Description
These Tater Tot Appetizer Cups are a crispy and cheesy snack perfect for parties or game day. Made by baking frozen tater tots into mini muffin tins until golden brown, they’re then filled with melted cheddar cheese and topped with sour cream, crispy bacon, and fresh green onions for a flavorful bite-sized treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 48–60 frozen tater tots (16-oz bag)
Filling and Topping
- 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 green onions, sliced (green part only)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 450ºF and spray the cups of a mini or regular-sized muffin pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Place Tater Tots: For mini muffin pans, place 2-3 tater tots in each cup. For regular muffin pans, place 4-5 tots per cup to create the base for the cups.
- Initial Bake: Place the muffin pan on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes to partially cook and soften the tater tots.
- Shape the Cups: Remove pan from oven. Spray the bottom of a small glass (like a shot glass) with cooking spray. Use the glass to gently press and shape the edges of the tots upwards inside each muffin cup, creating a cup shape in the tater tots. Return the pan to the oven.
- Bake to Crisp: Continue baking the shaped tater tot cups for another 15 minutes or until they turn a deep golden brown and are crispy.
- Add Cheese and Melt: Place about 1 tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese into each tater tot cup. Bake for an additional 4-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Cool and Garnish: Remove from oven and let the cups cool for 5 minutes. Then top each cup with a dollop of sour cream, crumbled bacon, and sliced green onions before serving warm.
Notes
- You can adjust the number of tater tots per muffin cup depending on the size of your muffin pan.
- Be careful when shaping the tater tot cups with the glass, as the tots will be hot after the initial bake.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the bacon or substitute with crispy fried mushrooms or vegetarian bacon.
- These cups are best served warm to enjoy the melty cheese and crispy texture.
- Leftovers can be reheated in the oven to retain crispiness rather than microwaving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 34-35 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: tater tot cups, appetizer, party snack, cheesy tater tots, bacon appetizer, finger food
