Tater Tots

This recipe was a mess for me. Not sure where I went wrong, but it took a terrible turn when I tried to roll up the tots into a log. It stuck to everything - my hands, my hair, the cabinets as stuff flung around. They fell apart in the fryer and I almost cried. But they did taste good. Just looked more like blown up hashbrowns than tater tots.

Have made this twice, and they’re insanely delicious. I feel like I haven’t quite nailed the right amount to parboil the potatoes- if you cook them all the way I feel like while shaping you have to be careful otherwise you make fried mashed potato balls (which are as delicious as they sound so no real foul), but in order to maintain the texture of tater tots I’d recommend par boiling to “al dente” and using a light hand when shaping.

For those without a food processor, I’m wondering if a potato ricer might work & be less time consuming than a box grater...

Please save yourself time and agita by plopping the dough in a piping bag or a sausage extruder to form little cylinders. Outside the box - adding chopped, dried cranberries makes this tasty and festive. (Disclaimer: I'm a Cape Codder)

Notes suggest rolling potato mixture into a rope, cutting into tot size or using a small scoop. Tots can also be shaped and then frozen.

Potato starch makes for a crispier tot m

This was a disappointment. The tots looked more like little ETs, with straggly arms. Maybe the grater wasn't fine enough? Or new little potatoes didn't have enough starch? Was the oil hot enough? Anyway, it tasted like slightly oily hashed browns.

I would like to try this in my air fryer.

I tried this last night and it was a disaster. I think I overcooked the potatoes. When I put them in the blender and hit grate, I got puree. I will make this recipe again, since I am a big Mark Bittman fan, in fact the Tater Tots were supposed to accompany his Deviled Chicken recipe, last night. It came out great. I'm thinking next time, I will parboil the potatoes and grate by hand.

Used “baby” redskin potatoes. I shredded with a box grater, didn’t squeeze and they were great. Only problem was shredding the skin.

I'd like to make these ahead for a party...can they be frozen and reheated?

I've made these several times! A few tips. Grate raw onion, blot dry, and mix with the cooked potatoes—the BEST! • Tapioca starch works better for me. • First time I wanted the iconic tot shape so I rolled the "dough" into 2 ropes on a lightly starch-dusted surface and cut into cylinders. • Last time I used a 3/4" scoop to make perfect orbs. • However you shape them do it before or while the oil heats, not when it's already hot. • Make-ahead and freeze tots on a sheet pan then store in a baggie.

I'm confused. Parboil implies that the potato will not be fully cooked, but cook until tender implies the the potato will be fully cooked. How far along should the potatoes be cooked? Should a paring knife easily pierce the potato or meet resistance? Appreciate any response to clarify!