My family has an affinity for tots. {Okay, most families probably have an affinity for tots.} While time doesn’t always permit for everything to be homemade – I like to recreate things to keep the ingredients pure whenever possible. What I’ve found is when I’m able to make foods from scratch, my mom guilt decreases and typically the flavors of our favorite foods increase. I love making my family things they enjoy eating – this is just an easier way to feel better about the entire experience start to finish.

I don’t typically post recipes that are time consuming or tedious. I enjoy being in the kitchen and the entire experience is cathartic for me, I admit. The flavors, the smells, the process…but I also have two beautiful girls who deserve my attention and a husband I adore seeing when he arrives home from work. So I tend to keep things simple and relatively quick. 

These are a bit more labor intensive. The bonus? Make a large batch in advance and freeze them for future consumption! Plus you know what your family is consuming – without all the gross additives they don’t need. Consider them a labor of love. 

Recipe yields approximately 40-45 1 1/2″ tots.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. organic potatoes, peeled
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp fresh minced rosemary
• 1/2 cup unbleached AP flour
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar (I used Cabot)
• 1/2 cup canola oil

Method:

1. Peel the potatoes and par boil them (whole) on the stovetop for 5-6 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
2. Using the largest part of a grater, grate the partially cooled potatoes into a large bowl. {I wore latex gloves to keep my hands cool.}
3. Add the minced rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, garlic salt, pepper, flour and shredded cheese to the bowl. Mix well with your hands {again, I used gloves as the mixture is still fairly warm and a bit messy.} Taking approximately 1 tbsp at a time of the mixture, roll into 1.5″ tots. Complete this process until the mixture is gone.
4. Preheat oven to 425 and place parchment paper atop a sheet pan.
5. On your stovetop, heat the 1/2 cup canola oil on medium high heat until it sizzles if you drop water into the pan.
6. Add 1/3 the tots to the pan, turning until all sides are browned with two forks. Remove from oil and place on the sheet pan.
7. Continue until all tots are browned and bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot & enjoy!