Yay for Friday!

Let’s celebrate with totchos, shall we?

Have you heard of totchos before? They were a big food trend last year, and I am late to the party, as usual. Basically, the idea is to load up tater tots like you would nachos and go to town. It’s a simple but genius twist on traditional nachos, and I am totally on board.

What’s not to love? I am a huge fan of potatoes, and I’ll take them in any form I can get ’em. Loading them up like my other favorite snack, nachos, is only going to make them better.

This version features some of my favorite Greek flavors. I would eat Greek food every day of my life, if I could. It’s so fresh and delicious and I can’t get enough. So it only seems natural that all my faves would collide for this epic snack.

Can we call this a snack? It’s really more like a full-blown meal. But in honor of the Oscars this weekend, we’ll call it a snack for now. So you can make it alongside other “snacks” and feel OK about it. This feeds a crowd, which makes them perfect for any gatherings you may have coming up this weekend.

These totchos obviously start with the tots. I simply buy a bag at the store and cook them up according to the package directions. Easy peasy. Then, I throw them in a large skillet (or whatever serving dish you want to use) and top them with all the things.

Greek chicken flavored with garlic, onion, oregano, fresh dill, and lemon.

Gooey Monterey Jack cheese – the best melting cheese, especially for nachos, in my humble opinion.

Tzatziki!

Feta cheese!

And tons of fresh ingredients like chopped romaine, juicy cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, scallion, and fresh herbs. A spritz of lemon juice over the top really takes these home.

I love my nachos to be almost salad like, as evidenced in our all-time favorite chicken nachos. There’s something incredibly awesome about the hot, gooey, cheesy nacho base loaded up with a fresh salad-like topping. It’s hot and cold. It’s decadent and fresh. It’s creamy and crunchy. It’s the best of all worlds, and I don’t think I can make any version of nachos without doing something fresh on top. It totally makes them.

So, these are really a mish mash of ideas, huh? Nachos. Loaded tater tots. Greek chicken salad. All in one.

If it sounds weird, I have to ask you to trust me on this one. This combination just works. OR! If you’re a purist, make these with regular tortilla chips instead of the tots! I mean, I won’t turn my nose up at anything with nachos or Greek in the title. Make these your own!

And definitely serve them up this weekend. These were MADE for weekending.

Loaded Greek Chicken Totchos

Yield: 6 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Scale

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

1 tablespoon oil
1 lb ground chicken breast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Juice of ½ a lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Totchos:

1 bag frozen tater tots
The prepared Greek chicken
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce (I like the romaine hearts for extra crunch)
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
½ cup chopped seedless cucumber
¼ cup chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped scallions
½ cup tzatziki (storebought or homemade)
Juice of ½ a lemon
½ cup feta cheese
Chopped dill, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

For the Tots:

Cook the tater tots on a sheet pan, according to the package directions, until crispy and golden. While this is happening, make the chicken.

For the Greek Chicken:

In a large skillet, heat the oil and once hot, add the chicken.
Cook, breaking it up with a spoon or spatula, and then add the garlic powder, onion powder, dill, and oregano.
Continue cooking, stirring frequently to break up the chicken until crumbly, about 5 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked through, squeeze over the lemon juice and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Remove from the heat.

For the Totchos:

Once the tater tots and chicken are ready, set your oven temperature to 350°F.
Top the tater tots with the chicken and Monterey Jack cheese, dividing both as evenly as possible over the tots.
Place the tray back in the oven and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is super melty.
While the totchos are baking, chop all your veggies.
Top the hot totchos with a layer of shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and scallions.
Dollop or drizzle the tzatziki over top and then spritz with a little lemon juice (you may not need the entire half of the lemon).
Top with crumbled feta cheese and sprinkling of chopped fresh dill.
Serve immediately.