Behold...NACHO-TOTS!!!

When it comes to culinary invention, I'm a fan of the "Let's throw some stuff together, bake it, and see what happens!" approach. So here's something I whipped up yesterday, and I rather like the results. Behold the NACHO-TOTS!


You're probably thinking, "What is that, some blend of nachos and tater-tots?" And yes, you're exactly right. I'll almost certainly make this again, and I'll tweak it some, but to start with, I baked enough tater-tots to line the bottom of a casserole dish (I got 'em fairly crispy, so they'd stand up), and then I topped them with prepared taco meat (in this case, ground beef with taco seasoning) and a "Mexican" cheese blend. I baked this in turn for fifteen minutes or so, just long enough to melt the cheese and make things pleasantly gooey, and then I served! Divvy the tots up in bowls, and provide salsa and sour cream and whatever other nacho toppers you might like.

Next time I think I might add a can of refried beans to the baked mixture...this is really one of those meals you can take in many directions.

And really, it's just fun saying NACHO-TOTS!