Today we’re teaching you how to make a healthier tater tot alternative, Cauliflower tots. Cauliflower tots are delicious, easy to make, and won’t fill you up on starch.
I remember eating tater tots all the time when I was a kid. They are so delicious, especially when cooked to the perfect level of crispiness. Definitely, leave them in the oven for an extra few minutes to get them extra crispy. After rediscovering them at a local restaurant recently Melissa and I have since bought them occasionally and introduced our kids to the magic of tater tots. Of course, we’ve also rediscovered how easy it is to eat a whole bag! While their deliciousness can not be ignored, as responsible parents and individuals who care about their own health as well, we’ve begrudgingly accepted the fact that tater tots should not be an every meal occurrence.
Luckily, our tot prayers have been answered and we’ve discovered cauliflower tots. That’s right, cauliflower! We love cauliflower and how versatile it is. We have a great recipe for Roasted Curry Cauliflower Soup and we make a great cauliflower cream that goes in this Green Bean Casserole. And now, cauliflower rice to make cauliflower tots!
Why you might want to switch to Cauliflower Tots
First, they are a delicious alternative to tater tots and they are a healthier option so you can feel good about feeding them to your own tots. Check out these cauliflower health benefits.
Second, cauliflower tots do a great job of recreating the things you love about tater tots:
- they get nice and crispy
- they are super flavorful
- they are really easy to make
- they’re kid approved
- they are great with ketchup
Third, making the switch (or at least the occasional switch) from regular tater tots to crispy homemade cauliflower tots is super easy. This cauliflower tot recipe comes together with just 6 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and can be prepped in 15 minutes or less.
Cauliflower Rice
The star ingredient is the “cauliflower rice” which is just chopped up cauliflower (and a pretty popular rice alternative to those following a paleo diet). We’ve found cauliflower rice at Wegmans and love the convenience of just grabbing it all prepped and ready to use. But this time we just made the cauliflower rice on our own using the food processor. Basically, cut the cauliflower off the stem and then into small slightly larger than bite size pieces, and then pulse until close to rice size. I had a larger head of cauliflower and it made close to 6 cups of cauliflower rice–which is several servings worth. We also had quinoa pre-cooked in the fridge, so used that instead of panko or breadcrumbs. You can do either, but we went with the quinoa because it’s a healthier alternative and it makes these cauliflower tots gluten free! If you want to use panko or breadcrumbs, you will only need half as much as the quinoa.
Alright, by now the benefits and intrigue of cauliflower tots should be obvious. All that’s left is for you to try them!
The recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 T. oil
- 1 shallot
- 3 c. cauliflower rice
- 1 c. cooked quinoa
- 1/3 c. parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Add oil to large skillet and heat.
- Saute shallots in oil for 1-2 minutes.
- Add cauliflower rice and salt and pepper and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool on a plate with paper towels or a flour sack towel to remove excess moisture.
- Once cooled, add cauliflower mixture and all other ingredients to a bowl and mix.
- Scoop up heaping tablespoons of mix and form into tot shape and place on greased cookie sheet or silpat mat lined cookie sheet/roasting pan.
- Cook for 15 minutes.
- Flip and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes.
- Serve with ketchup or your preferred dipping sauce.
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