Cauliflower-Carrot Cheesy Tots
3.7
(10)
This play on traditional tater tots swaps in cauliflower and carrot for the usual potato, adding a sweet, vegetal flavor and a good dose of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins. The baked method might be easier (and slightly healthier), but the super-crispy fried method is more finger-licking good. Either way, these tots are the perfect party snack.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour, 15 minutes
Yield
Makes 34
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Pulse carrots and cauliflower in a food processor (or grate carrot on smallest holes and cauliflower on largest holes of a box grater) until rice-like in texture. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl and toss with 1 Tbsp. oil and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high 3 minutes. Carefully remove plastic wrap and let cool slightly.
Step 2
Meanwhile, mix cheeses, garlic, chives, pepper, 1/2 cup panko, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Stir in carrot mixture until well combined.
Step 3
Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Using your hands, roll tablespoonfuls of carrot mixture into tater-tot shapes. Transfer to prepared sheet, then chill at least 10 minutes.
Step 4
Place flour in a shallow baking dish. Mix remaining 1 cup panko and 4 Tbsp. oil in another shallow dish. Lightly beat eggs in a shallow bowl. Working in batches, toss tots in flour, then dredge in egg, shaking off excess, then coat in panko mixture. Return to baking sheet and chill at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.
To Bake:
Step 5
Arrange a rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Spray with nonstick spray, then transfer tots to rack. Bake tots until deep golden brown and cheese is melted (check by piercing a tot with a paring knife), 22–25 minutes. Serve immediately with ketchup.
To Fry:
Step 6
For extra-crispy tots, fill a large, deep-sided skillet with 1" vegetable oil and heat over medium to 350°F. Working in batches, fry tots, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined platter or baking sheet. Serve immediately with ketchup.
Do Ahead
Step 7
Tot mixture can be formed but not breaded 1 day ahead; cover loosely with plastic and chill.
Leave a Review
Reviews (10)
Back to TopI have made these at least twice now and they are quite yummy. It is a little tedious and kinda messy to make them, but the outcome is worth it. I baked them. I doubled it both times I made it and froze them for future meals. Yummmmy
rachelrachelrachel
Kansas City
8/2/2021
I wanted these to work so bad, but they fell apart, even with freezing for 30 minutes. I started to cry and threw the whole mess in the trash. I am sure I just screwed something up. Still gave it 2 forks since it wasn't hard, just a bit time consuming.
VeggieWannabe
MD
2/7/2021
My toddler loved these. I used corn flake crumbs instead of panko, as that's what I had on hand, and they came out fine. Incidentally, this makes them gluten free, so a useful substitute for those avoiding gluten.
jillianthered
Perth Western Australia
2/25/2019
Lovely dish! A few points from my experience: no microwave so I just threw it all in the oven for a few minutes, that seemed to work. Think it's an essential step for it to hold together. I also really had to roll them for a while before the tots held their shape, and even then it was a bit touch and go in the dredging process, a few fell apart. But easy enough to press them back together and the effect was unnoticeable, though those ones were a bit messier. I baked them and would do that again; I think they would be a tad too greasy in the fryer. Overall a big hit with the kids especially.
andy_andersen
Hamilton, ON
10/4/2018
I made these exactly as the recipe described and they're a total no-go. It looks good but it's an unappetizing combination of flavors, and they're not easy to handle. So it's a lot of work for a disappointing result. There are good ways to use cauli as a low-carb potato substitute, but this isn't one of them.
vidman
Buffalo, NY
4/12/2017
Note that 1/2 cup of cheese is 2 oz, not 1 oz. Made this with broccoli instead of cauliflower. Did not add oil to panko crumbs but sprayed with olive oil and cooked in air fryer 10 min at 400F.
ellen32
Washington DC
2/20/2017
Any recipe that calls for a microwave is not for me. At least offer an alternative, or tell us what you want the veggies to look like after microwaving them so we can substitute and cook them on the stove.
sadiesonic
brooklyn, ny
2/19/2017
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