So, why are they called Tater Tots? Here is what Google and Wikipedia have to say about Tater Tots:
Tater Tots, a registered trademark for a commercial form of hash browns made by Ore-Ida, are a side-dish made from deep-fried, grated potatoes.[1] Tater Tots are widely recognized by their crispness, cylindrical shape and small size.
These are perfect for kids as snacks, or even for lunch/dinner to match with fried chicken, or whatever you pair mashed potatoes with. The first time I made these, I failed since they were all mushy and absorbed the oil in the pan. However, the next time around, I finally found the way on how to cook them correctly.
There are loads of Tater Tots recipes you could find on the web with a simple Google search, so I am not saying that this is the right recipe. Just wanted to share how I make them for my BabyLove (and for myself, of course!)
Ingredients:
- Potatoes, peeled
- Garlic Powder (optional)
- Onion Powder (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cheese (optional)
- Flour
- Egg
- Bread crumbs
I don't really have measurements for the recipe, as I mostly just approximate on how much I need. This is because potatoes differ in size. So, if you need measurements you can always do a Google search and find a recipe for measurement approximation.
- Half-boil potatoes. This is important, they need to be half-boiled. How to know they are half-boiled? I read somewhere that you will know it is half-boiled if you could poke a fork in it but it won't fall off. Potatoes that are completely boiled will fall off the fork and would break in half for being too soft. The reason we want them half-boiled because we will be frying them and they will end up so mushy and will absorb lots of cooking oil.
- Once they potatoes are done, peel off the skin. Let cool.
- Let's grate! Once the potatoes are cool enough to hold, grate them, just like hash browns. You could also mash them with a fork, but that would really be difficult since they are really tougher than fully-boiled potatoes. I found that grating them is easier.
- Once grated, squeeze out the water from the potatoes. Simply grab a handful and squeeze. Just make sure you have clean hands. ;)
- Season with salt and pepper. For extra flavor, you could season also with garlic powder or onion powder. However, kids may not like it, so you can put really little to none at all. Depends how you want it. You can also use regular onions, but the extra water in onions might make the mixture mushy. Trust me, I tried! Haha
- Form them into balls. Again, up to you how big you want them to be.
- Time to bread them. Typical breading process is Flour, Egg and Breadcrumbs (F.E.B.). Dredge the balls in the flour, coat with the egg, then finally coat with bread crumbs. Simple!
- Let's get cooking! If you have a deep fryer, all the better. Simply drop them in and cook until golden brown. If you don't have one, a regular frying pan with oil for frying will do. You just have to turn them over to cook the other side.
Variations:
- Add in a cube of cheese in the center of the balls. They taste so good!
- For a healthier option, you can opt to bake them instead of frying them.
- Refrigerate the grated potato. They tend to become "drier" and are easier to form into balls.
Hope you give it a try. If you have tried, do drop me a message, I'd love to hear how you liked them. ;)
Cheers!
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