Totchos (Tater Tot Nachos)

If you're on the hunt for a crowd-pleasing snack, tasty appetizer or fun dinner (perfect for Game Day or Cinco de Mayo!), look no further than these Totchos! This easy-to-follow recipe swaps the tortilla chips in traditional nachos with mouthwatering tater tots that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The tater tot nachos are layered with juicy, seasoned ground beef and luxuriously creamy, punchy, homemade nacho cheese sauce, then finished with your choice of topping such as guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, olives, pickled jalapenos, etc. They're the ultimate crowd-pleasing, customizable, sharable comfort food that can be whipped up in no time and are guaranteed to be a hit!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1

Servings -8 servings

Author [email protected]

Ingredients

TOTS AND CHEESE

1 32 oz. bag tater tots (unseasoned)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
freshly cracked salt
1 recipe Queso Blanco or favorite store-bought cheese sauce, warmed

GROUND BEEF

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup salsa (medium for more of a kick)
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tsp EACH ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder
1/2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
dash -1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

SUGGESTED TOPPINGS

Sour cream
Guacamole
Pico de gallo or chopped tomatoes and cilantro
Sliced olives
Pickled jalapenos
Green onions
See post for tons more ideas!

Instructions

Prepare toppings: Have all the toppings ready to go so you can quickly assemble the Totchos as soon as you add the cheese sauce. If serving toppings bar style, add to serving dishes.
Cook tater tots: Add tater tots to a large baking sheet and toss with 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and freshly cracked salt to taste. Bake according to package directions, adding 5-10 minutes to the cooking time so they’re extra crispy. While the tater tots are baking, make the cheese sauce and brown the beef:
Cheese Sauce: Prepare Queso Blanco (click HERE) according to recipe directions; remove from heat. It will thicken as it cools. When ready to use, gently reheat on the stove, stirring in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time if needed to thin.
Brown beef: Brown beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, crumbling as you cook, until almost cooked through; drain grease. Stir in the salsa and all spices/seasonings until well incorporated. Continue to cook until the beef is completely cooked through.

Assemble - You can either:

Create a toppings bar and let everyone assemble their own Totchos.
Spread the tater tots in a single layer on a large baking sheet and top with ground beef, followed by cheese and desired toppings; serve immediately.
Layer: Spread half the tater tots in a single layer on a large platter or baking pan. Drizzle about ⅓ of the cheese sauce over top; top with half of the beef. Repeat with the remaining tater tots, ⅓ cheese sauce and remaining beef mixture; top with remaining cheese sauce followed with desired toppings; serve immediately.

Video

Notes

How to avoid soggy Totchos

Totchos are best enjoyed when the tater tots are still warm and crispy instead of cold and/or soggy. Here’s how to make them perfectly every time:

Prepare toppings first. Have all the toppings ready to go so you can quickly add them to the tater tots when they come out of the oven – otherwise your Totchos will be sitting for a good 15 minutes before you’re ready to dig in.
Bake the tater tots in the oven for a few extra minutes. You want the tater tots the crispiest they can get without burning. Bake them for 5-10 minutes more than the package suggest.
Don't use wet beef. The beef should be juicy, but not wet, otherwise, it can quickly make the tater tots soggy.
Keep the tots warm in the oven. Wait to add the cheese sauce and subsequent toppings to the tater tots until everyone is gathered around, because it just takes minutes! In the meantime, keep the tots warm in the oven at 200 degrees F. This will ensure the warmest, crispiest tots, instead of tots becoming cold and soggy the longer they sit with the cheese sauce.
Eat loaded Totchos immediately. No matter if you use the crispiest tater tots, they will soften the longer they sit with the topping. Only assemble the tater tot nachos once your crew has arrived and is ready to chow down.
Serve separately if expecting leftovers. If you’d like to preserve the integrity of the dish, serve the Totchos toppings bar style, keeping all the ingredients separate. This way, you can reheat the tater tots in the air fryer, and rewarm the cheese sauce separately.

Prep Ahead

These tater tot nachos are best served fresh, as soon as they’re assembled – but don’t let that stress you out! You can prep all of the ingredients ahead of time and reheat when ready:

Ground Beef can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container. Reheat before serving.
Nacho cheese: can be made 5 days ahead of time and refrigerated in an airtight container. To reheat, transfer the sauce to a small sauce pan and heat over medium-low until warmed through, stirring often – do NOT let it boil. Add milk to thin to desired consistency.
Toppings: prep all of the toppings up to 2 days ahead of time. The guacamole will keep well for up to a day without changing color very much – just make sure to store in the refrigerator with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation. You can also add some sour cream to help keep it vibrant green.

to store and reheat

The best tater tot nachos are freshly assembled, boasting the crispiest tots and silkiest nacho sauce. Leftovers are still tasty reheated in the microwave until warm, but they're more akin to warm, cheesy potatoes than Totchos (totally delicious, loved the leftovers), but not crispy.

If you’d like to preserve the integrity of the dish, serve the Totchos serving toppings bar style, keeping all the ingredients separate. This way, you can reheat the tater tots in the air fryer until crispy and the cheese sauce separately on the stove.