Loaded Cheeseburger Tater Tot Cups

1 Preheat the oven to 425°F. Generously grease a standard-size 12-cup muffin pan.
2 Place 4 frozen tater tots into each muffin cup. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until softened.
3 Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
4 Once the beef is completely cooked, drain off the excess grease. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and yellow mustard. Cook for another minute and remove from the heat.
5 Remove the muffin pan from the oven. Use the bottom of a small glass or measuring cup to firmly smash the tots into the bottom and up the sides of each muffin well.
6 Return to the oven and bake for another 10–12 minutes, until golden and crispy around the edges.
7 Divide the ground beef between the tater tot cups and top with shredded cheddar.
8 Bake for another 4–5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
9 Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickles and pickle juice to make the burger sauce.
10 Allow the cups to cool for a few minutes before carefully removing them from the muffin pan.
11 Top with burger sauce, diced pickles, onion and green onions. Serve immediately with extra burger sauce for dipping.
Notes
13 Use a regular muffin pan: Do not use a jumbo muffin pan. I tested these in the larger muffin tins while filming and found that a standard muffin pan creates a much sturdier, crispier tater tot cup.
14 Drain the beef: Don’t skip this step. Excess grease can soak into the potatoes and prevent the bottoms from staying crispy.
15 Don’t add toppings until serving: Burger sauce, pickles and onions should go on after baking so the cups stay crisp.
16 Make ahead: The beef filling and burger sauce can both be made ahead and refrigerated separately.