tater tot nachos

Tater Tot Nachos

Crispy tater tots are layered on a baking sheet and topped with melted cheese, seasoned ground meat, beans, jalapeños, and other toppings to create hearty nachos. The tots provide a crunchy, golden base that soaks up savory flavors while maintaining crispness in spots.

As the nachos bake, the cheese melts evenly over the tots and toppings, binding the ingredients together. Fresh garnishes like sour cream, salsa, or cilantro can be added after baking for brightness. The preparation emphasizes layering, balanced seasoning, and texture contrast to produce indulgent, flavorful tater tot nachos.

Print Recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 37 minutes
Casserole
Mexican
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • oven safe baking dish

Ingredients

  • Tater tots
  • 1 can of chili
  • 1 can of refried beans, optional if the chili has beans
  • Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese blend, shredded
  • salsa
  • tomatoes, diced
  • onion, diced
  • black olives, sliced
  • oregano

Instructions 

Setup

  • Bake enough frozen tater tots to line the bottom of the baking dish, following the instructions on the bag.
  • While the tots are cooking, heat up the chili and beans in separate pans.
  • When the tots are finished, lower the oven temperature to 325°F.

Prep

  • Add the cooked tots to the bottom of the baking dish.
  • Cover the tots with warm beans, if used, then cover with the warm chili.
  • Generously cover with shredded cheese.
  • Sprinkle oregano on the cheese.
  • Place the baking dish back in the oven for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
  • Spoon salsa over the top of the melted cheese.
  • Add tomatoes, onions, and black olives.
  • Add anything else that sounds good, like scallions.