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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Smoked Gouda and Bacon Loaded Tater Tots

    Published: Aug 10, 2016 · Modified: Feb 13, 2023 by Jessie · This post may contain affiliate links; if you buy something we'll earn a commission at no cost to you.

    Jump to Recipe

    These loaded tater tots feature crispy bacon, fresh green onions, and a velvety smoked gouda cheese sauce! Perfect for entertaining and simple to make.

    Tater tots in a metal tin topped with cheese, bacon, and green onions. this recipe

    TOTS!

    Tater tots with cheese sauce drizzled on top.

    Side note: There is no other food with a name MORE satisfying to yell at the top of your lungs.

    Woman\'s hand sprinkling bacon and green onions over a dish of tater tots.

    TOTS!

    Tater tots topped with cheese sauce, bacon, and green onions on a white background.

    And, umm, THESE tots? I'm pretty sure they're everything your life has been missing.

    Loaded tater tots in a metal tin next to a bottle of beer.

    They have BACON.

    They have GREEN ONIONS (which, ok, maybe slightly less exciting than the bacon).

    They have a SMOKED GOUDA SAUCE which I may or may not have spent ten minutes just eating with a spoon before I got my life together enough to actually assemble these things and take a picture or five for you.

    (My job is really hard sometimes, you guys).

    Two wooden forks sticking out of a metal dish filled with loaded tater tots.

    Now, usually, I'm a pretty strict proponent of making everything from scratch. But today (FULL DISCLOSURE because we're internet BFFs and internet BFFs don't lie to each other, OKAY? Okay).

    TODAY, I wayyyy super-duper cheated and bought *GASP* store-bought frozen tater tots.

    But whatever, you guys. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

    And sometimes what you gotta do is buy processed tater tots and then BE OKAY WITH IT because the world does not end if we all buy some pre-made food once in a blue moon. And then you can be double okay with it because you're about to drown these tots in the most fantastically lusciously smokey (HOMEMADE! Ten points to Gryffindor) smoked gouda sauce and then you're going to cover them in some bacon and some green onion (VEGETABLES!) and everything will be right in the world.

    Small dish of cheese sauce tucked into a bowl of tater tots.

    But also, if you're ambitious and make your own tater tots for this recipe, 1. you're my hero and 2. please call me IMMEDIATELY because I will come help you eat them allllll.

    More of our favorite appetizers for game day

    • Chicken, pepperjack, and BBQ stuffed mushrooms
    • Easy bbq chicken nachos
    • Pesto and goat cheese smashed potatoes
    Bronze fork pulling a tater tot topped with bacon and green onions out of a metal serving dish.
    Print
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    Tater tots in a metal tin topped with cheese, bacon, and green onions.

    Smoked Gouda and Bacon Loaded Tater Tots

    ★★★★ 4 from 1 reviews
    • Author: Jessie
    • Prep Time: 15 mins
    • Cook Time: 30 mins
    • Total Time: 45 minutes
    • Yield: Serves 4
    • Category: Appetizer
    • Cuisine: American
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Delicious loaded tater tots with a smoked gouda cheese sauce.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    FOR THE SMOKED GOUDA CHEESE SAUCE:

    • 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
    • 1 Tbsp. flour
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 tsp. dijon mustard
    • ⅔ cup shredded smoked gouda cheese
    • salt and pepper to taste

    TO ASSEMBLE:

    • 4 strips thick-cut bacon
    • 24 oz. tater tots (I cheated and used store-bought frozen tater tots, but if you're feeling ambitious you can certainly make your own!)
    • 1 large green onion, chopped

    Instructions

    FOR THE SMOKED GOUDA CHEESE SAUCE:

    1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
    2. When butter is melted, whisk in flour to form a roux. Cook for 30 seconds or so to cook out the raw flour taste.
    3. Slowly add milk to roux, whisking constantly to work out any lumps.
    4. Whisk dijon mustard into sauce.
    5. Cook sauce, whisking occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until sauce has thickened. (This is a great time to prep the rest of the recipe ingredients!)
    6. When sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and stir in shredded smoked gouda cheese. Stir until cheese has melted, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Set sauce aside.

    TO ASSEMBLE LOADED TATER TOTS:

    1. Cook bacon until crispy (I like to roast my bacon, but you could also cook it on the stovetop). Let bacon strips cool for a few minutes, then crumble them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
    2. Cook tater tots according to package or recipe directions until they're VERY crispy.
    3. Transfer crispy tater tots to a serving dish and drizzle about ½ of the cheese sauce over the top. Reserve the remaining cheese sauce to serve on the side of the tots!
    4. Top cheesy tots with bacon pieces and chopped green onion. Season with another pinch of salt and pepper if desired and serve immediately.

    Notes

    If your cheese sauce isn't as smooth as you'd like, zap it with an immersion blender for a few seconds to bring it back to a creamy consistency!

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size:
    • Calories: 499
    • Sugar: 4.4 g
    • Sodium: 999 mg
    • Fat: 30.9 g
    • Carbohydrates: 48.8 g
    • Protein: 9.4 g
    • Cholesterol: 32.2 mg

    Keywords: appetizer, entertaining, football, side dish

    Tag @lifeasastrawberry on Instagram to show us what you're cooking! Nutrition information is calculated per serving; it is approximate and will vary based on many factors.

    More Appetizer Recipes

    • Thanksgiving Cheese Board
    • Easy Strawberry Crostini
    • Easy Whipped Feta Cheese
    • Easy Whipped Goat Cheese (Video)

    I'm Jessie, and I like to talk about food. Tag your recipes #LifeAsAStrawberry on social media to share your creations! Learn about our team!

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    Discussion

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    1. Terri

      October 12, 2019 at 4:12 pm

      Yum! I took a slightly different approach but the smoked gouda sauce is awesome. I made tot waffles in the waffle iron, topped them with an over easy egg and our house smoked bacon with the wonderful cheese sauce -- benedict inspired. The remaining cheese sauce was tossed with some cooked pasta and leftover pulled pork for outrageous mac and cheese to enjoy another day.

      ★★★★

      Reply
    2. Jenna

      March 17, 2017 at 9:15 pm

      Having this for dinner on this St. Patrick's, my version of Irish food, haha! But wow...the smoked gouda cheese sauce is EVERYTHING! In love. Thank you Jessie!

      Reply
      • Jessie

        March 20, 2017 at 3:59 pm

        Wahoo! That cheese sauce is my FAVE. I'm so glad you liked it!

        Reply
    3. Karly

      August 11, 2016 at 11:36 am

      DROOL. DROOL EVERYWHERE. So first, I want to bathe in this Gouda sauce. Looks totally amazing. And second, that bacon. Yes. I must have these soon!

      Reply
      • Jessie

        August 18, 2016 at 3:30 pm

        Thanks so much, Karly! I am soooo with you on that Gouda sauce - it's a new fave for sure!

        Reply

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