Tater Tot Tacos 8.01 Winter

“With garlic bread? And tater tots!” “I am not making tater tots.” “Why not? We need sustenance!” “You're eating tacos!” “Tater tots go great with tacos.” “Tater tots are great in tacos”

Ingredients: 

For the taco meat: 

• 1 lb ground beef

• Taco seasoning*

For the tater tots:

• ½ lb tater tots

• Taco seasoning*

For the corn salsa: 

• 1 14-oz can corn

• 2 roma tomatoes, diced

• ¼ red onion, peeled and diced

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Taco seasoning*

For assembly:

• Oil for frying

• 16 flour tortillas

• ¾ cup sour cream

• ½ tbsp sriracha

• 2 ripe avocados

• ¼ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

• ¼ cup cilantro, minced

• Lime juice

• Hot sauce

*I prefer to make my own taco seasoning by eyeballing measurements of cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, coriander, salt, and pepper, but you can use a packet of taco seasoning. 

Directions: 

For the taco meat: 

1. Place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef. Season the meat with taco seasoning, but be sure to save some for the tater tots (about 1 ½ tsp) and the corn salsa (about 1 tsp). 

2. Allow the meat to fully cook, breaking it up as it cooks. Once browned, reduce heat to low to keep warm and cover. 

For the tater tots:

1. Cook tater tots in the oven per package instructions or in an air fryer at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, pausing every 5 minutes to rotate. 

2. With about 5 minutes left, add about 1 ½ tsp of taco seasoning to the tater tots then allow to finish cooking. 

For the corn salsa:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. Spread the corn, tomatoes, and onion out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with remaining taco seasoning (about 1 tsp). Add salt and pepper to taste. 

3. Bake at 350 for 7 minutes. 

For assembly:

1. Place a large pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add enough vegetable or canola oil to reach about ½ deep. 

2. Once the oil reaches 275 degrees F, add the tortillas 1-2 at a time. Fry for about a minute on each side. 

3. Remove tortillas from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Immediately season with salt. The tortillas should be crispy, but still soft enough to bend. 

4. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and sriracha and stir until fully incorporated. Spread about ½ tbsp across each tortilla. 

5. Build your taco by adding the taco meat, tater tots, corn salsa, avocado, cheddar cheese, and cilantro.

6. Add as much lime juice and hot sauce as you like!

When I tell you, these were SO GOOD, I mean it! These ground beef tacos with a corn salsa are taken to the next layer with well-seasoned tater tots. I think you should be adding tater tots to your tacos from now on. Rory may not always be right, but she definitely was about these!

Happy cooking from the Hollow!

If you missed my previous dish for Winter, catch up here!