ISO - Tater-Tot recipe

[bubba_sybo]

Yup... ya know Tater Tots? Has anyone here ever attempted to make them from scratch? It's just way to easy to go and buy a bag of those premade kind.

I could take some taters, grate them. But what about getting the right shape?

Do I add some flour or something to bind them?

What kind of tater is best for tater tots?

And why do they call em "tater tots" anyways

[Brianschef]

Homemade Tater Tots

8 med. potatoes, cooked and peeled
6 tbl flour
Dash pepper
1 tsp salt
Oil

Finely shred or use ricer while potatoes are hot. Stir in flour,
salt, and pepper. Heat 1/4" oil in heavy pan. Form into small
balls, rounds or coins; and drop into oil. Fry until slightly golden. Drain on
paper towels, then freeze for tater tot casserole, (or) to
serve alone, bake in single layer on baking sheet at 400 F*
until desired cripsness.

When I am making the tator rounds/coins, I form a roll and then use a butter knife to cut them to size. If you're going to freeze for later use, put them on a baking sheet and put in the freezer for about an hour, then put them in a freezer baggie. A lot cheaper than buying them and it's a great way to get the kids involved in the kitchen. You can have their little hands roll the potatoes into rolls and you can cut and pop them in the oil.

[cara]

Originally Posted by bubba_sybo

And why do they call em "tater tots" anyways

hmm.. wikipedia says:

Tater is a variation of the word potato, considered humorous, possibly somewhat child-like; Tots may have been derived from their diminutive size, or because they are often served to children, and certainly because of the intended alliteration.

I don`t know about them, but it sounds a bit like "Roestis":

1kg potatoes (a firm cooking sort.. if you have that..)
1 onion, medium size
Salt
Pepper
Butter oil

boil the potatoes in their jacket, peel and cool, best would be over night.
grate the potatoes in a bowl,
chop the onions and add.
Spice with salt and pepper, mix well

in a pan heat the butter oil, add enough of the potatoe mix to cover the pan well, form into a flat cake.
roast at low heat for about 15min until there is a yellow-gold crust.
carefully turn over and let it roast another 15min.
cut into slices, just like a cake.Serve warm.

you can freeze well the pieces and reheat

some variations:
substitute the onion for leek (or field garlic? What do you use?) and add some bacon.

substitute some potatoe for carrots
add parsley, garlic or other herbs

don't do one big roesti, but about 8 smaller ones.

top with gratred cheese while still hot.

[buckytom]

actually, tater "tots" is named after the children in sweatshops who form the shredded taters into those curious little cylindrical shapes...

[jkath]

lol bucky!
Cara, here's what a tater tot looks like: (this is MUCH bigger than it really is)
They're cylindrical, and about 2" long.


Or, you could dress like one and parade around the city.....


Here's a great read regarding the tots:
A TRUE CLASSIC: Stands on its own
It appears most people prefer Tater Tots in their purest form
By JOAN WHITELY
REVIEW-JOURNAL




Some things in life are meant to be enjoyed as is. No tampering. No diluting. No fancifying.
Perhaps the Tater Tot is one such entity. To celebrate the potato treat's 50th anniversary, Taste decided to have a contest for readers to submit recipes incorporating Tater Tots.
We got a whopping two entries.
Both from the same person.
Both from a person who lives in California, reads the newspaper online, and persuaded a friend who lives here to cook and deliver her two Tater Tot recipes piping hot.
Way to go, Sue Elliott of Yorba Linda, Calif. You are the proud winner of $100, for your remote-controlled finger food.
Elliott calls her entry a Tater Tot Tasty. We liken it to a rumaki, which is an hors d'oeuvre of bacon wrapped around a water chestnut. Elliott wrapped her bacon, instead, around a Tater Tot with American cheese.
"You can't beat the time-honored combo of hash brown, cheese and bacon," one contest judge rhapsodized about the Tasty's flavor.
"This is a real comfort food dish," another judge said enthusiastically.
Back to the shortage of entries in our Tater Tot tourney. Taste chose the most positive interpretation of this circumstantial evidence.
We discarded the theory that all Las Vegans are avoiding potatoes because they're on low-carb diets. We also discarded the theory that everyone in town is too rich to desire an extra hundred bucks.
We concluded, rather, that most folks never use the Tater Tot as a mere recipe ingredient.
They like their Tater Tot straight up.
Because ... the Tot is a work complete within itself. The Tot is a simple statement that needs no enhancing. The Tot towers.
Oops. Almost got carried away with the euphoric tone of the press release the Ore-Ida folks sent to publicize the Tot's birthday.
Stripping down the hype from Ore-Ida, the truth is the Tater Tot is an edible -- nay, delectable -- potato counterpart to particle board.
Particle board is composed of compressed sawdust or wood fiber. Tater Tots are puffs composed of potato slivers that are left over from producing french fries.
Brothers Nephi and Golden Grigg came up with Tater Tots in 1954, three years after they had founded their french fry operation, the Idaho Frozen Foods Co., in Ontario, Ore., which is on the border with Idaho. Their company eventually became Ore-Ida.
A recent consumer survey commissioned by Ore-Ida found that Americans love Tater Tots as side dish, main dish and snack. Favorite ways to serve the Tot include with eggs for breakfast or dipped in ketchup as a side.
"We're thrilled that after 50 years, Tater Tots is still going strong and has become such a staple," said Michael Smith, a senior brand manager at Ore-Ida.
Through the decades, the Tater Tot has diversified. Along with the original version, the company also makes Crispy Crowns, Extra Crispy Tater Tots, Mini Tater Tots and Onion Tater Tots.

[bubba_sybo]

I fugured yall would take me to school in this one and ya did... love it...thankies

I have a bag of taters I am itchin to do something with ..... I do have a potluck thang I am planning on going to tonight and dont really know what I am gonna make. Bubba cant show up empty handed unacceptable!! Poeple think I know how to cook? So that would just be wude...(jar jar for rude)

one of my usual faves for that type of affair is to make "cockdoggies"
if u have seen the MR Bean movie you have an idea what I am talking about

one or two packs of the COCKTIAL WEINERS u get at the store dere
1 bottle of bbq sauce (with a little extral luvin, of course)
combine ingredients in slow cooker, dont forget to turn it on
go watch paint dry

less grease if u let it set overnight and skim it but either way I have naver had any complaints from this heinously simple delight

but I have no cockdoggies and I am too lazy to go to the store....what am I gonna make?? A buddy suggested bring the rest over my venison stew but I am a tad nervous someone might mistake it for beef and then I would have to pack my bags for the guilt trip seeing as how I fed them Bambi and all. I could make a sign.... but I am to lazy for that too
Any suggestions?

[pdswife]

Clam chowder...
pizza...
pecan pie...
apples with caramel to dip
Lemon pie...

[licia]

I saw on foodtv (can't remember the program) a way of using very small red potatoes. They dipped them in butter then in seasoned breadcrumbs and baked them in the oven. I think that would be much better than tater tots.

[Constance]

Originally Posted by bubba_sybo

A buddy suggested bring the rest over my venison stew but I am a tad nervous someone might mistake it for beef and then I would have to pack my bags for the guilt trip seeing as how I fed them Bambi and all. I could make a sign.... but I am to lazy for that too
Any suggestions?

Bubba, let me tell you a little story about that. We have friends who have 180 acres of farm and forested land. They always have plenty of venison. A lot of people say they don't like it, and there is one lady in particular that abhors the thought of eating Bambi.
We were at a Christmas party, and Claudie had brought Italian Beef (venison). I sat across the table and watched the lady wolfing it down, proclaiming it the best she'd ever eaten...she even begged a little container to take home with her.

So my advice is...take it and keep your mouth shut. Venison stew is soooo good! You'll be doing them a favor.

[jkath]

heh heh heh.....like that idea! And, it's not only nutritious, bubba, it's entertaining too!