Tater Tot Nachos

Ahh… tater tots. Probably one of the best comfort foods available. They are great by themselves and pretty darn good in breakfast casseroles and, of course, the famous Tater Tot Casserole. But, have you fixed them up like nachos? SO GOOD!

This is one of those recipes that I absolutely love to make on busy weeknights. Everyone chooses their own toppings which means everyone is happy! Those are the kind of dinners I look forward to making.

Did I mention how quick and easy they are to make? I almost always have cooked taco meat on hand in the freezer which makes this almost a zero effort meal. Rest assured, if you don’t have the taco meat already prepared it is still super fast. You can brown the beef while the tater tots are in the oven and still be yelling “Dinner’s ready!!” within 20 minutes.

The Ingredients

• Frozen tater tots
• Taco meat
• Shredded cheese
• Taco toppings (lettuce, sour cream, jalapenos, diced tomatoes/onions, etc)

Hidden Veggie Taco Meat

I’m going to sidetrack really quick and talk about this little secret of mine. My all-time favorite taco meat includes hidden veggies! Why? Why not!

This is one of the easiest things to add a little something extra to. Right when I put the ground beef in the skillet, I dump a can of Rotel right over the top of it. Before you know it, the tomatoes and green chilies cook down right into the beef so those “picky” eaters won’t even see it! I think this is plenty flavorful just like this, but sometimes I will open a package of taco seasoning and add about a tablespoon of that, too. This brings more of that classic taco taste your family might be used to, but it still has a little kick!

You can even add regular diced tomatoes, a little tomato juice or even a handful of grated carrots if you want to get creative!

Baking the Tater Tots

Alright, now that we are back on track, let’s focus on the tater tots. There isn’t much effort to put into this. Just follow the instructions on the back of your package for the bake time. I prefer baking over frying because it is honestly just so much easier and less messy. You can make a whole tray of tater tots in about 15 minutes. I leave them in the oven a few minutes longer than directed to make sure they are extra crispy!

When they come out of the oven, I like to sort of pile them up into individual serving sizes and then sprinkle shredded cheese over the mounds. Pop them back in the oven for just a few minutes until the cheese melts.

Building the Tater Tot Nachos

Now it’s time for the fun part! After the cheese is melted all over the tots, slide the mound onto a plate using a large spatula. This actually works pretty well since we already separated them into individual servings and let the cheese melt into the gaps. It pretty much lifts off the pan with one swipe!

Since everyone likes their own toppings, I like to set up a little taco topping bar. I put warm taco meat in a big bowl and then have little containers for lettuce, tomatoes, onion, etc.

If you like a little heat, check out my recipe for super simple and quick pickled jalapenos. These are over the top amazing on these tater tot nachos!

Just look at how good these look! Remember, you don’t have to come up with elaborate family meals, you just sometimes have to get creative with the old classics. You’ll definitely be asked to make them again soon!

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