Taco Tuesday "Tot"chos

Taco Tuesday "Tot"Chos with Mexican Coleslaw

    Every Tuesday we switch things up for "Taco" Tuesday.  This week I made "Tot"Chos.  We made two versions, one with dairy and the other non-dairy.  They were delicious!!  Nicky helped me assemble the non-dairy version, including making the cheese sauce for his and Emma's "tot"chos.  In this link I will share with you both versions, as they are pretty much identical with the major difference being dairy.

    First, I will make the tater tots according to the package directions.  Cooking them all the way through, even a little longer, will help to avoid them getting too soggy.  Don't despair, some will still get soggy from the meat and the cheese, but not as bad.  I brown the ground beef and add the seasonings.  Easy enough.  In our family, a 3 lb. log from Aldi is our go-to when making anything with ground beef.  When we have burgers though, two logs are needed.  I will use the beef for making taco meat, sloppy joes, meatloaf, burgers, meatballs, and more!  In this case, it was the taco meat.  

    Seasoning the beef with a taco seasoning blend is easy!  I shy away from using the packets because I like to control the salt.  Don't get me wrong, I definitely don't skimp on the salt, but it's hard to gauge the amount when using a prepackaged blend.  Having chili powder, cumin, paprika, onion and garlic powder are staples in our house.  We I also have an old jar of Wahoo! Chili from Pampered Chef that I'm trying to use up, so I use a little bit of that once in awhile.  I hate to waste things, that's why I also do my best to reinvent leftovers.  

    Next, after the meat is cooked and seasoned and the tater tots are ready, I spread the cheese sauce on the tater tots, followed by the meat, then top with another layer of cheese!!  Shredded cheese this time!  When making the non-dairy version, we make a cheese sauce with oat milk and non-dairy shredded cheese.  It gets thick, so no needed to thicken at all.  It will need to be seasoned with salt and pepper.  The dairy cheese sauce has milk, Velveeta chunks, shredded cheese, and salt and pepper.  Sure, it's easy to open a jar and pour, but we prefer it homemade.

    Finally, put your pan/s in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Everything will get bubbly and gooey.  DELICIOUS!!  Before serving, I will top the "tot"chos with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro.  We have guacamole and our cream on the side.  Feel free to top with your favorite taco or nacho toppings.

This recipe serves 6.

Ingredients: (with dairy)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3 tsp each of chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• 2 pkgs tater tots
• 1/2 brick of prepared soft cheese (I use the Clancy's brand from Aldi)
• 1 c. milk
• 2 c. shredded cheese: mix of cheddar and mozzarella
• cornstarch slurry (if needed to thicken sauce)
• shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, cilantro, green onions

Ingredients: (NON-dairy)

Replace all dairy products with the following:

• 1 c. oat milk
• 1 c. non-dairy shredded cheese: mix of cheddar and mozzarella

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Cook the tater tots according to package directions and your oven.  Leave the tots in the oven for 5 extra minutes to continue to cook and get crispy.
2. Preheat large skillet with oil.  Add ground beef.  Break into small pieces and season with spices, salt and pepper.  Drain.  In any remaining oil/grease in the skillet, saute the onions.  Once onions are translucent, add the meat back to the pan with tomatoes and sauce.  If the mixture becomes too thick as it's cooking, add 1/2 c. water to thin it out.  Continue to stir and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
3. As the meat is cooking prepare the cheese sauce.
1. Dairy version: Add milk to a medium size pot.  Bring milk to a low boil. Keep your heat low so as not to scald the milk.  It could brown at the bottom of your pan.  Once the milk is at a low boil, add the prepared cheese in large chunks.  This will help it melt more evenly.  Stir constantly to avoid sticking.  Once all of the cheese is melted, slowly add 1 cup of the shredded cheeses.  Stir well to combine.  Don't leave the sauce unattended or it will burn.  Season with salt and pepper.  When the shredded cheese has melted, if the consistency of the sauce is too thin, make a cornstarch slurry of equal parts of cornstarch and water.  Whisk into the sauce to combine.  Remove from heat.
2. Non-dairy version: Add oat milk to a medium size pot.  Bring milk to a low boil. Keep your heat low so as not to scald the oat milk.  It could brown at the bottom of your pan.  Once the oat milk is at a low boil, add 1 cup of the non-dairy cheeses.  Stir constantly to avoid sticking.  It will take some time for all of the cheese to melt.  It doesn't melt as quickly as regular cheese.  Don't leave the sauce unattended or it will burn.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.
4. Time to layer!  Remove the tater tots from the oven.  Reduce the oven temperature to 400.  Coat the tater tots with the cheese sauce.  Top with the taco meat.  Layer on the remaining shredded cheeses.  Place in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the shredded cheese is melted.  FYI: If you are making the non-dairy version, the shredded cheese won't fully melt.
5. Remove the "tot"chos from the oven.  Add your favorite nacho toppings!  We add shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced green onions, and chopped cilantro.  Sour cream, guacamole, and pickled jalapeños are on the side for anyone to add to their own plates.  ENJOY!

NON-DAIRY VERSION OF "TOT"CHOS