Easy Cheesy Loaded Tater Tot Recipe: Two Ways

Since I am no longer gainfully employed by the Man (the child is another story and very much running the show, despite my blustering), I’ve found it increasingly difficult to feed myself and my tiny human.

Oddly enough, it seemed easier to eat when I was behind a desk for nine plus hours, five days a week. I had the same breakfast every morning (granola obviously) and lunch wasn’t much different. There were some days I missed the midday meal altogether. Truly, dinner was the only edible that required much effort and even then, the Hubby was around to help me, or at least pour the wine.

Now though, everything is different. No more skipping solids and sacrificing myself to a corporate clock. These days, I wake up when my munchkin does, which changes daily, and we eat breakfast sometime thereafter, which also changes daily.

Fluidity is key. Something I’m great at; snort.

After our morning meal comes second breakfast, then lunch, then snacks, then dinner, and dessert, and more snacks. Every day. Every. Single. Day. Rinse and repeat. I’m no mathematician, but that amounts to a holy shitton of different meals in a single seven day period. We’re talking thousands of edibles a year, and I’m the one responsible for preparing them.

Excuse me while I go hide under the couch.

These days, I’m raising a tiny human though. She’s two, soon to be three, which means I need to keep our food fresh (literally and figuratively), somewhat healthy and most importantly, edible. Variety is of paramount importance as well.

Toddlers need a multitude of options, if only to prevent them from turning into the pickiest of people, who live off Kraft macaroni and cheese and refuse to eat if their foods touch another morsel on the plate. The kind of people who get mocked in their formative teen years by their family when their current boyfriend buys them divider plates as a joke.

Yeah, that happened to me.

What’s more shocking; I married the guy.

In any event, feeding a tiny human is tough, without resorting to the same meal, hot dogs, or oodles of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, of which I am happily guilty of. Ain’t no shame in my parenting game.

Enter tater tots stage left.

You start with your glorious bite sized spuds and then load them up with your favorite festive toppings. Broccoli, cheddar cheese, bell peppers, whatever veggies your little plant loving heart desires. Or switch up the toppings (beans, avocado, tomatoes, spicy cheese) and presto chango, you’ve got an entirely different meal, still on a beautiful bed of taters.

As for the tiny human, she happily and greedily scarfed these down…after separating them into categories. Oi. I think I may be in trouble.

Easy Cheesy Loaded Tater Tot Recipe – Two Ways

These pillows of potatoes (hooray TOTS!) under a bounty of your favorite toppings will tickle your taste buds.

Southwestern Loaded Tater Tots

1/2 to 1 Package Tater Tots
1/4 to 3/4 Cup Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
1/4 to 1/2 Cup Pepperjack Cheese (shredded)
1/2 to 1 Avocado (diced)
Handful Cherry Tomatoes (cut into quarters)
1 to 3 Green Onions (Diced)

Broccoli Cheddar Loaded Tots

1/2 to 1 Package Tater Tots
1 Bunch Broccoli
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
1/4 Cup Bell Pepper (Diced)
1 to 3 Green Onions (Diced)
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Pinch Salt and Pepper

Southwestern Loaded Tater Tots

Cook tater tots according to package directions.
Remove tater tots from the oven one minute before they’re done cooking. Top with as many black beans and as much cheese as you want. Put it back in the oven and cook for one additional minute.
Remove from oven. Top with avocado, tomatoes and green onion. Eat warm.

Broccoli Cheddar Loaded Tots

Cut up broccoli. Add broccoli to one side of a cookie sheet and tater tots to the other side. Drizzle broccoli with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook in oven according to tater tot instructions.
Remove broccoli and tater tots from the oven one minute before they’re done cooking. Scoop the broccoli on top of the tater tots and top with cheddar cheese. Put it back in the oven and cook for one additional minute.
Remove from oven and top with bell peppers and green onions. Eat warm.

Load up your tater tots with your favorite toppings or tasty eats. You can alternate different types of cheeses, add bacon, sour cream or any roasted veggies. The sky is the limit.