Totchos

This recipe is a play on traditional Nachos, except instead of tortilla chips, you use tater tots. It makes a hearty and delicious appetizer, or can be served for a yummy brunch dish. Try to have whatever toppings you’ve chosen all ready to go so that as soon as the cheese is melted over the tater tots, you can pile on your toppings and serve right away. The longer the tater tots sit with the toppings on them, the less crunchy they become. Not that that’s a bad thing. My family just prefers them crunchy.

TOTCHOS

• 1 bag (2 lbs.) frozen tater tots
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream, thinned with a little water or milk till pourable
• fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Toppings:

• chorizo, removed from casing, crumbled and cooked
• refried beans or black beans
• diced red onion
• sliced black olives
• whole kernel corn
• sliced pickled jalapeños
• pico de gallo, or your favorite salsa
• guacamole

1. Line a jellyroll pan with foil.
2. Arrange tater tots in single layer on baking pan and bake according to package directions until brown and crispy.
3. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese over tater tots.
4. If necessary, return to oven and bake just until cheese is all melted.
5. Remove from oven and top with any combination of the toppings listed above. You can use as much or as little as you like of the toppings.
6. Drizzle sour cream over everything.
7. Sprinkle with cilantro for garnish.
8. Serve immediately.

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Cheesy Bacon Tater Tots

Did you know that February 2nd is National Tater Tot Day? It’s an easy day for me to remember because it’s also my only brother’s birthday. Tater tots are an iconic American food that was created in the early 1950’s. The founders of Ore-Ida were trying to figure out what to do with all the little leftover pieces of potato that they had tons of everyday. They chopped up the potato pieces, mixed them with flour and seasonings, then forced the mixture through the barrel of an extruder, slicing off little one-inch pieces as the mixture came through. And so the tater tot was born.

Actually, when the little potato nuggets were first created, they didn’t have a name for them so the owners of Ore-Ida decided to have a name-the-product contest among their employees. The name “Tater Tots” was submitted by a young mother named Clora Lay Orton. Everyone loved the name and she won the contest.

It’s hard to believe that when the inexpensive tater tots were first sold in stores in 1956, they didn’t exactly fly off the shelves. Today, Americans consume approximately 70 million pounds of them per year! It’s safe to say the lowly tater tot has finally found its place in society, from school cafeterias to the ever popular food truck. It’s certainly found its way to our dinner table!

CHEESY BACON TATER TOTS

• 1 bag frozen tater tots
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup ranch dressing
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 6 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
• 2 stalks green onions, chopped

1. Bake tater tots according to package directions.
2. While tots are baking, combine sour cream and ranch dressing in a bowl.
3. Drizzle sour cream mixture over baked tater tots.
4. Sprinkle cheeses over the top.
5. Place under broiler until cheese is completely melted.
6. Remove from broiler and top with crumbled bacon and green onions.
7. Return to broiler for 2-5 minutes to warm up the bacon.
8. Serve hot.