Tell us—are you a fan of nachos, those tortilla chips all covered with cheese? Then, imagine if you will, totchos—basically tater tot nachos topped with bacon, figs, and chives. This tater tot casserole recipe is great as an appetizer for football season, the Superbowl, or alongside a cold beer on a Saturday afternoon.
Bacon Makes the Tater Tot Casserole Even Better
Even tater tots. We took the idea of a loaded baked potato and incorporated bacon crumbles and chives into the tater tot nachos.
But, What Kind of Cheese
This is important—opt for the meltiest cheese you can find. We used raclette, but a gruyere would work too. We love cheddar and that would provide a tangy flavor where the raclette and gruyere would be more nutty and subtle. You could even use a mix of cheeses to include others like gouda, goat cheese, or blue cheese.
These Aren’t Just Any Figs
Because we used a nutty cheese like raclette, our Golden Figs provided a better pairing. We chopped the figs and then fried them for a minute in the bacon fat to infuse some of the savory porky flavor into them. Just remember to transfer the figs to a paper towel-lined plate and then sprinkle a dusting of salt over them.
How to Make the Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Cooking the tater tots requires high heat. We start off with cooking a single layer of tater tots in a casserole dish until they are almost completely cooked through. Then, they are covered with bacon and figs before being topped with a layer of cheese, and more bacon and figs, cooked for the final round until the cheese is all gooey and melty. Once removed, a final garnish of chives completes the tater tot casserole. We like the totchos with cold IPA beer, but you could also eat it with Champagne, sparkling wine, or even sparkling apple cider.
Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole Recipe with Bacon + Figs
Ingredients
- 2 cups tater tots
- 4 slices uncured bacon
- 1 cup Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Golden Dried Figs , stems removed + chopped
- 4 ounces raclette cheese , shredded
- Chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 F. Place the tater tots in a single layer into a casserole dish. Once the oven is at the right temperature, place them in the oven for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, Prep the Toppings
- Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Transfer the slices to a paper-towel lined plate.
- Stir the figs into the bacon fat and fry the figs for 1 to 2 minutes over medium low heat. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to the paper towel-lined plate.
- Shred the cheese.
Finish Cooking the Totchos
- Sprinkle half of the bacon and figs over the tater tots. Then add all the shredded cheese. Finish it off with the rest of the bacon and figs. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the chives. Serve immediately.
