America loves the humble Tater Tot
A few months ago, a couple of the guys on staff were talking
about this great new pub food one of them had tried. Normally, I
bypass any conversation involving guys, pitchers of beers and food
you grab out of bowls, but this time, I was intrigued. The dish was
called
”
totchos
”
– or nachos made with Tater Tots instead of tortilla chips.
America loves the humble Tater Tot
A few months ago, a couple of the guys on staff were talking about this great new pub food one of them had tried. Normally, I bypass any conversation involving guys, pitchers of beers and food you grab out of bowls, but this time, I was intrigued. The dish was called “totchos” – or nachos made with Tater Tots instead of tortilla chips.
I’ll admit it, I love Tater Tots. I enjoy them baked crispy in the oven, with some pepper and a dash of salt. When I was a kid, my mom made a dish she called “Tater Tot casserole,” which was browned ground beef mixed with a can of cream of mushroom soup and topped with Tater Tots. She baked it in the oven for about 20 minutes or so, and even though I loved it, I always thought it was something she had made up off the top of her head.
Turns out, there is an actual “Tater Tot Casserole” recipe, almost identical to my mom’s except for the addition of sour cream. In fact, there are hundreds of recipes using the tiny shredded potato nuggets. Who would have thought the tiny Tot was so versatile?
The name Tater Tots® is a registered trademark owned by the Ore-Ida® company, a subsidiary of H.J. Heinz Company®. Tots were first made in 1953 as a way to use up shredded potato left over from making french fries, and were introduced to consumers a year later. Today, according to Ore-Ida®, Americans eat about 70 million pounds of Tots each year. Evidently, we can’t get enough of those crispy, crunchy tots.
But, as with just about anything else we feel is good, Americans have taken Tots to a whole new level. Sure, Tots are great for snacking, but why stop there? Why not pair them with beef or tuna? Mix them with eggs and bacon? Or top them with beans, sour cream, cheese and guacamole?
That kind of thinking is how “totchos” were born. The appetizer (I use the term loosely, as the dish I’m about to describe sounds filling enough to be a meal) can be found on the menu at the Oaks Bottom Public House in Portland, Ore., but can be easily recreated in your kitchen. Just bake your Tater Tots to desired crispiness, then top them with cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapeños, olives, green onions, sour cream and salsa. You could also add seasoned ground beef, refried beans and/or guacamole. I don’t think I’m brave enough to try totchos, but some of the guys around the newsroom think the idea is awesome.
Because I tend to spend more time in a kitchen than a pub, my Tater Tot recipes are more family-friendly. I make my mom’s recipe (it is my youngest daughter’s all-time favorite dinner), although I add sour cream and half an envelope of dry onion soup mix. The Ore-Ida® Web site has several Tot recipes, including one with chicken and carrots that the kids like. If you like pizza, there is a tot pizza recipe on the Web site, although personally, I’m not a pizza fan.
Another Ore-Ida® recipe is the chicken Tot pie. Don’t laugh – it’s actually sounds OK. The best thing about Tot recipes is that aside from having fun names (c’mon, who could honestly resist trying a “totcho?”) is that they are pretty easy to prepare, and if you use extra lean, low-fat or non-fat products as much as possible, you can keep the recipes on the (somewhat) healthier side. You can even toss some tots next to your burgers and dogs next time you fire up the grill.
Here are a few of my family’s favorite tot recipes, but feel free to check out the Ore-Ida® Web site (www.oreida.com) or go online and Google “tater tots.” You’ll be surprised at what pops up.
Tater Tot Casserole
(Revamped from Mom’s recipe)
1-1/2 lbs. extra lean ground beef
1 10 ¾ oz. can Campbell’s® 98% fat free condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 c. fat free sour cream
½ envelope of Lipton Recipe Secrets® dry onion soup mix
1 16 oz. bag of Ore-Ida Tater Tots®
Brown ground beef; drain any excess fat. Return to low heat and add condensed soup, sour cream and onion soup mix. Stir well, heat until bubbly. Pour into a 13×9-inch baking pan sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Top with Tater Tots. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until tots are of desired crispiness.
Tater Tots and Carrot Dots with chicken
(Recipe courtesy of Ore-Ida®)
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets® Golden Herb dry soup mix
1 16 oz. bag of Ore-Ida Tater Tots®
1-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
3 medium carrots, sliced
10 medium fresh mushrooms, cut in half (optional)
In a gallon-size re-sealable plastic bag, combine oil and dry soup mix. Squeeze bag to blend ingredients. Add remaining ingredients to bag; seal bag and toss to coat ingredients.
Arrange ingredients in a foil-lined jelly roll pan that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is done.
Chicken Tot Pie
(Recipe adapted from one courtesy of Ore-Ida®)
1 crust from a package of Pillsbury Ready Crust
1 tbsp. butter or margarine
½ c. finely chopped onions
1 16 oz. package of frozen mixed vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower and red bell peppers
2 c. chopped cooked chicken breast
1 10-3/4 oz. can Campbell’s® 98% fat free condensed cream of chicken soup
¼ c. milk
1 tsp. dried thyme (or 1 tbsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped)
1 16 oz. bag of Ore-Ida Tater Tots® (approx. 4 c.)
Heat oven to 375°. Place crust in bottom of a 9-inch deep dish pie pan. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until onions are tender. Add vegetables, chicken, soup, milk and thyme; bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.
Pour mixture on top of prepared crust. Arrange tots in a single layer over chicken mixture. Bake about 45 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and mixture is bubbly.
