Y’all, I’ve got a thing for homemade nachos – especially when they’re loaded with canned black beans (to keep things easy), but when you add tater tots to the equation to equal totchos (ok, or tachos)?! Get outta here.
Of course, tater tots already play a role as a favorite appetizer, especially when dipped in garlic aioli, and they’re known in only everyone’s favorite hearty and comforting casserole, but load them up with cheese sauce and your favorite nacho toppings?! The game has just been leveled up.
First, Bake or Air Fry the Tots
Tots are, indeed, the star of the show. You can use the classic version or try your hand at mini tots or even flatter puffs. Whichever way you choose, you can’t go wrong.
When it comes to baking the tots, you can either make them in the air fryer or bake them in the oven. The air fryer is an excellent option if you make half of a bag because they’ll crisp up well. If you are preparing a full bag, I recommend cooking them in two batches if your air fryer is on the smaller side to ensure they’re all nice and golden brown.
If you plan to bake them in the oven, grab a large sheet pan and follow the package directions. While they bake in either method, prep the nacho cheese sauce and black beans.
Prep the Cheese Sauce & Beans
The other key players here are homemade nacho cheese sauce, and spicy black beans — both take only minutes to make!
Prep the sauce first because you can keep it warm on the stovetop while you wait for everything else to come together. It’s truly as simple as whisking together the ingredients, melting in the cheese, and trying not to eat it all before the tots are ready.
To prepare the black beans, grab a skillet. Open the can of beans and drain most of the liquid from it, but not all of it. I like to reserve around two tablespoons of the liquid to help give the spices something to cling to without adding extra oil.
So toss the beans and the little liquid in a skillet and stir in taco seasoning – homemade or store-bought. Saute them over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until warmed through, and the seasoning is coated on the beans.
Time to Assemble!
With the tots nice and golden brown and crispy, it’s time to assemble what we’re calling tachos! Leave them on a baking sheet if using, or transfer them to a serving platter.
Drizzle that nacho cheese sauce across the top of the tots – measure this to your heart’s desire.
Speaking of – do you prefer to use shredded cheese? Go ahead! Sprinkle it across the tots for the last few minutes of baking and let it melt before loading them with toppings.
Spread the seasoned black beans across the top of the cheese. This helps them stick to the totchos, and you can also drizzle a little more cheese sauce on top of them if you’d like. Then, load ’em up with toppings. Here are a few of my favorites, but there is surely no limit here!
- Pickled or fresh jalapeno slices
- Sliced black olives
- Green onions – light or dark green parts, both work!
- Diced red onion
- Tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Avocado or serve with guacamole
- A dollop of sour cream or step it up a notch with Creamy Jalapeno Sauce or Cilantro Lime Sauce
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
Loaded Totchos with Black Beans and Nacho Cheese Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces frozen tater tots or more as desired
- 1 cup nacho cheese sauce
- 15 ounce can black beans
- 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
Additional Topping Suggestions
- diced red onion
- pickled or fresh jalapeno slices
- sliced black olives
- diced tomatoes
- diced avocado
- scallions
- fresh cilantro
- cilantro lime sauce
- creamy jalapeno sauce
Instructions
- Air Fryer: In the basket of the air fryer, spread the frozen tater tots in an even layer on top of the crisper rack. It's important not to pile them too high so they have proper air circulation for crisping up, so you may need to do 2 batches depending on how many you're making. Set the air fryer to 400°F. Cook for 8-10 minutes, tossing halfway through. If you have a lot of tots, you will need more time. Mini tots will cook faster.16 ounces frozen tater tots
- While the tater tots bake, prepare the nacho cheese sauce if using homemade (click recipe above) and black beans.1 cup nacho cheese sauce
- From the can of black beans, drain out all except about 2 tablespoons of the liquid. Place in a skillet over medium heat and stir in taco seasoning until coated. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes until warmed through and the liquid has thickened. Remove from heat.15 ounce can black beans, 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
- Place the golden brown tots on a serving tray or plate. Pour the cheese sauce across the top, then evenly spread the black beans across the tots. Add as many additional toppings as you'd like, and enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Air Fryer: this recipe was tested with a 4-quart Ninja air fryer. The exact cook time may vary depending on the model of your air fryer.
- Tots: this recipe uses what is typically half a bag of tots, easily double it.
- Sauce: this recipe uses approximately half of the cheese sauce recipe; store remaining sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or serve it alongside the tots (or make a double batch!).
Nutrition
The post Loaded Totchos with Black Beans and Nacho Cheese Sauce appeared first on Fork in the Kitchen.