Tater Tot Nachos ~ Totchos

I admit it, I’m a tater tot fanatic. They must be a part of my birthday celebration dinner, every year, and my children know that a pile of tater tots and a bottle of ketchup will fix anything that’s gone wrong with my day. So, when I was having a terrible day and this recipe crossed my desk, I knew what I was making for dinner. Tater tot nachos.

As much as I love my tater tots, I did have to wonder about the list of ingredients. I was totally on board with the cheese, but taco seasoning? Canned chili? Tomatoes? I worried that my beloved tots would be lost in the kerfuffle. Nope, this was a massive pile of junky comfort goodness that fixed everything that was wrong in my world. Well almost.

I did make a few adjustments just to appease different palates in my home. I replaced the jalapenos with diced avocados (a nod to healthy eating) and cilantro was noticeably absent due to a soapy son. I’m looking forward to my next bad day and tot attitude adjustment. 

Tater tot nachos…or Totchos, as my favorite local bar calls them. How could this be wrong? You bake tater tots–one of the few truly great finds in the freezer section–until extra-crispy and then top them with delicious things. This is a no-brainer.

I’ll never say no to tater tots, especially when smothered in cheese and chili. I baked mine for a full forty minutes before loading them with leftover Texas-style chili with pork and brisket. The optional pickled jalapeños add some welcome heat and tang to offset this rich, salty dish, which I finished with a generous squeeze of lime.

This is perfect Friday night, end-of-the-week fare! Who doesn’t love tater tots? And nachos? This recipe is perfect for a relaxing, casual dinner or as an appetizer. It goes together easily and it’s a hit with kids, too. I never buy canned chili and I don’t make chili in the summer, but the suggestion of browning and seasoning ground beef gave me the idea to use fresh homemade chorizo instead. It was wonderful! And I’ll definitely make this again, but next time to share it with friends!

I find myself gravitating to easy peasy dishes this summer season. My motivation for elaborate meals has dwindled and I hope to be re-inspired with the change of seasons around the corner. But in the meantime, this meal of Tater Tot nachos is perfect to throw together on a weeknight, you will most likely have the ingredients on hand or will be able to improvise or substitute to your own tastes.

I do recommend using ground beef in place of veggie chili, although the veggie chili would be tasty, I always have beef in the freezer ready to toss into a main dish. I have used tater tots for nachos on a random weeknight in the past, so I was eager to see if this recipe offered a new variation. It is quite similar to what I had done, the main difference would be the use of taco seasoning – even if you did not have the exact spices, you could pull this off. Also, using whatever canned beans or canned tomatoes you might have if you do not have any fresh ingredients would be possible. I live in Minnesota, land of the tater tot dish – which truthfully has never been my favorite, but I can definitely get on board with Tater Tot Nachos any night of the week!

These totchos are a playful and delicious dish, perfect for serving to friends coming over to watch a basketball game, or as a side at a casual potluck. The ingredients come together nicely and the final dish is strangely addicting. I highly recommend quick-pickling your own jalapeños! Their texture and brightness elevate the other ingredients and make the dish seem a bit fancier and fresher.

I omitted the vegetarian chili and replaced it with 8 ounces of ground beef cooked with taco seasoning. I baked the tater tots for 25 minutes on convection at 425°F and they were deep brown and perfectly crisped. After sprinkling the shredded cheese I returned dish to the oven for 4 additional minutes, after which the cheese was melted and bubbling.