For a St. Patty’s Day Party you might want to serve up a tray of these crispy tots with cheese and bacon. You know that potatoes are of major importance to the Irish and this dish is sure to please your guests right down to their ladhards!
This recipe is like a crispy mac and cheese with bacon!
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds frozen tater tots
1 pound bacon
1/4 cup butter
6 Tablespoons of all purpose flour
3 3/4 cups of warm whole milk
4 cups grated extra sharp cheddar, divided into 2
1 teaspoon ground mustard
Directions:
Heat the oven to 450° F.
Cook bacon for the dish in your preferred method; oven, microwave or skillet. When cool, crumble and set aside.
Place the tots on a rimmed sheet tray and Bake for about 25 minutes until crispy and brown.
While the tots are baking, make the cheese sauce, which begins with the Mother of All Sauces – white sauce* or béchamel (which is French for white sauce! Ohh La La!)
*White Sauce is called the Mother of All Sauces. If you can master making this, it will increase your recipe options dramatically! Click on the link for a short video from Kraft that will show you how easy it is.
For those of you who are experienced, carry on!
Melt the butter in a medium pot. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Add a splash of milk and whisk until smooth. Repeat this until all the milk has been added.
Continue to cook—whisking constantly but slowly—until the béchamel is thick enough to coat a spoon and the whisk leaves a trail. Add half (2 cups) the grated cheese and the mustard. Whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. If it is too thick to pour add another small splash of milk.
When the tots are done, remove from the oven and turn on the broiler.
Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the tots and use a rubber spatula to smooth out so all tots are covered. Sprinkle bacon bits on top and then sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
Place under the broiler until they are hot, bubbly and browned goodness! Let cool for a couple of minute and serve warm.
Bain taitneamh as do bhéile
