Served this at a game night and oh man did the boys wipe their plates clean

Cooktop Cove: Served this at a game night and oh man did the boys wipe their plates clean

By Kate Elliott

Tater tots are delicious. Crispy on the outside, with soft and tender potato inside. And while they're great for dunking in ketchup as-is, why settle for that? As you can see in the recipe below, you can really dress these little nuggets up and turn them into a tasty appetizer or snack.

I start this recipe by baking the tater tots until they are super crispy - about 5 minutes longer than the package directions indicate. Then they get topped with all the essential nacho toppings before getting another quick bake. When they come out of the oven that second time, you can customize them to make your own perfect tater tot nachos. I used salsa, sour cream, and avocado on top, but guacamole would be delicious too!

Loaded Nacho Tater Tot Casserole

15 minutes

40 minutes

55 minutes

1 32-ounce bag of frozen tater tots

1 tablespoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground beef

3 cups shredded cheese, your favorite nacho flavor

1 cup tomatoes, chopped

4 green onions, sliced

Avocado, peeled and chopped, for garnish

Salsa, for garnish

Sour cream, for garnish

Prepare tater tots as directed on the package, but cooking them for about 5 minutes longer until they are really crispy. Remove from oven but keep the oven at the same temperature.

While the tater tots are cooking, mix together all the spices, including the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot add the ground beef, breaking it up as you do. Season with the spice mixture and cook until beef is fully browned, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Place the tater tots in a 9"x13" casserole dish, sprinkle your favorite cheese over top (I used Cheddar). Add a layer of ground beef, and sprinkle the tomatoes over top. Place the tater tots back into the oven until the cheese is melted and everything is hot throughout, 5 - 10 minutes.

Remove the casserole from the oven, sprinkle green onions evenly on top, and garnish as you like.