12 Epic Recipes with Tater Tots. Simply Perfect.

They’re amazing as a solo act, but the mighty Tot becomes a sensation in Recipes with tater tots like nachos, breakfast bakes, and creamy casseroles.

Every time I make a Mexican recipe my family seems to go nuts for it. We love Mexican food and we also just love tater tots. They are always good no matter how I make them.

Today I decided to marry the two. I wanted to make enchiladas but really wanted to spice them up a bit so that we can have something different for dinner. Instead of the tortillas, I used tater tots, and boy was this baked good!

Baked tots with ketchup? Meh. Up your game with these truly outrageous—and all-too-easy to make—ideas.

If you’ve never heard of tater tot casseroles, get ready to have your taste buds rocked! Most Midwesterners are already aware of these mouthwatering dishes, but if you’re unfamiliar, all you have to know about these quirky, potato-based dishes is that they are just as delicious and hearty as their name makes them sound.

Think hash browns, but with a surprising, out-of-the-ordinary twist. Plus, not only do tater tot casseroles incorporate everyone’s favorite freezer-friendly potato staple into a decadent breakfast casserole, but they can also be customized with add-ons and substitutions to fit the needs of your family. Vegetarian? We’ve got a recipe for that. Love bacon and sausage? We’ve got you covered there as well. Big fan of cheese? You’re in the right place!

What’s more, if you happen to be hosting guests anytime soon and are looking for a fabulous brunch recipe, there’s really no better (or tastier) conversation starter than one of these casserole recipes. Each and everyone will get your guests “ooh” -ing and “aah” -ing from the first to the last bite. Word to the wise: Be sure to make enough to go around—and then some. When it comes to tater tot casseroles, “leftovers” isn’t a word you’ll hear often!

Tater tots are near-perfect food. The way the savory, shatter-crisp exterior yields to a soft inside is irresistible, as is the deep-fried potato flavor. While they’re perfectly tasty on their own or dunked into the dipping sauce, the little nuggets can also easily be incorporated into other recipes with tater tots too, especially if you have a few bags in your freezer you’re looking to get rid of.

Think casseroles, waffles, and tater tot nachos, of course, and even frittatas. Read on to find out how to execute those ideas and more, compiled from our recipes with tater tots.

They’re crunchy on the outside, pillowy on the inside, and these nuggets of potato, better known as Tater Tots, are perfect for dipping and enjoying unadulterated. However, they are a versatile ingredient to use in a variety of different dishes, from breakfast entrées to sandwiches and even tatchos (a tater tot-based take on nachos). These recipes with tater tots are as fun as they are delicious. Start with this list of recipes with tater tots we love. Soon, we think, the tots will inspire a lot of creativity.

Remember the time you were tempted to buy that bag of frozen tater tots and totally caved? We’ve all been there, and we all still have the tots sitting in our freezers to prove it. Lucky for you, it doesn’t have to be a complete waste. There are plenty of recipes with tater tots out there that are more than capable of bringing out your inner Napoleon Dynamite. The following recipe hacks (including, breakfast casseroles and savory waffles) are sure to use up that whole bag of tater tots and leave you wanting more.

Turn them into waffles

If you’ve got a waffle iron and a bag of tots, you’re well on your way to ultra-crispy, super crunchy waffles. Jen Pelka of The Riddler shared several variations with us, including topping combinations like smoked salmon and caviar, prosciutto and mustard, and truffled eggs, too. But if you want something more low-key, a runny fried egg and hot sauce would work nicely, or grated Parmesan and ground black pepper.

Treat them like chips

Just like chips or popcorn, you can add seasonings to tater tots. Cook them first, and then toss them with seasoned salt, or dip packets like onion dip seasoning, barbecue spice, or curry powder. Sesame seeds and nori would be tasty as well. If you go the curry powder route, we’d recommend sprinkling it on almost-done tater tots and then letting them finish together for another minute or two.

For the ultimate high-low snack, you could also take a cue from the classic potato chip, sour cream (or crème fraîche), and caviar pairing and swap in tater tots for the chips.

… Or a baked potato

You can prepare tater tots in a manner similar to baked potatoes. Cook them and smash them, and then, load them with sour cream, scallions, and bacon crumbles.

Switch up your casserole toppings

Casseroles are comforting on their own. Casseroles with tots? Even better. We have one recipe that layers sausage, cheesy creamed spinach, and tater tots into one indulgent meal. Tots also shine as the topping on Andrew Zimmern’s farmhouse turkey hot dish. Hotdish casseroles usually have baked layers of starch, meat (in this case, turkey), vegetables, and typically, canned soup, but here, Zimmern swaps a velouté sauce for the classic condensed mushroom soup.

If you’d prefer breakfast casserole, tater tots can easily be substituted for bread in our bacon, tomato, and cheddar breakfast bake recipe with eggs.

Add ‘em to frittatas

Tater tots would work in many different frittatas, but these classics are a good place to start—cheddar and bacon; mushroom, spinach, and fontina; goat cheese, spinach, and tomato; pimento cheese; leeks and ham; and ham, cheese, and peppers. Cook the tots first (you can even do it in the same skillet), transfer them to a plate, and then, add them to the frittata mixture.

Make “tatchos”

In lieu of chips, “tatchos” use tater tots as the base for all kinds of savory toppings, and you can get creative with what you have on hand. Our recipe from Kay Chun swathes them in a kimchi gravy (kimchi! gravy!), and then, piles on sharp cheddar, chile peppers, cilantro, and more kimchi for an extra kick. You won’t have to wait long to devour them, either—after the tater tots are cooked according to the package instructions, turning them into tatchos only takes another 20 minutes.

Try tot poutine

Poutine is typically prepared with French fries, gravy, and cheese curds, but tots would definitely work. The same idea applies to disco fries, a diner classic made with mozzarella cheese and gravy.

Press ’em into muffin tins and make cups

Tater tots can also be made into “cups” using muffin tins, as a vehicle for other foods (such as egg, bacon, and cheese breakfast cups). You can smash them up and then bake them into a cup shape—if you do this, bake them a little first to warm them up in a controlled environment. Or, place a few tots in each spot in the tin and bake them until warm, smash them with another muffin tin, and continue to bake until crispy.