Tot Fondue

I try to eat healthy but sometimes I just need to cannonball right off the deep end into some comfort food. Back when I was a housewife in training wheels my friend Aimee told me she always kept Velveeta and Rotel in the pantry for when there were unexpected guest. Sure enough, the queso recipe is right on the inside cover of the Velveeta. Just mix it with Rotel and nuke it. Her advice has saved me when friends stopped over or when the hubs was looking for serious snacking while studying in law school. 


One of our favorite restaurants in Atlanta is The Vortex. They have this wonderful concoction called Tot Fondue. It's essentially tater tots and queso dip. Man, is it good. This is my take on the recipe. It's not as good as The Vortex but I had some supplies on hand to give it a shot. I was pretty happy with it. My version is spicier and the pepper on the tots makes it extra good.


This takes about 25 minutes from pantry to table and it's a great TV snack or a fun twist on a side dish. It's also easy to make multiple batches if you're looking for a warm finger food for entertaining.


Any leftover dip is good with tortilla chips...duh!

Tot Fondue! As good for a hangover as Waffle House. Ole, ya'll!

Tot Fondue


1 can of Original Rotel 
1 16oz package of Velveeta
1 bag of Tater Tots
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Finely Ground Black Pepper

Step 1: Preheat your oven and pour tots onto a baking sheet. Cook as directed but add an extra minute or two at the end to get them good and crispy. You'll be eating these with your fingers and the extra few minutes gets them crunchy enough to stand up to dipping.












While your tots are in the oven...

Step 2: Open the can and pour all of the contents into a blender or food processor. Pulse it a 5-7 times to break up the chunks of tomato and peppers. Do it until there are no big chunks but don't go nuts with the puree. If you don't do this step the chunks are too big and won't stick to your tots. Aim for teeny bits of tomato and peppers, not liquefied.







Step 3: Cut your Velveeta into chunks and put those chunks into a microwaveable bowl.








Step 4: Pour your Rotel right over the top of the cheese


Step 5: Pop it in the microwave for 3 minutes. Stir, then nuke for another minute or two until there are no chunky cheese bits left and the cheese is melty and the Rotel is evenly mixed throughout. (The heating instructions for the basic queso are in the Velveeta box for reference. Handy!)


Step 6: When the tots are done, remove from the oven and sprinkle with a little bit of salt (the Queso portion will have enough so don't over do it.) Then sprinkle about 1/2 tsp of ground pepper over the tots. Toss them to distribute the salt and pepper.

I hate fighting big dishes in my fridge.
I transfer things into my little ramekins
for easy storage and reheating. 

Pour your queso into a little ramekin and serve along side your tots. 

Ole, ya'll.

Tips: 

• Once my queso is done I pour it into smaller ramekins so we easily reheat it and store the extra without using a big dish. Just warm up a dish for more tots or chips.

• Not all brands have the same size tots. If you have multiple options, go for the bigger tot. The bigger tots give you more surface area for holding the dip. If not, the small works just fine.

• Remember to add a few minutes on to the tot cooking time. You want them crunchy enough to hold up to dipping in queso which is crunchier than what's needed for dipping in ketchup. It's a scientifically proven fact. Really!

• Here's the recipe for the Velveeta and Rotel "Famous Queso Dip"

• I prefer the Original Rotel for this recipe. The Hot is just too strong on the tots.

• Don't wander too far once you hit the 3 minute mark. Trust me. 

Oops!