Crisp, chewy bacon wrapped around tender tater tots and gooey pepper jack cheese — when we pulled them out of the oven, the smell brought people running to the kitchen. We gave them little bowls of spicy aioli to dip the tots in, and they gobbled up the whole tray, pausing only to declare the tots more addictive than a bag of potato chips.

Our tip: These tots will be perfect for any snack occasion, from movie night to late-night workathon, and you may want to make two batches because they’ll go fast. We recommend pairing them with Golden Road’s Point the Way IPA. Its hoppy grapefruit notes are the perfect light, crisp counterpoint to this wonderfully rich bite.

Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 12-oz package of Gelson’s Bacon, each slice cut into thirds
4 oz pepper jack cheese, cut into 24 slices
24 tater tots
Spicy aioli or mayonnaise

Special equipment: Toothpicks

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425º, and place a wire rack on a baking sheet.
2. Working one at a time, wrap each tater tot and cheese slice in a piece of bacon, and stick it with a toothpick. Note: The goal is to wrap the tot in a single layer of bacon, so that you get a nice ratio of ingredients.
3. Repeat with remaining tater tots, and then set the bacon-wrapped tots on the wire rack.
4. Bake the tots for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp and caramelized.