This ooey gooey cheesy pan of crispy, chili drenched tater tots is the perfect game day comfort food ... Sheet Pan Chili Cheese Tater Tots!
Some of our best Sunday afternoons are spent together in our living room with football on the tv and a big spread of "football food" to nibble on.
Whether it is these bacon wrapped jalapeño popper halves, chicken & waffle bowls, ham & cheese roll ups or just classic chips and salsa, the appetizer spread is a big part of our family football tradition. And while I may be tucked into my favorite chair perusing Pinterest instead of actually watching the game, at least my food game is strong 😉
Ingredients
So simple! You'll just need tater tots, canned chili, freshly grated cheese, and your favorite toppings.
Step by step
I'm sure chili cheese tater tots are not any huge food revelation. They are a pretty simple combination of tater tots + chili + cheese, but I've got a few tips to make them extra tasty and completely satisfying.
ONE: Use a sheet pan. While this may seem obvious, using one sheet pan keeps prep and clean up easy breezy. Bake the tater tots, heat the chili and melt the cheese all on one simple baking sheet.
TWO: EXTRA crispy tater tots. Since the tots will be smothered in chili and cheese, the outside needs to be really crunchy and crispy to prevent them from getting totally soggy too soon.
THREE: Freshly shredded/grated cheese is a must. You can use bagged shredded cheese (and I do for tons of recipes in my kitchen), but to get that really creamy, melty cheese, just take a minute or two and grate it yourself. Sharp cheddar gives that robust cheesy flavor and melts like a dream with the heat of the oven.
See that cheese pull?! Touchdown!
While I just used our favorite canned chili to smother these tater tots, you could use leftover chili from last night's dinner, grab a bowl from your local deli/grocery store or really amp this recipe up with my Famous Chili Cheese Dip.
Topping ideas:
These chili cheese tater tots are delicious straight from the oven, but you can snag the title of appetizer MVP when you load them up with some of your favorite toppings:
- sour cream
- green onions
- crunchy french fried onions
- sliced jalapeños
- fresh diced tomatoes
- crumbled bacon
- leftover pulled pork
- a drizzle of BBQ sauce!
If you try this recipe, please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!
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Sheet Pan Chili Cheese Tater Tots
Description
This easy cheesy appetizer is one pan of ooey gooey chili cheese comfort food goodness - Sheet Pan Chili Cheese Tater Tots are a touchdown for your game day spread!
Ingredients
- 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots
- 15 oz can of your favorite chili
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- toppings of your choice (optional)
Instructions
- Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
- Bake the tater tots according to package instructions but bake them a bit longer to make sure they are EXTRA crispy.
- Spoon the chili over the baked tater tots and return the pan to the oven to heat while you grate the cheese.
- Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese over the top of the tater tots and return to the oven until the cheese is melted.
- Top with your favorite toppings: sour cream, green onions, crunchy french fried onions, a drizzle of BBQ sauce, crumbled bacon, etc.
(Tiana) | yumofchina.com says
It should be very very yummy, I love recipe like this, but I don't always eat chili. I would love to try the delicious recipe without chili, what do you think I can use instead?
★★★★★
Keri says
Hi Tiana - While we love the chili, you could use pulled pork, shredded beef or any other sauce-y meat!
Betsy says
This made for a very fun meal and very happy kids! 🙂 I sliced up about five hotdogs and sprinkled them over the top of the tater tots before I put the chili on!
Melissa Riker says
So glad you liked it!
Jen says
HUGE hit with the kids (and mom!) Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★