Totchos (Tater Tot Nachos)

This is far from an original idea but it has become one of our favorite meals. The first time we had tater tots smothered in meat and cheese was at a local restaurant. When looking for a recipe I found the taco version. We used to make it with ground beef, but after trying it with the chicken we were sold and don't often use ground beef. This is a very filling meal and you only need about a quarter of the pan (about 15 tater tots). For those who are looking for a carb-friendly meal, this is only has about 40 grams including the garnishes we use.

We use cheddar cheese because we can get a lactose free version to keep our stomachs happier, but you can use any shredded cheese that you like. And, for the salsa we tend to go with a fruity salsa. We've had peach salsa on tacos and it is amazing. For this meal, however, we tried pineapple salsa and it was a good pairing.

Ingredients:

1/2 bag tater tots
1 lb. chicken
vegetable oil
garlic
spring onions
hot red pepper
chicken bullion cube
taco seasoning
8 oz. shredded cheese
garnishes like lettuce, salsa, sour cream, etc.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven then bake the tater tots according the the instructions on the package. I use a small 8" by 10" pan that used to go in the toaster oven and cover it with as many tater tots as I can get on it, about half the bag.

2. Cut up the chicken then cook it in the vegetable oil with the garlic, spring onions, hot red pepper and bullion cube.

3. Add the taco seasoning according to the instructions on the package. Cook down the liquid most of the way. A little liquid to spread over the tater tots is not a bad thing.

4. Take the tater tots out of the oven then evenly cover with the taco chicken then the shredded cheese.

5. Put it back into the oven for 5-10 minutes to allow the cheese to melt and become bubbly. Allow to cool for a few minutes before diving in.

6. Serve with whatever garnishes you like. We typically use lettuce, fruity salsa and sour cream, but any of your regular nacho toppings will work well.

If you try the recipe, let me know what you think of it in the comments!