I’m not even going to try to pretend I’m a football fan. It’s one of the most confusing sports I’ve ever watched and I’ve never had the patience to sit down and understand what a turnover means. I will say, I do admire how dedicated fans are and it’s really neat to see people get pumped up about their teams winning. But other than that, football is just kind of blah to me. Keep reading, I swear it gets better.
You’d think I’d boycott The Super Bowl because of my lack of interest in the sport…WRONG! First off, my husband loves football and would shun me if I didn’t attend a Super Bowl party with him. Second, who doesn’t love watching all of those clever commercials?! And third, the food. Yes, the horrible-for-you, greasy, best-tasting food ever.
This year, I have the perfect Super Bowl party recipe for you – tater tot nachos. Yep. Fried tater tots topped with all of the nacho fixings you love. It’s fairly simple and how cute does a tater tot nacho bar sound? I mean, how manly does a tater tot nacho bar sound?!
I can guarantee these bad boys will have your guests asking for more and the whole dish will likely be gone after a few minutes, so make sure you have other foods to offer.
If you end up making these tasty tots for the super bowl, another get-together, or just a plain old weeknight meal (I applaud you in advance for this), don’t forget to tag your photos with #marinamakeseats!
Tater Tot Nachos
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 32 oz bag of frozen tater tots
- 2-3 cups of canola oil
- 2 1/2-3 cups of shredded Monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese
- Candied jalapeños (recipe below)
- Store bought guacamole
- Store bought pico de gallo or salsa
- 2 cups of sour cream
- 3 green onions thinly sliced
Candied Jalapeños (recipe from How Sweet Eats)
- 4 jalapeño peppers, sliced
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Directions
First, make the candied jalapeños, add the vinegar, sugar and garlic powder to a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Allow the mixture to boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then add in the peppers and stir with a wooden spoon, making sure all of the slices are submerged. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, but don’t overcook because the mixture will get thick and sticky. Remove the peppers with a slotted spoon and place them in a jar or a bowl. Continue to cook the liquid for another 5 minutes until it has reduced by half, then pour it over the jalapenos. Allow the peppers to cool completely and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Next, fry the tater tots. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the canola oil to cover two inches of the bottom of the pot. Wait for the oil to get hot (about 375 degrees, or 5-7 minutes depending on your stove). Carefully drop the tots in small batches at a time and fry until golden brown on all sides. Take the tots out with a slotted spoon and let rest on a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with the rest of the tots.
After all of the tots are fried, place a layer of tots in a 9X13 baking dish and top with cheese. Continue layering tots and cheese until you’ve run out. Put the tots in the oven for about 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is beautifully melted.
Take the tots out of the oven and serve immediately. Place the guacamole, pico de gallo, jalapenos, sour cream and green onions in serving bowls and allow your guests to choose their toppings for the tot nachos.
Marina Makes 