Taco Tater Tot Dish

By cooksalot

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• half of a large yellow onion, diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (1 to 1.25 oz.) package your favorite taco seasoning mix
• 1 (15 oz.) can Bush’s black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 small can sliced black olives, drained, divided
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes
• Morton kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 12 oz. Kraft shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
• 1 (28 to 32 oz.) package frozen Ore-Ida tater tots

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray a 9″ x 13″ inch baking dish, or a dish of similar size, with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Heat a large skillet to medium to medium-high heat. Add ground beef, red pepper, onion, and garlic, and cook while breaking the beef into small crumbles. Cook until beef is browned completely, about 10 minutes. Drain off any excess drippings. Add taco seasoning mix, black beans, corn, and most of the black olives (reserve a few slices of black olives for sprinkling over the top before serving) to the beef mixture. Then fold in both cans of Red Gold tomatoes (do not drain). Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in 8 ounces of the shredded cheese and then transfer the mixture to prepared baking dish, spreading mixture into an even layer. Add tater tots to top and sprinkle them with a bit of kosher salt.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until hotdish is thoroughly heated. Then turn on broiler and place hotdish under broiler, turning regularly to brown the tater tots as evenly as possible. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle remaining 4 ounces shredded cheese over the browned tater tots. Broil for another minute or so, until cheese is melted and a bit blistered from the heat. Remove from oven and top with chopped cilantro, chopped green onions, and reserved sliced black olives, if desired. Serve with additional taco condiments, such as sour cream and taco sauce, if you like.