Transform Frozen Tater Tots Into A Savory Appetizer With One Extra Ingredient
Originating as a frozen snack made from excess french fry scraps, tater tots are now their own beloved fried potato category. They are just as popular in the frozen food aisle as on fast food and burger-stand menus. While they are the perfect convenient snack to pop in the oven on a whim, you can also transform frozen tater tots into a savory, two-ingredient appetizer by wrapping them in bacon.
Tater tots are bite-sized snacks, so they're already ideally sized and portioned for an appetizer. Their earthy fried potato flavor will complement bacon's smoky, umami-rich decadence. Plus, the bacon will add another layer of crunch to the crispy exterior of the tater tot while the bacon grease will infuse both flavor and creaminess into its pillowy pulp.
You can make enough bacon-wrapped tater tots for a large dinner party with a single batch. To execute this simple recipe, you'll only need six strips of bacon for 24 tater tot appetizers because it only takes a quarter of a strip of bacon to wrap each tater tot. Cut the bacon horizontally into fourths, wrapping each quarter-strip around a thawed tater tot. Stick a toothpick through the tater tot to conjoin the edges of the bacon, placing the tot seam-side down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Then, bake them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes. Flip the tots halfway through the baking process for even cooking and crisping.
Additional ingredients and dipping sauces
While bacon-wrapped tater tots are an easy two-ingredient appetizer, you can add extra ingredients for even more depth of flavor, texture, and extravagance. For example, you can create an even crispier crust while adding a sweet and spicy element by rolling the bacon-wrapped tots in brown sugar and cayenne pepper before baking them. If you want a trifecta of savory goodness, try topping each tot with a small cube of cheddar or Jack cheese before wrapping it in bacon.
For a tasty twist on jalapeño poppers, layer the tater tot with a cube of cheddar and a slice of fresh jalapeño before wrapping it in bacon. You can then serve it with cream cheese and chive dipping sauce. As bacon and tater tots are ultra-savory pairings, a tangy, spicy, or even sweet dipping sauce would help cut through the richness. A tangy, creamy buttermilk ranch would be delicious. For a spicy dipping sauce, you could serve them with a mustard sauce. A sweet and spicy chipotle dip with mayonnaise and sour cream or Thousand Island dressing would also complement the smoky, savory bacon and earthy tots. Bacon and peanut butter are a popular pairing, so you could also serve bacon-wrapped tots with a peanut butter sauce by blending chunky peanut butter with honey and chipotles in adobo.