thekittchen

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Privacy Statement
  • Recipes
    • breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Appetizer
    • Side Dish
    • Dessert
    • Cocktails
  • Travel
  • Home
  • Life
  • Videos
  • Shop
  • Press
    • Press Page
    • Services
    • Speaking Engagements
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Privacy Statement
  • Recipes
    • breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Appetizer
    • Side Dish
    • Dessert
    • Cocktails
  • Travel
  • Home
  • Life
  • Videos
  • Shop
  • Press
    • Press Page
    • Services
    • Speaking Engagements
×
Home » appetizer

Chili Cheese Tater Tot Nachos ("Totchos")

Published: Feb 3, 2017 · Modified: Dec 11, 2024 by Kit · This post may contain affiliate links · 15 Comments

Chili Cheese Totchos-4

What happens when you combine tater tots and nachos? It is absolutely delicious. While Chili Cheese Tater Tot Nachos (aka "Tot-chos") might not be the most photogenic food, they are pretty darn good. My recipe consists of crispy tater tots topped with a simple beef chili, a homemade chipotle cheddar sauce, plus tomato, avocado, jalapeno, and sour cream. It is the perfect hearty snack to serve for the Super Bowl. And while I don't have scientific proof, I am confident that this will cure a hangover.

How to make Chili Cheese Totchos

I hope that we can all agree that tater tots are better than nacho chips. Right? Tots are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and so very satisfying to snack on. The spicy chili and cheese sauce transform this into a meal (with a somewhat questionable nutritional value).

Chili Cheese Totchos

Instead of using chili from a can, I made a basic chili by combining ground beef, salsa, black beans, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. It comes together quickly and you can customize the spice level based on your preference. If you don't want to use beef, you could use ground turkey or bison instead.

Chili Cheese Totchos Recipe

You can easily customize this meal based on your personal preferences. You can use any type of salsa you like to change the spice level of the tot-chos. Black beans are my favorite, so I used those, but you could opt for pinto or garbanzo beans instead. You can also add extra ingredients - bacon, cilantro, and bell peppers would be nice additions to the recipe.

Chili Cheese Totchos-2

This would be a fitting recipe to serve at a Super Bowl party, especially since I don't think calories count on Super Bowl Sunday. Do you have big Super Bowl Sunday plans? (Go Patriots!)

Tater Tot Nachos (“Tot-chos”)

Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 bag of Tater Tots I recommend Extra Crispy
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 pound of Ground Beef I used 90% lean
  • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 16 ounce Jar of Salsa
  • 1 can of Black Beans
  • 1 tablespoon Butter
  • 1 tablespoon Flour
  • 1 cup Milk I used 1%
  • 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • ¼ cup Cream Cheese
  • ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder
  • 1 Jalapeño sliced
  • 1 Tomato diced
  • 1 Avocado diced
  • Sour Cream

Instructions

  • Start by cooking the tater tots according to the directions on their packaging.
  • Then heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the beef, season with a bit of salt and pepper, and use a wooden spoon to break the beef up into small pieces as it cooks. Once the beef has browned, add ¾ of the salsa and the beans. Add the chili powder and the cayenne pepper. Let simmer on low heat while the tater tots finish cooking.
  • Now get to work on the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and let it cook for 2 minutes. Then whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the cheese, and once the cheese melts add a touch of the chipotle chili power to taste.
  • Keep the beef mixture and the cheese sauce warm until the tater tots are ready. Once the tots have cooked, arrange them on a platter and top with the beef mixture, cheese sauce, jalapeño, tomato, avocado, and sour cream. Serve immediately.

And if you want more recipes involving tater tots, check out this recipe for Cheeseburger Quiche with a Tater Tot crust!

More appetizer

  • Easy Easter Recipes Story Poster Image
    Easy Easter Recipes
  • Buffalo Chicken Dip | Classic buffalo chicken dip served in an edible bread bowl.
    Best Game Day Recipes
  • A Buffalo Chicken Grits Bowl is made with creamy cheesy grits, crispy bacon, sauteed spinach, fresh corn, and spicy shredded buffalo chicken. It's a comfort food meal that you can make in just 30 minutes.
    The Best Buffalo Chicken Recipes
  • Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Peppers 6
    Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Peppers

Comments

  1. Lauren says

    February 03, 2017 at 4:04 pm

    Amazing! I loved when I first learned about totchos from Burton's Place, and these look so much better than bar food!

    Reply
    • Kit Graham says

      February 03, 2017 at 5:38 pm

      Thanks Lauren! So great to see you last night!

      Reply
  2. sue says

    February 06, 2017 at 7:03 am

    Thanks for sharing your recipe with us at #OvertheMoon I've pinned and shared on social media.

    Reply
    • Kit Graham says

      February 08, 2017 at 11:52 pm

      Thanks for sharing the recipe Sue!

      Reply
  3. Lori -thestonybrookhouse says

    February 06, 2017 at 8:04 pm

    Looks so good!Thanks for sharing at DIDI 🙂

    Reply
    • Kit Graham says

      February 08, 2017 at 11:51 pm

      Thanks Lori!

      Reply
  4. Sharon Culpepper Britt says

    February 08, 2017 at 11:48 pm

    Oh my these tater tot nachos look fantastic. I love Mexican food. Thank you for sharing your recipe at the Snickerdoodle Create~Bake~Make link party!

    Reply
    • Kit Graham says

      February 08, 2017 at 11:51 pm

      Thanks so much for stopping my Sharon!

      Reply
  5. thenotsocreativecook says

    February 11, 2017 at 1:50 pm

    I love the idea. This looks amazing! Have a fab weekend and thanks for sharing! x

    Reply
    • Kit Graham says

      February 11, 2017 at 10:41 pm

      So glad you like the idea!

      Reply
  6. Hil D says

    February 12, 2017 at 2:45 am

    I had chili nachos for dinner tonight!! So tasty. Next time tater tots all the way!

    Reply
    • Kit Graham says

      February 12, 2017 at 2:48 am

      Yes! Tater tots are definitely better than tortilla chips!

      Reply
  7. Petra says

    February 13, 2017 at 12:11 am

    What a great concept! I am absolutely sure that this would cure any hangover, it looks great! Thank you for bringing this to Fiesta Friday! 🙂

    Reply
    • Kit Graham says

      February 13, 2017 at 12:20 am

      Thanks Petra! I should patent it as a hangover cure 😉

      Reply
  8. Miz Helen says

    February 14, 2017 at 8:37 pm

    What a great dish! Happy Valentine Day and thanks so much for sharing your awesome talent with us at Full Plate Thursday!
    Miz Helen

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Welcome!

Welcome! I'm Kit and The Kittchen is all about my two biggest loves: Food and Travel! Here you can discover delicious and practical everyday recipes, plus travel destinations to feed your wanderlust. Thanks for stopping by!

More about me

Recipes

  • The Best Chicken Chili
  • Brisket Enchiladas 13
    32 Favorite Freezer Meals
  • Easy Recipes for Beginners
  • Easy Healthy Creamy Chicken Soup with Pureed Butternut Squash

Travel

  • Casa Beatnik - A Charming Boutique Hotel in Galicia
  • Kennebunkport Travel Guide | Things to Do in Kennebunkport
  • Nantucket Itinerary for Kids
  • Milwaukee Itinerary for Kids

Home

  • Upgrading Doors on a Budget
  • Cottage-Core Inspired Entryway Design
  • Chicago Balcony Design Reveal
  • Big Plans for Our Back Balcony

Footer

↑ back to top
thekittchen
About
First Time Here?
Contact
Press

Copyright © 2025 The Kittchen. Disclosure and Privacy Policy