Take your cheese-covered party platter game to the next level with this recipe.
In honor of the upcoming National Tater Tot Day (Friday, February 2) and the Super Bowl on Sunday, we present to you tatchos. This quirky, next-level take on nachos is spicy, like nachos, but a heckuva lot more fun — like the Super Bowl commercials. Everybody likes Super Bowl commercials. Everybody likes tater tots. And everybody — at your watch party — will love these tatchos.
Tatchos
Courtesy of Chef Brian Riggenbach, The Mockingbird, Nashville
(Yields one 9-by-13-inch casserole dish)
Loaded Tots
1 10-ounce can Rotel
3 cups Velveeta
8 cups tater tots
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups chili
2 cups rajas poblano (recipe follows)
1 cup sour cream
½ cup pickled jalapeños
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
Rajas
4 poblano chiles
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 white onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
½ cup chicken stock
½ cup light beer
Salt and pepper to taste
Make the loaded tots:
Melt the Velveeta and the Rotel in a saucepan over low heat until gooey. Meanwhile, season the tater tots with salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees.
Make the rajas poblano:
Over an open flame roast poblanos until completely blackened, turning until charred all over. Remove and reserve in a large bowl. If doing in batches, lightly tent or cover peppers while the remaining are cooking so they remain warm. Once all peppers are in a container, seal well with lid or plastic wrap. Let sit for 30 minutes to steam.
Once peppers are cooled and steamed through, seed stem and remove charred skin. Portion peppers into thin strips and set aside. Head a large pan over medium heat, cover the bottom with oil and add onion. Cook onion down until lightly caramelized stirring once in a while. Add garlic, let cook for one minute. Add diced herbs, reserved peppers, stock, and beer. Deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up any browned bits and cook for an additional 20 – 30 minutes until the liquid had all but evaporated and the flavors have come together. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
To assemble the tots:
Layer the tots in the bottom of casserole, top with chili, distributing evenly to the edge. Then top the chili with queso, then the rajas. Add a dollop of sour cream to top. Garnish with a scattering of pickled jalapeño and scallions. Serve immediately.
For more information or to make reservations, visit The Mockingbird’s website. Find more of our Super Bowl party recipes here. We also have Super Bowl party cocktail recipes here.