Totchos (Tater Tot Nachos) With Cheese Sauce, Charred-Tomato Salsa, Chorizo, and Pickled Jalapeños Recipe

Updated August 30, 2018

The ultimate nachos made with Tater Tots in place of corn chips, topped with gooey cheese sauce, charred-tomato salsa, crisp chorizo, and fresh vegetables. . J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

There are some mashups so gut-wrenchingly glorious, so decadently delicious, so damn greasy, that they deserve to be tasted, tested, improved, written about, modified, expanded, contracted, broken down, reassembled, broken down again, and possibly reassembled (after lunch) until they've finally emerged in their ultimate form. Totchos--that'd be Tater Tots dressed like nachos with gooey cheese sauce, charred-tomato salsa, crisp chorizo, and fresh vegetables--definitely are.

Just like you can make or break a sandwich depending on how you stack it, proper layering is essential in constructing the perfect tray of totchos. Layer your tots and ingredients so that every tot is evenly gooped, from the first to the last.

Tater Tots x Nachos = Totchos

Recipe Details

Totchos (Tater Tot Nachos) With Cheese Sauce, Charred-Tomato Salsa, Chorizo, and Pickled Jalapeños Recipe

Active 30 mins

Total 60 mins

Serves 6 to 8 servings

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Ingredients

6 medium tomatoes, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 small white or yellow onion, peeled and split
1 jalapeño pepper, split in half
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and fine stems, divided
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime
4 ounces Spanish or Mexican chorizo, finely diced
2 quarts peanut oil
1 (28-ounce) package Tater Tots or mini Tater Tots
1 recipe Gooey Cheese Sauce
1 small red onion, finely diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

Preheat broiler to high. Finely dice 1 tomato and toss with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place in a fine mesh strainer set over to a bowl to drain. Set aside while you prepare the salsa.
Split remaining tomatoes in half and place on a foil-lined broiler pan or rimmed baking sheet. Add garlic, onion, and jalapeño. Broil until completely tender and well blackened on top side, about 25 minutes. Transfer all vegetables to a blender or food processor and add 1 1/2 cups of fresh cilantro and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper and allow to cool. Set aside.
Place chorizo in a small skillet and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Heat peanut oil in a deep fryer, wok, or Dutch oven and cook Tater Tots according to package directions, working in batches and keeping them warm in a 200°F oven if necessary. Season to taste with salt.
Place half of Tater Tots on a large serving platter and top with half of salsa, cheese sauce, chorizo, drained tomatoes, red onions, scallions, and remaining cilantro. Top with remaining tots and remaining toppings. Serve immediately

Special equipment

Deep fryer, wok, or Dutch oven, blender or food processor

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
534	Calories
39g	Fat
39g	Carbs
10g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories	534
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g	50%
Saturated Fat 10g	48%
Cholesterol 26mg	9%
Sodium 1270mg	55%
Total Carbohydrate 39g	14%
Dietary Fiber 4g	15%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 24mg	119%
Calcium 130mg	10%
Iron 1mg	8%
Potassium 680mg	14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.