Chili Cheese Tater Tots

Chili cheese tater tots always hit the spot when you're craving comfort food. Crispy tater tots are topped with homemade chili and melted cheddar cheese for a snack the whole family can enjoy!

Jump to:

• Watch how to make this
• What makes this dish special
• Ingredients
• Substitutions and variations
• Recipe
• Step-by-step instructions
• Make-ahead and storage
• Frequently asked questions
• More snack recipes

Watch how to make this

@cherryonmysundae

Chili cheese tater tots. find the recipe link in bio. #recipesforyou #comfortfood #easyrecipes #tatertots #snackideas

♬ Beach Day - Plastic Ruby

Ingredients

• Ground beef: The main source of protein, and it is the classic meat choice for chili.
• Spices: I use a combination of chili powder, paprika, cumin, and coriander to season the chili. You can also use chipotle powder instead of chili powder.
• Canned crushed tomatoes: For a smoother chili, use canned crushed tomatoes. You can use canned chopped tomatoes as well, but you will have chunks of tomatoes in the chili.
• Tater tots: I used store-bought frozen tater tots for this dish, but you can also serve this dish with french fries.
• Cheddar cheese: You can use either sharp or mild cheddar cheese, or use another shredded cheese such as Colby Jack, or Mexican cheese.

Substitutions and variations

• Protein: You can also use ground turkey, ground chicken, or a combination of ground beef and ground pork instead of just beef.
• Potatoes: Instead of tater tots, you can use french fries, sweet potato fries, or cauliflower tots.

Recipe

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make the chili

Since we're using store-bought tater tots, the only part of this dish we have to prepare is the chili.

Start by browning the ground beef. I like to use lean ground beef, but you can use an 80/20 mixture as well. Just make sure to drain the fat before adding the liquids.

Add the chopped onion and garlic and saute them until softened. Then, add the spices and stir to combine everything.

Add the remaining ingredients, including the canned crushed tomatoes and beef stock, and bring the chili to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.

The secret to making the best chili is to cook the stew over low heat for a long time. I remember watching an episode of Top Chef where the challenge was to cook the best chili. All of the chefs stayed up during the entire night to cook their chili, stirring as needed.

I cooked my chili for only 1 hour since I was limited on time. But even after one hour, the chili had developed great flavor from the spices and tomatoes.

Step 2: Cook tater tots

Since I was making the chili, I decided to buy tater tots instead of making them myself. I reheated mine in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F until crispy.

Another great way to reheat tater tots is to use the air fryer.

Top the crispy tater tots with chili and top with shredded cheddar cheese. The heat from the chili will be hot enough to melt the cheese.

The chili seems so simple, but it makes the dish! The crispy tater tots with hot chili and gooey cheese...all the reasons why I love chili with potatoes come rushing back as I indulged in this dish. Plenty of leftover chili and tater tots mean I'll be having this again...probably tomorrow!

For another easy and delicious appetizer, check out this savory baked brie with sun-dried tomato pesto!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: Prepare the chili up to 3 days in advance. Reheat the chili on the stovetop over medium heat until hot, and serve it on the crispy tater tots when ready to serve.
• Store: Leftover chili cheese tater tots will get soggy as they sit, so it's best to assemble the dish right before serving. Keep the chili in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 3 days, and keep the tater tots in the freezer until ready to cook.

Frequently asked questions

More snack recipes

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