Tater Tot Nachos have crispy Tater Tots smothered in melted cheddar cheese and bacon. This delicious snack, inspired by a dish at one of my all time favorite restaurants, takes just minutes to prepare and everyone LOVES it.
One of the coolest parts about blogging is getting together with other bloggers to learn from one another. We had a recent get together in Orlando, Florida which, of course, meant visiting Universal Studios!
We were so thankful that Universal not only sponsored our retreat but also gave us park passes to experience Universal Studios and all of the amazing restaurants and attractions (and inspired the yummy Tater Tot Nachos recipe below)!
Of course we had to find the best places to eat including my favorite, The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium. The atmosphere is a fun steampunk theme and they even have a shop (where I absolutely HAD to buy Cookies & Cream Cotton Candy and Key Lime Pie Cotton Candy)!
I usually pick dinner over dessert but the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium had the best of both worlds with some truly delicious meals and the most amazing artisan milkshakes! We enjoyed a lot of great appetizers including Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls (and chocolate bread)!
One appetizer in particular totally won me over that night… the Totchos. Totchos are basically Tater Tots Nachos loaded up with cheese and I honestly couldn’t stop eating them. They were the inspiration for the recipe below!
When you visit Toothsome you definitely need to order one of their artisan milkshakes! I capped the night off with this insanely crazy Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake… and yes that’s a big ol’ hunk of cheesecake right on top!
This strawberry cheesecake milkshake just happened!! 😍🍓🍓 . . . . . #hostedbyuniversalstudios #dessert #freakshake #cheesecake #universalmoments #universalstudios #toothsomechocolateemporium #toothsome #blogbetterorlando
Ok, back to the Tater Tot Nachos! I knew I’d have to create my own version as soon as I got home and let me just say this will be a go-to snack from now on! Not only is it incredibly simple to prepare, everyone in my family completely raved about them (I barely got a chance to snap a couple of photos)!
I love the combo of potato, bacon, cheese and tomato. You can top these with anything you like including olives, jalapenos and cilantro.
Crispy Tater Tots are loaded with cheese & bacon and baked until hot and bubbly. Just before serving, they’re topped with sliced green onion, chopped tomatoes and fresh sour cream. This is one snack everyone can agree on!
Loaded Tater Tot Nachos
Ingredients
- 32 oz Tater Tots 1 bag
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 6 slices cooked and crumbled bacon
- 8 ounces lean ground beef optional, or 2 cups leftover taco meat
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning optional
Toppings
- 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
- 4 green onions sliced
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 450°F.
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If using ground beef, heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
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Stir in the taco seasoning and ¼ cup of water. Simmer uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
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Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Place Tater Tots in a single layer and bake 20 minutes turning after 10 minutes.
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Top with bacon, beef if using, and cheddar cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
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Remove from the oven and top with tomatoes, green onions and sour cream. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American
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We stayed at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort. It was a great location and the rooms were comfortable with a fun bright retro decor. The location was ideal with shuttles always ready to run you to the parks! Cabana Bay Resort had so many awesome amenities for families including beautiful pools with a lazy river and a Starbucks for parents!
During the days while we were working, we actually ate most of our meals at the Bayliner Diner right in the hotel. It was a perfect place to grab a quick meal with tons of choices including hot sandwiches, burgers, pizza, and a beautiful fresh salad bar loaded with fruits and berries in the morning and fresh ingredients to make your own salads in the afternoon.
Universal CityWalk… a walking street filled with shops and restaurants and lots of amazing places to eat! If you’ve never been, it’s one of my absolute favorite places! You’re going to want to put Universal CityWalk on your list of places you must visit and while you’re there definitely check out Cabana Bay if you’re looking for a great place to stay with your family! Everything about this trip was amazing from the accommodation to the service and the food we enjoyed! I’m already counting the minutes until I get to go back.. and I’ll definitely be taking my family with me next time!
A special thank you to our friends at Universal for hosting our stay, providing several of our meals and our park tickets allowing us to experience all that Universal had to offer and thank you to our friends at Kia for supplying us with a sweet ride and thank you to Squatty Potty for additionally sponsoring our retreat. Working with brands I love helps me to continue bringing you the recipes you love!
great recipe,I used breakfast sausage and bacon, Colby jack and harvti cheese. I sauted onion with bacon. just ust normal tater tot seasoning, season salt and garlic powder. husband it
Your version sounds delicious Carol!
These were great! I added my own seasoning to the tater tots 10 min into cooking them to add some extra flavour. Definitely became a hit in our house.
I think chili would be delicious on these tater tots instead of the cup of tomatoes put a cup or more of homade chili..Always take a recipe to the next level of what you like to..yummy..
Yum, I want to try that!
Tater tots are very bland. Great disappointment for Super Bowl!
Sorry these didn’t work out for you, we love them!
Love tater tots, your recipe is awesome!
We’ve stayed a Universal a few times when my daughter was younger and always had a good time! Those tater tot nachos look over the top — what a fun treat!
My family would love this!
Tater tot Nachos looks so yumm and that resort stay must have been so fun!