I did it! I made this very recipe tonight! And I followed the recipe PRECISELY!
One package Kirkland brand brats. In the boiling water with beer (subbed Dos Equis) for ten minutes. Didn't want to waste the onion so I put it in with the celery rather than in the boil. Campbell's Cream of Cheddar isn't sold at the Tucson Frys (and I hate mushrooms), so I subbed two cans of GF Cream of Chicken soup and two cups of grated sharp cheddar.
The recipe didn't specify how many jalapenos to add, so I went with three. Sliced the brats into coins, stirred it all up and put in an accidentally unbuttered casserole pan (didn't turn out to matter) and topped with tots. Didn't want to waste the garlic powder, so I sprinkled it on the tots. One hour at 350 F, then topped with cheddar, and is very good, though bland. Should probably be 6 or more jalapenos for this size recipe.
Trying it a third time today. I just opened a jar of green chile yesterday, so will use that instead of jalapenos. And white wine instead of beer in the boil. Cheese blend instead of sharp cheddar.
The green chile makes it.
Came out awesome! Tim Walz rocks!