Crunchy potato tots are a pretty unanimous family favorite. Kids love ‘em because they are tasty, crunchy, slightly salty, go well with ketchup and they seem like they are bad for you. Parents love ‘em because they are tasty, crunchy, slightly salty, go well with ketchup and because the kids like ‘em.
Good potato tots are as good as potatoes can get. They are crispy, hot and flavorful with just the right balance of starchy potato and salt. Bad potato tots are undercooked, limp, lukewarm, falling apart and taste of old potatoes and the freezer (think back to your school lunches).
These are very good potato tots, and they are baked which makes them healthier. Not to mention that you don’t need to deal with the hassle of frying. They only take a few minutes to whip together. From start to finish you can have these on the table in well under an hour (about 40 minutes once you’ve made them once or twice).
By making your own potato tots, you get to control the ingredients. You can use organic or local potatoes and eggs. If you want gluten-free potato tots, just substitute potato starch for the flour. If you want to make them low-sodium, reduce the amount of salt, use light salt or even use a salt-free seasoning like Mrs. Dash or Penzey’s Forward. However you make them, you will enjoy them, as will your whole family. After all they are tasty, crunchy, slightly salty and go well with ketchup.
Baked Potato Tots
serves 3-4 as a side
Replace the flour with potato starch to make these gluten-free. Don’t be tempted to cook these until they are golden brown. Lightly golden is the best. They can get tough and a little bitter when they are over-cooked.
1 pound potatoes, peeled (about two large)
1 egg white
1 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon flour
non-stick cooking spray or olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the potatoes into large chunks and place in a food processor with the normal blade in place.
Pulse several times until the potatoes are in small (1/4”) pieces. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to do this in batches.
Remove the potatoes from the food processor and place on a large, clean kitchen towel.
Wrap the kitchen towel around the potatoes and squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the potatoes.
Place the potatoes in a large bowl and add the egg white, onion powder, salt and flour. Mix together well.
Spray a lined baking pan with non-stick cooking spray or lightly brush with oil. Use a small scoop (such as a cookies scoop) or a tablespoon to scoop the potatoes into round “tots” and place on the baking sheet leaving a small amount of space between each tot.
Spray the tops with non-stick cooking spray or lightly brush with oil and place in the oven.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the tops are light brown. Serve hot.
