Roasted Garlic Parmesan Tater Tots

These may be the best tater tots I've ever had.

Yeah. I just said it.

And you know the best part about these AHMAZING (and oh so addictive) tater tots is? They're not fried. They're not breaded. They're not full of gunk. They're just potatoes, deliciously sweet and smoky roasted garlic, and my fave dairy product: Parmesan cheese. And a dash 'o' salt. Oh yeah.

Do you want to know the 2nd best part?

I got to use my cutie-patootie little baby ramekin. Loooook at it! Cuteness.

Seriously though...I couldn't stop eating these. I'm sort of in love. And of all the tater tots that I've made, these might be the EASIEST and quickest too! Even Michael liked them (he said next time he'd like to try them with only potatoes-but at least he didn't say he'd rather have the frozen kind!-SUCCESS!...sorta...I still wanted the garlic and Parmesan....but I guess I could go basic next time ;P).

You should make these for yourself, for your significant other, for your mother, for your kids, for your brother (I ate mine before my brother could get to them-that kid is a bit of a mooch lol), for EVERYOOONE. They are total winners! Imagine bringing them to a barbecue, or having them as an after school snack,  or snacking on these lovelies whilst watching Netflix on the couch....all are great options.

Roasted Potato and Cheese Tater Tots

Believe it or not-this is not the first time I've shared homemade tater tots on this blog. But they're super different! The last recipe I shared were much closer to traditional 'tots (but baked!), and this recipe's pictures are like a million times better.

But I digress.

What both recipes have in common is that they're healthier than traditional tater tots! And this recipe is so simple to make. The ingredients list is beautifully short. We're highlighting the delicious potato flavors and just enhancing it with some cheese and scallions (I love scallions so much, btw.)

And that's it: no breading, no frying, very little fat. And they're pretty.

Something that would be sort of fun to do if you were serving these tots to a group would be to have a bunch of different dipping sauces: maybe ketchup, ranch, sour cream, garlic aioli, etc. etc. you can get totally creative!

...now I'm regretting that I didn't make some kind of roasted garlic dipping sauce for these...

well...guess it's time for another batch!

Homemade, Baked Tater Tots!

Tater Tots.

Or, as the kids say, "tots".

Who doesn't love these little crunchy balls of potato? They give you instant nostalgia, and, I mean, they're gosh darn tasty to boot! But the frozen kind we all buy? What kind of stuff is in there? I don't even want to know. I especially don't want to think about putting all that crap into a poor, impressionable, little future child-thing of mine (although I'm sure at some point, I will, and I was fed almost exclusively processed food as a child...and I'm OK so far. But still...why take chances?). And-they're fried. Something I generally shy away from these days. One day, I was thinking about tater tots. I don't know why. Sometimes food just pops into my head. Anywho, I was thinking, and wondering...could I make baked tater tots? There has to be a recipe for this, right? 

 RIGHT! :)

I was so super excited when I found this recipe, and pretty much made them right away. They are awesome! Much healthier than your normal tater tots, but still crunchy, and potato-y, and so so satisfying to the little kid in all of us. And-a plus-it makes a bunch! Michael and I had tots leftover for days! And they are just as good-just pop them under the broiler until they crisp up! Only downside? Prepare to spend some time making these, it's a surprisingly lengthy process (at least, for me it was). Totally worth it, though. 

Baked Tater Tots

From Pennies On A Platter "Oven Baked Tater Tots"