Cheesy Taco Crock Tots

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 360 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8 Servings

It’s time to rethink taco night. Sure, these slow cooker tater tots might not look like traditional tacos, but this brilliant slow cooker dish lets you enjoy cheesy beef tacos in a whole new way. That’s because under that layer of crisp-tender tots and gooey, melty cheese is a taco-seasoned mix of ground beef, salsa, and beans.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 (16-ounce) jar salsa
1 (15.5-ounce) can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (1-ounce) packet lower-sodium taco seasoning mix
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 (28- to 32-ounce) package frozen tater tots, divided
Cooking spray
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (8 ounces), divided
For serving: pico de gallo, diced avocado, pickled jalapeños, sour cream, or chopped cilantro

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add the beef and onion and use a wooden spoon to break the beef into smaller pieces. Cook until the beef browns and is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Drain off any fat. Remove from the heat and stir in the salsa, beans, taco seasoning mix, and corn.
Coat the insert of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Arrange 1/2 of the tater tots in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with the beef mixture and sprinkle with 1/2 the cheese. Arrange the remaining tater tots on top.
Cover and cook until the edges of the tots are crispy and the casserole is hot, 6 to 8 hours on the LOW setting or 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours on the HIGH setting. 10 minutes before serving, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the tater tots. Cover and cook until cheese melts. Scoop into bowls and top with pico de gallo, diced avocado, pickled jalapeños, sour cream, or cilantro.