Loaded Taco Tater Tots

Seasoned ground beef, cheese and your favorite taco toppings all piled high on a mountain of tater tots. A great game day “snack” or busy weeknight meal the kids will love. Loaded Taco Tater Tots are ready in less than 30 minutes.

My friend just had a baby, her third. She now has three kids….4, 2 and new. She’s busy and I’m sure…tired. I haven’t visited the newbie yet because we get sick whenever we have a visit planned and nobody wants to be “that” person…you know the one who should be quarantined but refuses to stay home because they just aren’t that sick. You know who I’m talking about….we like to keep our germs to ourselves. So, we text. We talk about mom stuff….how well the kids are sleeping, colds, feedings….and dinner. Dinner is so important when you’re a new mom. Maternity leave was the catalyst to this blog. I started to refine my cooking skills. Sometimes, they’re a little too fancy and fussy for most….I get it. Especially when my friend told me about a recipe she made that day and how amazing it was.

I asked for the recipe….because if it’s awesome I must eat it. Immediately. Except a slow cooker was involved so I would have to wait a bit and….a packet of Italian seasoning. 🙂  (gasp!)  I love real food but I understand the need for some help in the kitchen with a flavoring packet. My friend even said, “You probably wouldn’t use a seasoning packet….right?” Well, under normal circumstances….no. But if I had three mini-humans home with me all day long and I my stomach was screaming at me….convenience sometimes takes precedence. So….to show her…..I used a taco seasoning packet in this recipe. Take that, Kerrie!

We LOOOOOVE tater tots here and there’s nothing better than tots smothered in something. Cheese is usually our go-to tot topping or we just dip away in a pile of ketchup. But this time, I was thinking tailgating, football, Super Bowl. Because the only thing I like about football is the food. And for some reason the food is always amazing at a football party. Agree? Like these killer baked wings or my favorite Pad Thai Wontons!

So, taco toppings were the choice this evening and I simplified everything by using Ore Ida Tater Tots and McCormick Taco Seasoning. So, so easy. Once the tots are cooked and the beef is all ready to go…you heap the beef on the tots in a casserole dish, cover with shredded cheese and pop under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Top with your remaining taco fixin’s and have at it, a mountain of Loaded Taco Tater Tots. You will thank me, your taste buds will thank you and your kids…..they’ll be stuffing their faces…so silence may be experienced for the first time all day. Enjoy!

Loaded Taco Tater Tots

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By Kellie

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

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Put your taco on your tots! These loaded Taco Tater Tots are so easy and soooo good!

Ingredients 

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• ▢ 2 pound package of frozen tater tots, I used Ore Ida
• ▢ 1 pound lean ground beef
• ▢ 1 1.5 ounce taco seasoning packet, I used McCormick
• ▢ 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ▢ 8 ounces sour cream
• ▢ 4 ounces sliced black olives
• ▢ 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
• ▢ 3 scallions, green and white parts sliced

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Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spread the tots on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake until crispy, approximately 20-25 minutes.
• While the tots are baking, brown the beef in a large skillet over med-high heat until no longer pink. Stir in the seasoning mix and 3/4 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• When the tots are done baking, turn the broiler on low and transfer them to a 9x13 inch baking dish Top with the seasoned beef mixture and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the beef. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and broil until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and top with the sour cream, olives, tomatoes and scallions.
• Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 0g, Calories: 496kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 79mg, Sodium: 1659mg, Potassium: 722mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1885IU, Vitamin C: 21.7mg, Calcium: 271mg, Iron: 3.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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