I like to have fun in the kitchen. One of my favourite games to play is “will it waffle?” I have had great success with croissant dough and halloumi cheese. It’s just so amusing to put stuff, other than waffle batter, into the waffle iron and see what happens. I have had less success with my other favourite kitchen game, “can you blend it?” Let’s just say that apple pie milkshake was not one of my greatest creations, and leave it at that.

I discovered the idea of using Tater Tots on bonappetit.com. They did a loaded tater tot waffle version, complete with bacon, chives, sour cream and cheddar. I left out the bacon and topped mine with a fried egg, because everything’s better with an egg on top, right?

The amount of Tater Tots you need to fill your waffle iron depends on the size and type of waffle iron you have. I have made it twice now, once in a Cuisinart Belgian waffle maker and once in a regular President Choice waffle maker. You will need to add a second layer of Tater Tots for a Belgian waffle maker, as the grooves are deeper.

Here’s a video to show how it all comes together:

The Tater Tots go in frozen. I discovered that the best way to ensure an even waffle is to let the tots cook for about 2-3 minutes. Then open the waffle iron and see if there are any gaps or holes. Fill them in with more tots and continue cooking for a total of about 9-12 minutes. I used a medium high heat.

Click here to print recipe for Loaded Tater Tot Waffles.

Everyone I made them for loved the nostalgia factor. Most had not had Tater Tots since they were a child. Shockingly, my friend Ed had never even heard of Tater Tots! Clearly a deprived child. I will be making these for hm very soon.