Anita declared these as “the only way we will cook tater tots from now on”. And I am in total agreement with her too. Just like potato skins they have a crunchy side and a soft side and taste, well, potato-y. Topped with our favorite potato skin toppings, cheese, green onion and sour cream, these tater tot potato skins can be served as appetizers at your next party or as a side at your next grill-out. Make sure you make lots of them, though, because they are crazy addicting.
You can actually skip the thawing of the tater tots and squash the tots after they have been in the oven for 10 minutes. I found this works fine, but not quite as well as when you fully thaw the tater tots first. They don’t squash out quite as flat, but they still get super duper crispy crunchy, which is the goal.
I spoon sour cream into a squirt bottle to top these tater tot potato skins nice and evenly. You can of course spoon the sour cream directly on top, but I usually end up with a little too much in one spot and not enough in another. The squirt bottle solves that problem.
I highly recommend that you shred or grate your own cheese at home. Don’t buy the pre-shredded or pre-grated stuff. It has stuff added to it to keep it from sticking together. That ‘stuff’ affects how the cheese melts. Shred it yourself and use the good stuff.
Also try my tater tot nachos.
Tater Tot Potato Skins
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tater tots thawed completely
- 1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 green onions sliced
- 8 slices cooked bacon crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Spray two large baking sheets with non-stick spray (I found that a Silpat mat works best)
- Use the back of a large spoon to flatten the tots. Don’t press too hard if they don’t flatten immediately.
- Place into the oven for 10 minutes. Check if any of the tots need a bit more flattening.
- Continue baking for another 10 minutes or until the tots are turning golden brown.
- Sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until crispy.
- Remove from the oven.
- Transfer to a platter and drizzle with the sour cream and sprinkle with the green onions and bacon.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
