Loaded Tater Tot Nachos
Jump to RecipeTater tot nachos answer a question nobody was responsible enough to ask: what if nachos had potatoes instead of chips? The answer is a sheet pan of extra-crispy tots buried under taco-seasoned beef, cheddar, sour cream, pico de gallo, pickled jalapeños, green onions, and ranch or nacho cheese sauce. This is not restraint food. This is “we have people coming over” food.
The one rule is that the tots have to get properly crisp before anything lands on them. Bake them all the way according to the package directions, even a little past your normal stopping point if needed. Soft tots under hot beef and cheese turn into potato mulch. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef, season it with taco seasoning and a splash of water, and cook it to 160°F. Once the crisp tots are spread out, add the beef and cheddar and broil only two to three minutes—just until the cheese bubbles. Cold toppings go on after the broiler so the pico stays fresh and the sour cream remains sour cream instead of becoming an unexplained white liquid. Every bite should have crunch, beef, melted cheese, heat, acid, and at least one topping trying to escape the fork.
