It seems that tater tots have made something of a comeback: you can find them on the menu at hipster burger joints and even the occasional food truck. And while they are indeed better made from scratch, the frozen ones do just fine when you need them to \u2014 like right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Combining the comfort goodness of loaded potato skins with the compact size of tater tots shaped and baked into an amazing little crispy cup, these loaded tots will endear you to kids and kids-at-heart alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are two secrets to this recipe that will tickle you and your happy recipients: one is the hidden hit of apple inside the cups that brings a surprising sweet-tart crunch; the other is how you shape the cups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At first we thought a shot glass would be a good size and shape to hollow out the cups once they’ve parbaked a bit. It does do the job, but we found an unexpected kitchen tool that’s even better, one that most people probably have, but probably not in the kitchen: the humble 15-20ml plastic measuring cup that often accompanies a bottle of cough syrup or children’s medicine. It’s the perfect size and non-stickness for the task, and when people ask you how you made the cups \u2014 and they will \u2014 you’ll have a fun story to tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note: these can easily be made vegetarian; just leave off the bacon or replace it with something else, like crumbles of baked tofu.<\/p>\n\n\n