Make Veggie Tots

Tater tots have long been a staple side dish. If you are looking jazz up your favourite dish try substituting potatoes for a slightly healthier option. For example, you can make veggie tots using sweet potato, broccoli, zucchini, and cauliflower. It is a great way to get even the pickiest eater to try a new vegetable! In order to make veggie tots you will need to prepare the vegetables, create the tots, and then bake them in the oven. Serve your veggie tots with a tasty dipping sauce and enjoy.

Ingredients

• Vegetable: 1 large sweet potato, 2 large zucchinis, 1 head of cauliflower, or 1 head of broccoli.
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• ⅓ cup (237 ml) of panko breadcrumbs
• ⅓ cup (237 ml) of parsley, minced
• ¼ teaspoon of onion powder
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ a cup (118 ml) of desired cheese (i.e. parmesan, cheddar, monterey Jack, jalapeno, etc.)

Steps

Preparing the Vegetables

1. Blanch the vegetables. You can make veggie tots with a variety of different vegetables including, sweet potato, cauliflower, broccoli, and zucchini. Once you have selected the vegetable you would like to use, blanch it in a pot of boiling water for one minute.
2. Grate the vegetables. After the vegetable has been blanched, you need to chop it up into small pieces. The easiest way to do this is by grating the vegetable using a coarse cheese grater. If you do not have a coarse cheese grater, you could thinly chop the vegetables by hand, using a sharp knife and cutting board.
   • Alternatively, you could use a food processor to cut the veggies. Use the pulse setting and only do a few pulses.
   • If you decide to use a food processor, be careful not to puree the vegetables. You want them to be coarsely chopped.
3. Place grated veggies in a medium bowl and add salt. Transfer the grated vegetables to a medium bowl. Then add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the veggies and mix well. The salt will help to remove any moisture from the grated vegetables.
4. Let the veggies sit for 10-20 minutes. Once the salt has been added to the vegetables, let them sit for anywhere from 10-20 minutes.
5. Strain the remaining liquid. Then, remove the veggies from the bowl and place them in a clean dish towel or cheesecloth. Twist the cloth to completely drain any excess water. By removing all of the liquid from the vegetables, you will be able to make crispier veggie tots.

Creating the Veggie Tots

1. Combine the veggies with the remaining ingredients. Transfer the vegetable back to the medium bowl and then add ⅓ of a cup (237 ml) of panko crusted bread crumbs, ⅓ of a cup (237 ml) of minced parsley, 2 cloves of minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon of onion powder, 1 egg, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix together all of the ingredients.
   • You can also add ½ a cup (118 ml) of your favourite cheese (i.e. parmesan, sharp cheddar, jalapeno cheddar etc.).
   • Experiment with different seasoning and flavour. For example, you could also add green onions, or carrots to give more flavour to the tots.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. It is very important that you line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This will prevent the veggie tots from sticking to the baking sheet while they are cooking. Alternatively, you could grease the baking sheet with a thin layer of oil.
3. Form the mixture into tots. Scoop out approximately 1 ½ tablespoons of mix and then use your hands shape the mixture into small cylinders. The easiest way to shape the tots is to create a tight ball and then press the sides to shape it into a tot.
   • Place the tots onto the lined baking sheet.

Cooking the Veggie Tots

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Prior to baking the veggie tots, you will need to preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). This can be done before you begin forming the veggie tots. That way the oven will be preheated by the time you are ready to put the tots in the oven.
2. Bake the tots for 10-12 minutes. You want the veggie tots to be crispy and golden brown in colour. In order to reach the desired crispness, bake them for approximately 20-25 minutes.
3. Flip them and bake for another 10-12 minutes. Once the tots have been in the oven for approximately 10-12 minutes, remove them from the oven. Flip over the tots using a spatula. This way you will ensure that all sides of the tots are cooked evenly.
4. Remove from the oven and serve. After 20 minutes you should check on the tots to see if they need a bit more time. When they are the desired crispiness, remove them from the oven. You should serve the tots immediately because they taste best when they are warm.
5. Serve them with your favourite dipping sauce. For example, you could dip them in ketchup, ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, chipotle mayo, etc.
   • You could also serve them on a plate with melted cheese and bacon bits on top!
6. Store leftover tots in the refrigerator. If you do not finish all of the veggie tots at once, you can store them for a few days in the refrigerator. Store them in a single layer and make sure they are well-covered.
   • Reheat the tots in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit (400 degrees Celsius). Heat them for 5-10 minutes, or until they are warm.

Tips

• You can also buy pre-made veggie tots. These can be found in the frozen food aisle of your local grocery store.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Cook Vegetarian Chili
• Make a Grilled Veggie Panini
• Make Crispy Seaweed Bok Choy
• Prepare a Healthy Vegetarian Meal
• Make a Spicy Vegetarian Pasta Bolognese
• Make Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas
• Make a Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dinner
• Make Sweet Potato Nests
• Make Chickpea and Pumpkin Burgers
• Make Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves

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