You ever have those days where you are just craving cheesy, crunchy (and slightly greasy!) comfort food? My grandkids love nachos, but every once and awhile I like the change it up a little bit! Loaded Tater Tots (Tachos) are the ultimate comfort food. Make them at home or share with friends, either way, they disappear fast!
Recipe Ingredient Notes
- Tater tots - These frozen potato bites form the crispy base of your totchos. Any brand of frozen tater tots will work. Just make sure to bake them until golden and crunchy. You can also use frozen hash brown rounds, waffle fries, or even sweet potato tots for a different twist.
- Ground beef - Using lean ground beef will prevent your snack from becoming too greasy.
- Cheese sauce - Tater tot nachos are the most delicious with a homemade cheese sauce. A store-bought brand is fine, but we use our cheese sauce with Velveeta recipe. If you don't want to use processed cheese products, you can use our cheese white sauce recipe, or make a nacho cheese sauce from scratch.
- Taco seasoning - You will need either a 1-ounce packet of taco seasoning mix, or 2 tablespoons of your favorite seasoning for chicken tacos.
- Tomato - Fresh tomato adds juiciness and color. Be sure to remove the seeds to prevent sogginess. You may use cherry or grape tomatoes, diced red bell pepper, or even pico de gallo for extra flavor.
Optional:
- Green onions - These add a mild oniony bite and a fresh pop of color. But you can freely use chives, finely diced red onion, or white onion.
Ways to Enjoy Every Bite
Loaded tater tots are the comfort food you crave and serve as a fun appetizer, casual lunch, or hearty side dish alongside grilled burgers, flatbread pizza margherita, or sandwiches. Their golden crispiness on the outside and tender interior make them perfect for holding rich, flavorful toppings like chili, melty cheese, and a pat of butter for extra indulgence. You can also turn them into loaded tater tot cups for parties or game day gatherings, where guests can top their own with sour cream, avocado dip, and salsa. However you serve them, they're guaranteed to be a hit!
If you love tater tots, I'm sure you're going to like our chili casserole with tater tots, too!
How to Make this Tachos
Step 1: Bake the tater tots.
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Arrange tater tots in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or per package directions, until dark golden and crispy.
Step 2: Cook the beef.
While the tots bake, brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain excess fat if needed. Stir in taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.
Step 3: Warm the cheese sauce.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the nacho cheese sauce, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Step 4: Assemble and serve.
Arrange baked tater tots on a serving platter. Top with taco meat, drizzle with cheese sauce, and sprinkle with diced tomatoes, green onions, jalapeños, and cilantro. Add optional garnishes like sour cream, guacamole, or crumbled cheese. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips from Mrs. G
- Bake tots until very crispy.
- Prep toppings while the tots bake.
- Adjust the heat level.
- Keep components separate if making ahead.
Storing Leftovers
Loaded tater tots don't reheat well once assembled, but you can store the components separately and reassemble later. To reheat, bake the tots on a foil-lined sheet pan at 350°F to bring back their crispiness.
Loaded Tater Tots (Totchos)
Equipment
- chef's knife
- skillet
- saucepan
- serving platter
Ingredients
- 28-32 ounces frozen tater tots
- 1 pound lean ground beef preferably 80/20 or 85/15
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 ½ cups nacho cheese sauce homemade or store bought
- 1 large tomato diced, with seeds removed
Toppings (Optional)
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeno pepper thinly sliced, *see Notes
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- sour cream
- guacamole
- crumbled Mexican cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Arrange tater tots in a single layer on a baking sheet. Transfer the pan of tots to the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, until dark golden and crispy, or per package directions.
- Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Add ground beef to the skillet. Using a wooden or silicone spoon, brown the ground beef, using the spoon to break up the meat as it cooks. If necessary, drain any fat from the pan.
- Add taco seasoning to the pan; Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine seasoning with beef, then follow the package directions for preparing taco meat.
- Warm the cheese sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. If using store bought sauce, follow heating directions on the container.
- Assemble totchos
- Arrange baked tater tots on a large serving platter. Spoon cooked ground beef evenly over top. Top with diced tomatoes and sliced green onions.
- Using a large tablespoon, drizzle tater tot nachos with cheese sauce, then top with jalapeno slices and chopped cilantro. Add your favorite garnishes on top. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Jalapenos - To decrease the spiciness of jalapeno peppers, remove the inner membrane and seeds. Optionally, bake the slices on a sheet pan at 400°F for 10 minutes. This will give the peppers a fantastic roasted flavor!
- Cheese Sauce - any prepared cheese sauce will taste great.
- For additional Tex-Mex flavor, use ground chorizo or pork instead. Another great topping idea for totchos is to use Chili con Carne, or shred a few baked chicken tenderloins.
- Breakfast Totchos: For morning cravings, layer your tots with scrambled eggs, cooked slices bacon, and shredded cheese. Toss under the broiler just long enough to get that beautiful golden brown finish. Serve with hot sauce or a side of buttered toast for a brunch that's sure to impress.
- Mini Tot Appetizers: Turn this into a finger food favorite by baking the tots in mini muffin tins.
- Vegetarian totchos: For a meatless version, skip the beef and sauté some garlic, onions, and black beans with taco seasoning. Top your crispy tater tots with the mixture, melted mozzarella cheese, and a spoonful of queso. Finish with chopped chives and a few pickled jalapeños for a savory, veggie-packed option.
- Because this dish has cold and hot ingredients, it really isn't possible to reheat the loaded tater tots after you assemble them.
- However, you can make extra, and then store the ingredients in your fridge in separate containers. This makes the meal easy to reheat, assemble, and enjoy later.
- The best way to reheat tots is in the oven at 350°F, on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Similar to an oven-baked fried chicken recipe, using foil helps to crisp up the outside of the potatoes.
Leave a Reply