fbpx

Kelly Brakenhoff – Author

Cozy Mysteries and Children's Picture Books

Chili Cheese Tots Recipe

On hot summer days, I remember when our kids were younger and played outside most days with a pack of neighbor kids. We were lucky enough to live in a neighborhood where they had free range of the streets, backyards, and common areas to dig holes, build forts, and play games. At lunch time, they took turns cooking for the group and Chili Cheese Tots was one of their favorites. If your kids aren’t old enough to run the oven, they can still put together the whole thing and get help for the baking part. You definitely want to bake this long enough to crisp the tots and lightly brown the gooey cheese.

I hope your family likes it as much as ours did. And I hope your children find some time this summer to dig, build, and play a board game or two. You only get a few summers before they’re too old and busy for play time.

Chili Cheese Tots

A four-ingredient family-friendly main dish. Our kids used to make their own lunches on summer days and this was a neighborhood favorite for kids old enough to use an oven or toaster oven.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Cooling time5 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy, healthy version, kid friendly
Servings: 8
Author: Kelly Brakenhoff

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken sausage links I like a savory flavor. You can also use turkey hotdogs or hotdogs of any kind. I always choose healthier versions and most kids don't notice a difference.
  • 16 ounces Frozen tater tots Half of a large 32 ounce bag. Or substitute cauliflower tots. Or try half cauliflower, half regular tots.
  • 1 can Hormel turkey chili 15 ounces
  • 1 cup Shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Arrange tater tots in a single layer in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate. (If you use a deep dish plate, you can add more tots.) Using a small spatula or large spoon, spread the chili over the tater tots.
  • With a table knife, cut the sausages or hotdogs into 1-inch pieces and place them over the chili. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
    a boy uses a plastic knife to cut chicken sausage links
  • Place pie plate in preheated oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the tots are crispy on the outside and the mixture is hot in the middle. Using oven mitts, remove from the oven. Cool for 5 minutes before eating.

This recipe was adapted from one of our most dog-eared, sauce-splattered cookbooks, The Semi-Homemade Cool Kids Cooking by Sandra Lee. If you have young kids who are interested in helping in the kitchen, you can’t go wrong with this cookbook. Simply buy a few ingredients and mix them together to make something special. It’s a great place to find basics that even young children can prepare mostly by themselves.


Kelly Brakenhoff is an author of eleven books and an ASL interpreter. She divides her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and picture books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog. The mother of four young adults and a hunting dog, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.

Author book signing in Las Vegas November 12th. Meet mystery authors
Meet me in Vegas for a Book Signing Nov 12th!!
Scroll to top

Discover more from Kelly Brakenhoff - Author

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading