This loaded tater tots recipe is perfect for game day or a snack spread and will surely be a big hit! Crispy tater tots are dusted with ranch seasoning, topped with cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon, and broiled until melty.
by Emily Dingmann
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Top these tater tots with sliced green onions and pickled jalapenos, and serve with ranch sour cream for dipping on the side. They're loaded with savory flavors and various textures for an appetizer that’s sure to become a favorite.
They're ideal for game day eats!
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Loaded Tater Tots Recipe
Variety of savory flavors: With ranch, sharp cheddar cheese, bacon, green onions, and jalapenos, you know the flavors are oh-so-good! And put them together? Delicious!
Made with simple ingredients: This simple recipe doesn’t require any specialty ingredients; you should be able to get everything at your local grocery store. I also share options for shortcuts to help make this recipe even easier; check the Ingredient List.
Easy to make: Simply bake the tots, top them with cheese and bacon, and bake again until melty and your tots are ready to enjoy.
Crowd pleaser: There’s a lot to love about this snack, and with bacon, ranch, and cheesy flavors, it’s always a crowd-pleaser.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minute meal or less.
For all of the ingredients, measurements, and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
Tater Tots: Look for frozen tater tots in the potato section of your frozen foods aisle. Since we’re seasoning them with ranch, buy the plain tots instead of seasoned tots. There are a variety of brands to choose from, or you could make your own if you prefer.
Ranch Seasoning: This is the dry ranch powder. You can buy it in packets, or if you go through a lot of it, it's sold in bulk, too.
Sour Cream: I use full-fat sour cream for the best flavor, but you can also use low-fat or fat-free if you prefer.
Cheddar Cheese: For a quick shortcut, buy your cheddar cheese already shredded or shred your own if you prefer. I recommend sharp cheddar for the best flavor.
Imitation Bacon Bits: McCormick Bac'n Pieces is vegan and perfect for adding to this dish. Or, purchase your favorite plant-based bacon. THIS™ Bacon Rashers have received top reviews.
Green Onions: Use fresh green onions without any browning. Thinly slice the onion's white and green parts. You can also use chives if you prefer. Both impart a mild onion flavor.
Pickled Jalapeños: If you like a little heat, include some pickled jalapeños as a topping. You may want to serve them on the side as everyone's heat tolerance varies greatly. The pickled version is pretty mild, so if you love extra heat, add fresh, thinly sliced jalapenos instead.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
This recipe doesn't require any special equipment.
- Rimmed sheet pan
- Aluminum foil or parchment paper for quick and easy cleanup.
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making this broccoli cheese casserole are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!
Step 1
Bake. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place tater tots on an aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake tater tots according to package instructions until golden brown and crispy.
Step 2
Make the dip. While tater tots are baking, make ranch sour cream. Combine sour cream with two tablespoons of ranch seasoning in a small bowl. Refrigerate sour cream mixture until serving.
Step 3
Season. When tater tots are done baking, sprinkle with one tablespoon of ranch seasoning.
Step 4
Add toppings. Sprinkle shredded cheese and crumbled bacon over the tots and broil for 2 to 4 minutes until the cheese is melty.
Step 5
Finish. Top with sliced green onion and pickled jalapenos to taste, and serve with sour cream for dipping.
👩🍳 Substitutions
Sweet Potato Tater Tots: Swap out the tater tots for sweet potato tater tots, sometimes called sweet potato puffs. You could also make your own sweet potato tater tots. The sweet and salty flavor combination is delicious and works well.
Greek Yogurt: Swap out the sour cream for full-fat plain Greek yogurt for a close alternative, or use low-fat or fat-free plain Greek yogurt if you prefer.
Dairy-Free: Want to make this recipe dairy-free? Swap out the cheddar cheese for your favorite dairy-free alternative that melts well and the sour cream for your favorite dairy-free alternative.
Vegetarian: To make these tots vegetarian, omit the bacon or use your favorite bacon alternative. This is reflected in the Ingredients List. Also, be sure to check the ingredients on the cheese to ensure you use one that uses a vegetable rennet. Most traditional cheeses use an animal rennet, but many manufacturers now have vegetarian options.
💡 Variations
Taco Tots: Instead of ranch seasoning, use taco seasoning to season the tots and the sour cream. Add some chopped cilantro and swap out the plant-based bacon for taco chorizo plant-based crumbles, such as those made by Impossible Beef.
Chili Tots: Swap the plant-based bacon for your favorite vegetarian chili or canned chili, top with cheese, and bake until melty. Finish with green onions and pickled jalapenos.
Poutine Tots: Top your baked tater tots with cheese curds and a heavy drizzle of vegetarian gravy, such as mushroom gravy, before serving.
Buffalo Tots: Inspired by buffalo cauliflower bites, drizzle your cooked tots with buffalo sauce right before serving. You could also stir some buffalo sauce into the sour cream dip to add double the buffalo flavor.
Kid-Friendly: The easiest way to make this recipe kid-friendly is to let everyone make their own little tray of tater tots. Instead of cooking the tots on one large piece of aluminum foil, make little trays that fit onto the rimmed sheet pan, and then everyone can make their personalized tray of loaded tater tots. Plus, it’s a great way to get everyone involved in cooking them.
🫙 Storage Tips
To Store: Store any leftover tater tots or ranch sour cream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
To Reheat: For best results, reheat the tater tots in a 375°F oven until heated and the cheese melts.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
These loaded tots are a great part of an appetizer or game day spread, so serve it with other appetizers like chips and salsa verde, veggies and dip, and vegan Sloppy Joe sliders.
Or serve this as a fun movie night meal with fruit and veggies.
FAQ
What do you put on tater tots?
You can also turn these into loaded tater tots like we have here by topping the tots with cheddar cheese, imitation bacon crumbles, green onions, and pickled jalapenos.
What is the secret to crispy tater tots?
Are tater tots gluten-free?
Related Recipes
If you love this loaded tater tot recipe, you might also like some of these other tater tot recipes:
- Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole - This is a fun and satisfying breakfast option. Just be sure to use plant-based breakfast sausage or plant-based chorizo.
- Homemade Tater Tots - Want to make your tater tots? Here’s a simple recipe to try.
- Air Fryer Tater Tots - Use the air fryer for super crispy tater tots!
I hope I’ve shown you how easy these delicious loaded tater tots are! Whether you’re making them for a satisfying snack or serving them as part of a game-day spread, I know they will surely be a hit with their savory, cheesy, and bacon ranch flavor. And be sure to try some of the other varieties and topping ideas next time.
This article originally appeared on Pink When.
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Loaded Tater Tots
Ingredients
- 28 ounces frozen tater tots
- 1 ounce ranch seasoning packet
- ½ cup sour cream
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 ½ ounces imitation bacon bits
- 2 medium green onions, white and green parts
- pickled jalapenos to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Spread out the tater tots on the prepared baking sheet and bake according to the package instructions until golden brown and crispy.
- While tater tots are baking, make ranch sour cream. In a small bowl, combine sour cream with 2 tablespoons of ranch seasoning. Refrigerate until serving.
- When the tater tots are done baking, sprinkle them with one tablespoon of ranch seasoning. Sprinkle the shredded cheese and crumbled bacon over the tots and broil for 2-4 minutes until the cheese is melty.
- Top with sliced green onion and pickled jalapenos to taste, and serve with sour cream for dipping.
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