Description
Jazz up your holiday party or game day gathering with loaded tater tots, the perfect party appetizer that will have your guests reaching for more! Easily customizable, incredibly satisfying, and very flavorful. Gluten-free too.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 package of frozen tater tots (about 32 oz)
- 8 slices of bacon, chopped
- 1 cup queso
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat & Line: Preheat your oven to 425F (220C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. If your tater tot package recommends a different temperature, adjust accordingly to accommodate both the tater tots and bacon.
- Place Tater Tots & Bacon on Separate Baking Sheets: Spread the tater tots in a single layer on the first parchment-lined baking sheet. Arrange the bacon slices in a single layer on the rack. This setup allows the bacon to cook evenly.
- Bake Tater Tots & Bacon: Place both baking sheets in the oven. The tater tots will bake according to the package instructions, usually around 20-25 minutes, until golden and crispy. The bacon will likely need 15-20 minutes to become crisp but start checking around 12 minutes to ensure it doesn’t overcook. Remove the bacon once it’s crispy and let it cool slightly before chopping it into pieces.
- Slice Green Onions & Chop Bacon: Slice the green onions and chop the bacon.
- Warm Queso: While the tater tots and bacon are in the oven, warm up the queso in a microwave-safe bowl or on the stovetop until it’s heated through and pourable, about 2-3 minutes.
- Assemble the Loaded Tater Tots: Once the tater tots are baked, transfer them to a large serving dish. Evenly drizzle the warm queso over the crispy tater tots. Sprinkle the oven-baked, chopped bacon on top. Drizzle the ranch dressing over the bacon and tater tots. Garnish with the sliced scallions.
- Season & Serve: Finish with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. Serve the dish immediately while everything is still warm and inviting.
Notes
Tater Tots: If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, make sure to use gluten-free tater tots.
Bacon: If you prefer, you can also use turkey bacon instead of regular bacon. Alternatively if you want to keep this recipe vegetarian or vegan, you can use vegan bacon instead.
Queso: Use your favorite melted cheese of choice.
Ranch Dressing: Ranch dressing adds a bit of tang to the tater tots. Alternatively you can also use Thousand Island dressing if you prefer.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
