Anything they can do we can do better! And these easy but DELICIOUS pizza tots were a slam dunk! All I can say is…WOW. How can just a few simple ingredients taste so stinkin’ good? Get the recipe, and this is what you’ll be having for supper!
*This is not a sponsored post. Just sharing some of my favorite things!
After seeing the non-stop commercials playing every 15 minutes from Dominoe’s Pizza trying to convince us all that we just simply cannot live without pizza tots, I finally caved.
I mean, what’s not to love about a childhood fave loaded with yummy pizza ingredients, right?
But I wasn’t going to pay 15 bucks plus tax and tip for 2 dinky looking orders of them. I figured, anything they can do we can do better!
I knew that they were going to be good no matter what, but boy was I in for a shocker! They weren’t just good, they were AMAZING!
I was completely blown away! The combination of a few simple ingredients, that I already had on hand, made for one heck of a surprisingly delicious, (and super fun!), summer supper!
So, I’m sharing with you the ingredients that I used so that you can make them the exact same way to achieve the exact same taste and result. That way, they will be sure to turn out just as fantastic as ours.
I have found that, substituting different brands can actually ruin a dish, (don’t ask me how I know this). The difference in products can really be disastrous!
So, are we ready to roll? Let’s go! I’m sure your tummy is growling by now!
First up are the tots. This is probably the only ingredient that might not really matter all that much which brand you buy, but this is the brand that I used. VERY inexpensive at my new favorite go-to store, Aldi!
Just spread them out onto a foil-lined and sprayed baking sheet and heat up the oven. Don’t worry, they only bake for 15 minutes, so, even in the summertime it isn’t too bad.
When they’re done, you can either push them close together and assemble the rest on the same baking sheet, or remove them to something more fun (oven-safe) for a nicer presentation! If doing this on the baking sheet, you can remove them later to a plate to serve.
I transferred ours to a cute little cast iron serving pan and left room at one end for garlic bread, sauces, and anything else I had lurking in the fridge!
This is where I draw the line, though. There are countless marinara sauces out there, but this one is absolutely outstanding. Walmart sells it, but we get this from Aldi, too, as it’s much cheaper there! It honestly tastes like you made it fresh, and that’s hard to beat!
You can, of course, use your own favorite with caution, or your own homemade. I can’t guarantee that they will taste quite as good, though.
Just spoon some over each tot, not too much that they will end up soggy, but enough to get a good dose of flavor!
Next is one of the cheese blends. Just like everything else, there are a ton of mozzarella cheeses to choose from. Some are really terrible, though.
I have been using this blend by Sargento for years now, and I wouldn’t even think about using a different brand. This cheese blend is fantastic and really has that nice pull when melted, too! You can’t go wrong with this!
For extra fun and major cheesiness, I also added a bit of Mexican blend cheese. This is the one I stick with, as it is always reliable, too.
Add a nice amount, don’t get skimpy with it! All that melty goodness is truly a good thing!
And to add even MORE flavor, I sprinkled on some Johnny’s Garlic Spread Seasoning that is out of this world! I’ve been putting it on everything!
We ordered it through Amazon, as it’s made in the Pacific Northwest and not available in our part of the country. My hubby introduced me to this company, as he lived in Washington State for many years, and their products are outstanding!
You’re really going to LOVE this stuff!!
Now for some goodies! I used to always buy Hormel pepperoni slices, because that was all that was available in our town. But we have a new Aldi and they carry a brand called Mama Cozzi’s and it blows away the other stuff!
And it doesn’t turn a grotesque shade of GRAY after being in the freezer, either! (I’ll never buy the other stuff again!) Thank you Aldi! Thank you Mama Cozzi! No more dead pepperoni!
I already had some italian sausage that I had cooked several weeks ago, also Aldi and very GOOD, so that made this move right along much faster! I always like to have cooked sausage and bacon in the fridge for when we want something quick and easy. It really helps out and comes in so handy when in a hurry!
*Just make sure you quick-thaw it in a bowl of cold ice water or in the microwave before you put it on your pizza tots because it won’t be in the oven long enough to thaw and get hot!
Then top it with more of the cheeses, and sprinkle with more seasoning.
Now. You can either stop right here, or, you can go whole hog wild and make a second, smaller layer!
Guess which way I chose. (*wink!*)
You KNOW it! Go big or go home!
I added a few more tater tots, and topped them with more sauce, pepperoni and sausage, cheeses, and seasoning!
Since this was going to be for me and my hubby to share, so I wanted to make sure that I actually got s bite or two! I knew as soon as my hubby saw this, it would be gone in minutes!
I was wrong, though.
It was gone in seconds.
I have to admit, when I took this out of the oven I truly was blown away.
The aromas smelled like a pizza joint and I was instantly starving!
THIS. Was going to be GOOD.
Believe it or not, I really should’ve made TWO. One for each of us! Because…wow. Just WOW!
Slam dunk, party in your mouth, don’t you dare take any from “my side”, good!
You can dress this up even further if you’d like, too! A little drizzle of Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing maybe? (*Click on them to see my homemade!)
Or go for the latest trend, that’s absolutely amazing, and drizzle it with a little hot honey!
Or are you the old “Godfather’s Pizza” lover (remember them?), and enjoy topping your pizza tots with pickled jalapeño slices? Go for it!!
Of course, sometimes there’s nothing better than just plain ol’ traditional-style!
No matter how you choose to enjoy yours, this is going to be added to your monthly rotation for sure! The tots were lightly crispy, the sauce was just AMAZING, the pepperoni and sausage added wonderful flavors and spice. the cheese had a fantastic pull and OH so melty delicious, and that garlic spread seasoning made you go…wait…WOW, what did you do to make it taste extra good?!!
I simply served ours with garlic bread, but a nice side salad would’ve made me feel less guilty!
But hey, we all deserve a nice treat now and then I say! And these Loaded Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza Tots really hit the happy spot!
Hope you all enjoy! Take care, be good, and play nice with the other kids! Love to all!
Loaded Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza Tots
Anything they can do we can do better! These Loaeded Pizza Tots are gonna rock your weekend! Easy, and so much better made at home!
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen tater tots
- 1 jar marinara sauce or pizza sauce
- 2 - 3 cups (total) shredded mozzarella, provolone, and Mexican blend cheeses, as you like
- sliced pepperoni
- cooked Italian sausage (in bite-sized chunks)
- sprinklings of Johnny's Garlic Spread Seasoning to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to temperature suggested by manufacturer for the tater tots. Mine was 425º.
- Place tots onto foil-lined and sprayed baking sheet. Use as many as you like for however many servings you're making. Bake according to directions. Mine baked for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through baking time.
- When tots are done, turn oven temp down to 375º.
- Crowd tots together saving back a third of them, or place most onto an oven-safe serving plate, dish, or pan. I used my cast iron single-serving fajita pan.
- Spoon marinara sauce over each tot. Top with a nice handful of shredded mozzarella-provolone blend cheese. And shredded Mexican blend cheese.
- Sprinkle with garlic seasoning. Top with slices of pepperoni and then chunks of cooked Italian sausage.
- Add the reserved tots on top and repeat layers. Sauce, cheeses, seasoning, meats, more cheese and seasoning.
- Bake in 375º oven until all is melted, about 10 minutes.
- Serve hot with garlic bread, sauces for drizzling if desired, and a nice garden salad. Enjoy!
