Keto Loaded Nacho Tots Recipe

These Keto Loaded Nacho Tots were inspired by a friend of mine who claimed that the Loaded Nacho Tots at Denny’s were to die for. Me, not being inclined to eat at Denny’s or make such radical claims about the quality of their food, I decided to take his word for it and make a Keto version for myself. The flavor blew me away, as it was somewhere between a Chili Cheese Twice-Baked Potato and a Loaded Nacho Bar, just simply filling and delicious.

Due to the fact that everything in this recipe is made from scratch it does take a little more time, but there are a few parts of it that can definitely be used to make other delicious recipes in the future too. The Tots themselves would make an awesome side dish, and would probably be even better in the air fryer (though we opted to back ours this time around). The Nacho Cheese Sauce could also be poured over a juicy Ribeye steak to make a Keto Steak Cortez. Speaking of which, that’s a Keto Dinner that we should make a recipe for in the near future.

KETO LOADED NACHO TOTS RECIPE

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

PREP TIME: 20 Minutes

COOKING TIME: 25 Minutes

TOTAL TIME: 45 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:

TOTS

• 1 Medium Cauliflower
• 4 Strips Uncured Bacon
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese (Shredded)
• 1 Tablespoon Grass-Fed Butter
• 1 Large Free-Range Egg
• 1/4 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• Black Pepper (To Taste)
• Pink Himalayan Salt (To Taste)

TOPPING

• 1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil
• 1 Pound Grass-Fed Ground Beef
• 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
• 1 /2 Tablespoon Cumin
• 1 Teaspoon Paprika
• 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
• 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Granulated Garlic
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

NACHO CHEESE SAUCE

• 1/2 Tablespoon Avocado Oil
• 1 Jalapeno (diced)
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/4 Cup Rotel (Drained)
• 8 Ounces Cheddar Cheese (Sliced)

INSTRUCTIONS:

TOTS:

1. Preheat the Oven to 425*F.
2. Cut 1 Medium Head of Cauliflower into Quarters, and Grate it into fine pieces with a Cheese Grater. Optionally you can pulse it in a Food Processor too if you have one to save time.
3. Using the Cheese Grater Shred 1 Cup of Cheddar Cheese, 3/4 Cup of Monterey Jack, and 1/2 Cup of Parmesan.
4. Cook 4 Strips of Uncured Bacon over Medium-High Heat until desired crispiness. Then Cut the Bacon into small chunks (The smaller the better for this recipe).
5. In a Large Mixing Bowl Combine 2 Cups of Grated Cauliflower, 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese, 3/4 Cup Shredded Monterey Jack, and 1/2 Cup of Shredded Parmesan.
6. Add 1 Tablespoon Grass-Fed Butter (Softened), 1 Large Free-Range Egg, 4 Strips of Chopped Uncured Bacon, 1/4 Teaspoon of Onion Powder, and season with some Black Pepper and Pink Himalayan Salt to taste.
7. Carefully stir all ingredients together until completely blended and place the Bowl in the Refrigerator for 10 Minutes to firm up.
8. Cover a Large Baking Sheet with Parchment Paper, and scoop out the mixture, forming the Tots shape by hand and equally spacing them out on the baking sheet. This should yield 15 Tots (For 3 Servings). Feel free to make them smaller if you want, and adjust the cooking time accordingly if needed.
9. Bake in the Oven at 425*F for about 22 Minutes, or until Golden Brown.

TOPPING:

1. Heat up a Large Frying Pan over Medium Heat and add 1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil, and 1 Pound of Grass-Fed Ground Beef.
2. Season the Beef with 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder, 1/2 Tablespoon Cumin, 1 Teaspoon Paprika, 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano, 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder, 1 Teaspoon Granulated Garlic, 1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, and 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper.
3. Mix well and Cook Beef until desired doneness. Because the Grass-Fed Beef is usually very lean this should not require draining excessive grease from the meat, but if you choose to use fattier blends of Ground Beef you may want to drain away from of the drippings if you don’t want them on your Keto Loaded Nacho Tots.
4. Set Aside to top the Tots after they are done

NACHO CHEESE SAUCE:

1. In a Medium Frying Pan over Medium Heat warm up 1/2 Tablespoon of Avocado Oil.
2. Add 1 Diced Jalapeno and Saute a minute or two until fragrant.
3. Add in 1/2 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream, and 1/4 Cup of Rotel and stir together.
4. Add in 1/2 Pound of sliced Sharp Cheddar Cheese and stir until completely melted and evenly mixed with the other ingredients.
5. Once the Tots are fully baked, remove them from the oven and plate them. Top first with the Ground Beef mixture, and then pour the Nacho Cheese Sauce over the top.

Once Your Tots and other ingredients are done, top with the Ground Beef, and the Shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Then pour the Nacho Cheese Sauce on top.

NOTES: You can also top the Keto Loaded Nacho Tots with Sliced Jalapenos, Sour Cream, Cilantro, Green Onion, or whatever else you prefer to have on your nachos that is Keto-friendly too.

Additionally, you will not be using all of the Ground Beef when you make this recipe, so there will be some leftovers. The Beef just doesn’t seem to come in packages smaller than 1 Pound so we made it that way.