Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner and whether you’re a football fan or not, the big game is a great excuse to have a little fun. I love any occasion that calls for good food and good company. Today, I’m sharing a Some Kinda Good appetizer that combines potatoes and cheese. Move over tortilla chips, there’s a new nacho vehicle in town!
Have you ever heard the term, tatchos? It’s a sort of food trend that describes nachos made with tater tots as the base, rather than tortilla chips. If you’ve never tried it, Super Bowl Sunday is the perfect time to win the day. The best thing about this recipe is you can make them in the oven or in an air fryer.
Preparing festive food is never more fun than when it comes to an athletic event. Each year when the big game rolls around, I get excited thinking about how I can incorporate the colors of my favorite team into my Super Bowl spread. My husband and I usually get together with a small group of friends to watch the game, and sometimes it’s just the two of us.
My menu remains simple, flavorful and typically includes some replays such as buffalo chicken dip and homemade guacamole. I like to decide on what to serve as a main course first, such as a big pot of venison chili or barbecue pork sliders, then build the rest of the menu from there. I almost always bake something, like vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting and add festive flair with team-colored sprinkles and football-themed toothpicks.
If you’re short on time, keep calm and carry on. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with making a few things from scratch and combining them with some ready-to-serve items you picked up from the grocery store.
Also, put those kitchen appliances to work. Enlist your slow cooker to help with the chili and purchase the baked goods.
I first discovered tatchos at an Irish pub on Folly Beach, South Carolina. It was a cold evening and there was something so comforting about the crispy potatoes with the common toppings. Whether you make them for game day or just want a delicious snack, this recipe is a touchdown. You can serve them with chili on top or meatless. Make it your own and make it Some Kinda Good.
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Tater Tot Nachos
- Bag of frozen tater tots
- 1 cup or more to taste of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- Pickled or fresh jalapenos to taste
- Prepared chili
- Bacon bits
- Sour cream
- Fresh parsley
- Salt
- Other nacho toppings as desired
Bake tater tots according to package directions (I like mine extra crispy for the perfect crunch). Add about a teaspoon of salt (or more to taste) as soon as the tater tots come out of the oven. Top evenly with diced onion, chili and cheese, then pop the tater tots back in the oven until cheese is hot and bubbly (about 5 minutes). Once cheese is melted, take them out of the oven and add desired toppings such as sour cream, a sprinkle of fresh parsley to liven things up and a few jalapenos to keep things spicy. Enjoy!
Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser is a private chef and the author of the best-selling memoir “Some Kinda Good.” Featured in Forbes, on Food Network and ABC, she writes about Southern, coastal cuisine, locally sourced and in season.
Connect with her on social media by liking Some Kinda Good on Facebook, or follow @SKGFoodBlog on Instagram and Twitter. To learn more, visit RebekahLingenfelser.com.