Stuff on a stick!  Great for kids, great for parties, tailgates, barbecues, or just eating.  Quick and easy.  So, for the population that likes tater tots, I tried several different recipes – really DO NOT BOTHER!!  The recipe all assume you are making them at the last minute – not necessary, just save the cheese until you are ready to serve them.  Bottom Line:  Cooked tater tots on a foil lined pan – single layer (longer for crisper).  Skewer with a tooth pick, dip in sour cream-bacon-onion dip, roll in grated cheese.  (who cares if it is melted!) Oh, and some ranch/blue cheese would be good in there somewhere.

First try: Tater Tot Skewers 1 lb. frozen tater tots, defrosted 12 slices bacon 1 c. shredded Cheddar 2 tbsp. chives Ranch dressing, for serving,  Preheat oven to 425º. Place a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet. 2. Place a metal rack inside a large baking pan. On a skewer, pierce one end of a strip of bacon. Pierce and place a tater top on top of the bacon, then pierce the same strip bacon again (to top the tater tot) to form a weave. Repeat with two to three more tater tots, depending on the size of your skewers. Repeat to finish the rest of the bacon and tater tots. Place on wire rack and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until bacon is cooked through. 3. Sprinkle cheese over the cooked skewers and bake until the cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes more. Garnish with chives and serve with ranch dressing, for dipping. Source: delish. Comments:  Way too labor intensive, too big to eat in one bite, tater tots fall apart.

Second try:  Loaded Tot Kabobs   Ore-Ida® Tater Tots®, Colby jack shredded cheese, Real bacon bits. Sour cream, Chives (optional), Skewers.  Start by cooking your Ore-Ida® Tater Tots® according to the package directions.  Allow to cool just long enough so you don’t burn your fingers. Loosen Tater Tots® potatoes from pan and begin to thread them six at a time onto the skewers. Place skewers on baking sheet and top with cheese and bacon bits (as much as you desire).  Return pan to oven and bake until cheese is melted. Serve up with sour cream topped with chives as a dip.  Source: thecountrychiccottage.net Comments:  They stick to the pan and break apart (you really have to over cook – 25 min – to get firm enough to skewer), most of the cheese/bacon will fall off and remain in the pan, how do you dip six tater tots at once? 

Third try:  Loaded Tater Tot Skewers  16 oz Frozen Tater Tots, 4-6 oz of shredded cheddar cheese, 3-4 oz sour cream (extra for dipping), 2 oz cooked and crumbled bacon, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, 10-15 6 inch wooden skewers.  Preheat oven to 425 °, Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil, Pour tater tots onto sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes (if you like extra crispy bake for extra 5
minutes), Remove from oven and cool just long enough to touch,  Load 4 tots onto each skewer and place back on baking sheet, Arrange skewers closely to the next, Sprinkle cheese on top of skewers and return baking sheet to oven, Bake 3 minutes or until cheese is melted, Remove from oven and move skewers to serving platter, Sprinkle bacon on top of tots. Load sour cream into a small zip top bag and snip one corner. Squeeze sour cream over tots, Sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately with extra sour cream on side (optional) Source: www.frugallivingmom.com.  Comments:  They got the foil and baking time right, but same issue of cheese falling and dipping being a challenge.

Fourth try: Loaded-cheesy-tater-tots.1 bag frozen tater tots, 2 Tablespoon ranch dressing, 2 Tablespoons sour cream, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, 5-6 slices of cooked bacon, diced.  Cook tater tots according to directions on package. Meanwhile, mix together ranch dressing and sour cream. Set aside.. Removed tots from oven, but keep oven on. Sprinkle with shredded cheeses, and bacon. Place back in the oven for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  NOTE: You can either keep them on the baking sheet, or place tots in an oven proof pan. If you keep them on the baking sheet, you will be doing a single layer. But if you put them in a pan (as shown in the picture) you will want to do 2 layers. ½ of the tots, bacon and cheese, then the other ½ of bacon and cheese.  Once cheese has melted, remove from the oven, drizzle with the ranch/sour cream mixture, and serve right away.  Source:  Family Fresh Meals.  Comments:  Confession – I did not make these.  They seem pretty basic but the question is – how do you eat them?  toothpick/fork

Fifth try: Cheesy Pull-Apart Tater Tots.  2 tbsp. butter, melted,1 tsp. garlic powder, 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan, 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, 2 large eggs, 3/4 bag frozen tater tots (32 oz.).  Preheat the oven to 425° and grease the bottom and sides of a Bundt pan., As the oven heats, combine the butter, garlic powder, Parmesan, mozzarella, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Toss in the tater tots until coated. (You may have to work in batches, depending on the size of your bowl.)  Pour the tots into the Bundt pan, packing them in so they’ll stick together. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tots are crispy. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing the tots from the pan. Source: delish.com.  Comments:  Wow! Could not have gone more wrong!!  Did not come out of the pan (Thankfully I had used an angel food cake pan with a removal bottom) and did not hold together, did not pull apart.  Plan to use remaining tater tots making this into a casserole for dinner – more cheese!

Also Reviewed:  Loaded Totchos. 1 pkg. (32 oz.) tater tots,1 container (8 oz.) sour cream, 1/4 cup Ranch Dressing, 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives, divided, 1 pkg. (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese, 4 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled.  Heat oven to 425°, bake tater tots as directed on package. Meanwhile, mix sour cream, dressing and 2 Tbsp. chives until blended. Spread tater tota onto platter; top with sour cream mixture, cheese and bacon. Sprinkle with remaining chives.  Source: myfoodandmyfamily.com.  Comments:  Pretty straight forward and more like what we ended up deciding was the best way to deal with tater tots.  I would presume these would be speared with a toothpick/fork to eat.

Never admit defeat!  Tater Tots on foil lined pan, check.  Oven 425°, check.  Bake 25 minutes, check.  Toothpicks, check.  Oh, need a dip?  How about the leftover marinara sauce (not quite enough) and the hostess gifted jar of Pepper and Onion Relish.  Tasty!!  Lesson learned – it is all in the dip – clean out the fridge for the win.