Forget Fries And Top Tater Tots With Your Leftover Chili

In the plethora of uses for leftover chili, chili fries are a classic choice. But classic doesn't always mean best. Ladling your leftover chili atop tater tots makes for a much more satisfying meal. Tater tots are known to be crispy on the outside and extra fluffy and creamy on the inside, a perfect foil to chili's heartiness and bold flavor.

Tater tots are more than an alternative base. They're superior to fries, as they've proven with various recipes like tater tot nachos. Their shape, size, and structure make the whole dish much easier to eat — no extra-long french fries to cut or slurp, no stabbing or stacking individual fries to get the right potato-to-chili ratio. Plus, the added starch and craggy exterior allow them to stay crispier for longer.

For those reasons, tater tots have the edge in versatility too. From tater tot styles and flavors to chili types and even delectable toppers and garnishes, tater tots are the underrated hero of chili leftovers.

Tater tots aren't just a barrel-shaped mass of potato scraps anymore. These days, you can find them in coins or fast food hashbrown-style patties too. They also come in flavors like cheddar-bacon, sweet potato, and broccoli-cheese.  

You can also top them with any style of chili you like. Give it a Tex-Mex flair with chili con carne, or keep it Midwestern with a classic American meat-and-bean chili. You can dabble with vegetarian chili or white chicken chili varieties. These recipes also work well with canned chili, if you're not up for making it from scratch. Using a leftover sloppy joe recipe on tots instead of chili would be just as delicious, too!

But the deliciousness doesn't stop there. Shredded cheese and cheese sauce make frequent appearances on chili-topped potato bites. They're also good with sour cream, hot sauce, green or white onions, and cilantro. Top it with an egg and serve it for breakfast, or give it some zing with chopped giardiniera, banana peppers, or jalapeños. Pretty much any toppings you enjoy on chili or hot dogs can also make a much more delightful topper for chili tots than chili fries.