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It is the holiday season, which unleashes a torrent of parties and get togethers.

That means it is advantageous to have an extra appetizer, hors d’oeuvres, or dessert snack trick up your sleeve. So tonight I played around with an idea I had for an appetizer. This is work in progress kind of thing.

Steak Wrapped Tater Tots

I know. That’s twisted. But sometimes you just have to cut loose and do something different.

For the first round, I cooked tater tots (well, actually Ore Ida Crispy Crowns) according to directions. I placed each one on a 1″ strip of milanesa style sliced beef (thin sliced sirloin) and topped with a variety of ingredients like pickled sweet jalapeno (we used Hobo Howey’s Jalapeno Treats), cheddar cheese, and steak sauce.

I rolled them up and secured with a toothpick and seasoned with a little bit of steak rub (I used Dizzy Pig Cow Lick).

I tried cooking them on the griddle plate of my grill cooking at 450f. It only took 1-2 minutes per side.

While it gave good sear marks, the sides didn’t get much radiant heat so they weren’t as evenly cooked as I would have liked.

It was 35f outside while I was cooking these, but I could not resist making a second attempt. This time I did the same thing but went with direct heat.

That cooked through much better.

And despite my fears the cheese would melt out during the cook, it finished just right.

Lessons learned:

1. Instead of using a griddle pan, go for direct heat like grilling or broiling.
2. If using cheese, start with your tater tot facing the hot side (below for grilling, above for broiling) for the first minute.
3. Serve these quickly after cooking. These are not a “cook and leave on the table” kind of thing if you want to impress.
4. Idea for the world’s most awesome slider – A juicy lucy style slider with a crispy crown and cheddar inside. Gonna work on that one.
5. After testing the varieties twice tonight, I think our favorite is a combo of the sweet pickled jalapeno and cheddar. The sweet and heat combine perfectly.

Tell me: When the pressure is on during the holidays, what is your “go to” appetizer/snack?