Do you have a food that is your guilty pleasure? Well one of my food guilty pleasures is Tater Tots! Yep…those little frozen chopped up potatoes that fry up crispy brown! Now I love to cook but I always said…there is no sense making your own Tater Tots…they are perfect the way they are…well they are…but guess what? These super EASY Homemade Tater Tots are better and I wanted to share them with you! So come with me and we will have these made in a snap!
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You are going to be surprised how easy they are to make!
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They turn out perfectly crisp and golden!
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You can serve them as is as a side dish or how about as a snack or appetizer at your next Football Game watching Party! GO GIANTS!!! Make sure to serve them with a dip or two! I Love a Pesto Dip…equal parts Pesto (your favorite) Mayonnaise and Sour Cream…YUM and so so Easy! If you don’t like it as strong…just add more sour cream or Greek Yogurt!
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A fun way to serve them is in a brown paper cone…if you don’t have the little wire racks…just use a glass or a mug…it holds the cone perfectly! Recycle some of those grocery bags with a yummy snack! Of course a plate is fabulous too! These little bundles of flavor go perfectly with a Cold Beer.. Root Beer or your favorite beverage!
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One thing is for certain…you are going to love these crispy…tasty…crunchy treats!
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Here’s how you do it! Enjoy! Bon Appetit!!!
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- 2½ pounds of Russet Potatoes
- 1 level tablespoon of cornstarch
- salt and pepper to taste
- sprinkle with garlic powder about 1 teaspoon but if you want more...go for it.
- If you haven't tried the garlic salt from Trader Joe's try it and substitute it for the salt and garlic...it is sooooooo good!
- ½ cup of sauteed finely chopped onions or scallions (this is optional)
- Oil to Fry In
- Wash and Peel your potatoes
- Grate your potatoes by hand or with your food processor
- Place the grated potatoes in cold water
- Line a full size cookie sheet with parchment or aluminum foil
- Squeeze all the water out of the potatoes (handful by handful) and spread evenly over the entire sheet
- Add your seasoning to taste
- Sprinkle the cornstarch evenly over all the potatoes (I use a little sieve)
- Toss to lightly mix
- Place in a 400 degree oven for 18 minutes (just to dry out the potatoes a bit)
- Take out of the oven (they will still be white and not very pretty)...allow them to cool so you can handle them
- Take a small ice cream scoop...fill it up ...press it so it is packed...release ...you can use them that shape or you can shape them like a regular Tater Top or even around ball...totally up to you!
- When they are all formed...fry them in small batches in oil that is about 350 or a little hotter.
- Four minutes for lightly golden brown
- Five minutes for a much crunchier tot...for those that like a lot of potato taste...go for the light brown...those of you that love super crispy...go 5 minutes!
- Drain on paper towel or brown paper
- Serve warm with your favorite dip!
- Bon Appetit!