoon to form a cup shape that will hold the filling.
- Fill with Beef Mixture: Spoon the seasoned ground beef mixture into each formed tater tot cup. Then sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese evenly on top of each filled cup.
- Bake Again: Return the muffin pan to the oven and bake the filled tater tot cups for an additional 15 minutes, until the cheese melts and the tots reach a crispy golden brown.
- Cool Slightly: Remove the cheeseburger tots from the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes. This resting time helps them hold their shape when removed from the muffin pan.
- Prepare Special Sauce: While the tots cool, combine mayonnaise, pickle relish, yellow mustard, white wine vinegar, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in a bowl. Mix well to create the tangy special sauce.
- Serve and Garnish: Drizzle the special sauce over each cheeseburger tot and garnish with mini pickle slices. Serve immediately and enjoy these delicious bite-sized treats!
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for a leaner option.
- If you prefer spicier tots, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the beef mixture.
- Make sure to grease the muffin pan generously to prevent sticking.
- For best results, serve cheeseburger tots warm right after baking.
- The special sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
