Once you've made these Tater Tots from scratch, you'll wonder how you ever ate frozen ones. They're Sooo good you'll want to make them over and over.
I'm not a big fan of eating leftover potatoes. Something about them makes the flavor just a little off to me. That's why I always give any leftover potatoes to a friend, to take home. He'll re-heat them, open a jar of gravy, "nuke" it all and have a ball.
I had leftover mashed potatoes form the "Ultimate Father's Day Meal" the other day, and he forgot to take them home. That's when I came up with the idea of making my own Tater Tots. Since these had Soooo much butter in them, they were difficult to work with, which is why I had to heat them up with a little milk. Then I figured that an egg yolk would bind it all together, with the flour.
My first attempt was to bake them after they were breaded. These ended up being in the oven a long time, and the bread crumbs tasted like dry bread crumbs. Then I figured that I'd fry them, to see what would happen.
They came out terrific, with a nice, flavorful, creamy filling, and a crisp outside. I liked them so much, that I'd definitely make plenty of mashed potatoes again, just so that I could have these as leftovers the next day.
Just in case you want to make them without having any leftover mashed potatoes, just make the mashed potatoes, let them get cool, then use them in this recipe. Make sure you flavor the mashed potatoes with something, like Chives, Minced Onions, Garlic, or even Black Truffle Oil.
Update 12/27/2011:
I made these again, this time for my Son (Critter) and his Wife (Kate) just after Christmas. We had leftover mashed potatoes (from pierogis) with Cheddar Cheese, Onions, and Butter already mixed in, so I had to add a little more milk than this recipe calls for.
They came out really good, again. But my Critter decided that they shouldn't be called Tater Tots because they didn't have the texture as he expected, he's used to the frozen variety. Although he couldn't get over how good they were, he still kept insisting I name them somthing different.
So now they have another name. They're a Potato Croquette. A fancy French name for a variation of a Tater Tot.
1. Mix the bread crumbs, panko, blacken, and salt together and set aside.
2. My leftover potatoes had so much butter in them I had to warm them up a bit in order to work with them. Do this by placing them in a small pot, adding a little milk, and turn burner to high. Constantly stir until they've just warmed up.
3. Add the egg yolk, salt , pepper, and enough flower so that you can roll this potato mixture into a small log 3/4" - 1" in diameter.
4. Cut this log into 1 1/2" lengths, and coat with the bread crumbs.
Ron's Note:
You can do this a few hours ahead of time, then cover and leave in your refrigerator until you're ready to cook them.
5. Heat oil to 350 degrees, and fry them for 5 - 7 minutes, or until they've browned. Drain them either on paper towels, or on a rack in a sheet pan to drain. Sprinkle a little salt on while they're still hot.
6. Serve with Sour cream, or any one of your favorite dipping sauces.
7. You could also freeze them after they've cooled, then bake them in the oven to heat up at a moments notice. To freeze tem, you should place them on a sheet pan, not touching, then place them in the freezer. After they've frozen solid, place them in a freezer bag, and take them out as you need them.
This recipe prints as a shortened version, with only 1 Picture, Ingredients, and Directions.
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This recipe prints as a shortened version, with only 1 Picture, Ingredients, and Directions.
By Cap'n Ron
