Southwest Tater Tot Hotdish
Description
This has become my family's favorite rendition of the comfort food classic. If you like things spicy, this is perfect! But, if you love the Southwest flavor without the heat, you can make some easy swaps, see the recipe notes for ideas!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray.
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Brown the Turkey: In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey. Drain off any excess fat.
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Add Aromatics: Return the turkey to the heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and taco seasoning and cook for another few minutes until fragrant.
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Make the Sauce: Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cheddar cheese soup, nacho cheese soup, black beans, mexicorn, and salsa.
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Add Cheese (Half): Mix your shredded Pepper Jack and Cheddar cheese blend. Stir half of the cheese blend into the hot turkey mixture until melted and fully incorporated.
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Season and Assemble: Taste the mixture and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Pour the filling into the prepared baking dish.
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Arrange the Tots: Now for the critical decision: To line them up, or throw them on? For me, they absolutely must be lined up! Arrange the 2 lbs of tater tots over the filling in neat, uniform rows.
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First Bake: Bake uncovered for 50 minutes at 375 degrees F.
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Second Bake: Sprinkle the remaining half of the shredded cheese over the top. Return to the oven and bake for another 10–15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the tots are golden brown.
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Rest and Serve: Let the hotdish set for 5–10 minutes before serving.
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Note
Topping it all off!
I love to add a dollop of Top the Tater or some sour cream, and hot sauce. But It is also amazing with all your favorite taco toppings - lettuce, fresh tomato, avocado. Get creative!
This spicy spin is what we love, but if you're feeding little ones or aren't into heat, here are two quick fixes:
Swap the spicy nacho cheese soup for a regular can of cheddar cheese soup and use a mild salsa.
Replace the pepper jack cheese with more cheddar, or another mild cheese. You could even use 4 ounces cream cheese in the filling, and then use 4 ounces shredded cheddar for the topping.
