Hot for homemade tots

Growing up, they were the hot lunch jam.

Good luck getting anyone to trade something – anything – for even just a few of them if you were one of those unenviable kids – like me – who always brought their lunch. Creamy on the inside, crispy on the outside, Tater Tots were pretty much the most coveted side dish of hot school lunches.

And, of course, since fried potatoes never go out of style, that popular childhood side became college comfort food which, in turn, became pub grub – good on game day or anytime a craving for stump-shaped, deep-fried grated potatoes arises.

But, perhaps even better, they can be prepared from scratch at home.

That’s right: homemade tots.

The kids have grown up.

Tater Tots have gone from the stuff of hot lunch dreams to a simple but satisfying homemade snack best served steaming hot.

Unlike latkes, which use grated raw potatoes, tots are fashioned from seasoned shredded parboiled potatoes. They also contain a lot less flour than gnocchi, those pillowy Italian potato dumplings made from cooked, riced potatoes and boiled in salted water like pasta instead of being baked or fried.

A registered trademark of the Ore-Ida brand, part of the Kraft Heinz Co., Tater Tots are much younger than both of those foods. They also come from humble roots. Tater Tots were invented in the early 1950s as a way to use oddly cut potato scraps left over from the processing of frozen french fries.

The name means baby potatoes: tater for potato, and tot for little or small one.

But they’re a big seller. In all, Americans consume some 70 million pounds of Tater Tots per year.

That soft center encased in a crunchy shell of almost pure potato is difficult to resist. In the 60 years since their debut, Tater Tots have become an iconic American snack food and side dish, enjoyed by baby boomers and their parents as well as Gen Xers and millennials.

They’ve topped casseroles and Midwestern hotdishes, served as the base for Tater Tots nachos, or “totchos,” and been dipped simply in ketchup or ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Tater Tots are the fry’s shorter, squatter country cousin, the chubby one with bumpy skin, more texture, more character and a bonus: they’re bite-size.

They’re also super-easy to make.

However, peeling and grating the potatoes, then forming them into little mounds and frying them in small batches is time-consuming. It would be fun to make together, as a family, or with friends. Tater Tot party, perhaps?

They’re no good if they’re gummy or gluey. So be sure to squeeze out as much moisture from the grated potatoes as you can before shaping them into little cylinders.

Freezing can actually help improve the texture. Spread the tots on a baking sheet, and place it in the freezer. After they’re frozen, transfer the tots to a freezer bag, where they’ll wait at the ready for a dip in hot oil.

Homemade Tater Tots

2 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes

2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon sugar

3 cups vegetable, peanut, canola or grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, oregano or parsley leaves, finely chopped, optional

Sprinkling of smoked paprika, optional

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Boil for about 6 minutes. Drain and then shock the potatoes in large bowl of ice water. Using a clean dish towel, gently rub off skins.

Shred potatoes using a box grater, then – working in small batches – remove as much water as possible by squeezing the grated potatoes in a clean dish towel or cheese cloth.

Place potatoes in a large mixing bowl, add flour and seasoning, and gently combine with your hands. Form potatoes into cylinders about 1-inch long and about 3/4-inch wide. Rolling the tots in a little flour makes them easier to handle. Take care to not make them too big.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven to 350 degrees over medium heat. Working in small batches taking care to not crowd the pot, add tots to the hot oil, cooking until golden and crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Using a spider strainer or slotted spoon, transfer tots to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Season immediately with salt and pepper, if desired. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves or finely chopped parsley or oregano, or a dusting of smoked paprika, if desired.

Note: Try the recipe with sweet potatoes. They won’t be the same color, nor will they crisp up in quite the same way. But that doesn’t mean they won’t be good.

Customize it: Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, you can customize it with other spices, fresh herbs, cheese, jalapeños and finely chopped bacon, chorizo, breakfast sausage or pepperoni. Consider including garlic or onion powder – or both – in the potato mixture. Or, try adding a couple of ounces of blue cheese, then serving the freshly fried tots with spicy Buffalo sauce, carrot and celery sticks, and blue cheese dressing or crumbles or both. Or, opt for Italian-flavored tots with a couple of ounces of mozzarella, minced oregano and basil, and finely chopped pepperoni or sausage. Also, consider dipping your homemade tots in homemade condiments.

Kicked-up Tater Tot Hotdish

From thepioneerwoman.com

1 1/4 pounds beef top sirloin

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 cup diced yellow onion

1 cup diced red bell pepper, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish

1 cup diced poblano pepper, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish

8 ounces chopped fresh mushrooms

2 tablespoons minced jalapeño peppers, plus jalapeño slices for garnish , or more to taste

4 cloves large garlic, minced

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon Tabasco, or more to taste

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

4 ounces pepper jack cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 pounds frozen Tater Tots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice beef against the grain into thin strips. Then roughly chop into 1/2- to 1-inch sized pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add beef and brown it, stirring occasionally. Remove browned beef to a plate with a slotted spoon. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the beef fat, and then add 2 tablespoons of butter to the beef fat in the pan. Once butter is melted, add the onion, red bell pepper, poblano pepper, mushrooms, jalapeño pepper and garlic. Stir to incorporate. Cook until the onions are transparent and the mushrooms are nicely softened, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Now slide everything in the skillet to one side. Tilt the skillet to draw the juices from the vegetables out into the empty side of the skillet. Add remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to empty side of skillet. When the butter is melted, sprinkle the flour over the butter, whisking all the while (a flat whisk works awesome here). Draw in as much butter, beef fat and juices from the vegetables as you can into the flour. The mixture will be thick and paste-like. Cook for a minute or two, until the mixture is browned and fragrant.

Add soy sauce, Tabasco, and Worcestershire to the gravy side of the skillet. Whisk and cook for 1 minute. Then slowly add the milk while you whisk and scrape the bottom of the skillet. Once this mixture is smoothed out, bring the vegetable mixture into the milk mixture, and then add the reserved beef. Stir to incorporate. Cook until thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Then stir in sour cream, plus 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro. Next add the corn and half of each of the cheeses, and stir to incorporate. Taste the gravy, adjusting with additional salt and pepper if needed. Level mixture out in the skillet. Then top with frozen tater tots.

Place skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes, then remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining cheese cubes and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Place skillet back into the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Then place skillet underneath the broiler for a few minutes, until the hotdish is bubbling and the tater tots and cheese are browned to your liking. Remove from oven and sprinkle with reserved diced red bell pepper, poblano pepper, jalapeño slices and remaining cilantro. Serve hot and with ketchup for dipping the Tater Tots.