Relive the Best Part of School Lunch With These Mouthwatering Tots Recipes

You probably remember tater tots as the coveted (and greasy) pillows of potato-y goodness served at school lunches. Tater tots always stood out as a beacon of Flavortown among the styrofoam cafeteria-school pizzas and other disappointing entrées that were deemed suitable by the government to fuel our growing bodies.

Even after we burgeoned into adults with more refined palates, we still remember those tater tots fondly; the ones from school had a certain je ne sais quoi that the frozen bags of tots at the grocery store lack. Luckily, there’s a way that you can still enjoy eating those magical tots, and no, it doesn’t involve posing as a student (even though back-to-school time is on the horizon). It’s easy: just make your own.

We searched The Food Monster App and came back with seven delicious ways to recreate the best part of school lunch. These recipes are so good, you’ll want to stash them in your pocket:

1. Cheesy Sweet Potato Tots

Source: Cheesy Sweet Potato Tots

Super easy. Kid Friendly. Delicious. Diana Johnson‘s sweet potato tots are a great snack filler – they taste sweet, cheesy, and “unhealthy,” but are simply a combination of sweet potato, nutritional yeast, and spices.

2. Zucchini Tater Tots

Source: Zucchini Tater Tots

Making Kirsten Kaminski‘s Zucchini Tater Tots is as easy as mashing potato and grated zucchini together, forming them into tots, and baking them until golden and crispy.

3. Japanese Sweet Potato Tots

Source: Japanese Sweet Potato Tots

Made from Japanese sweet potato and potatoes, then spiced up with fresh herbs and coated in panko, these Sweet Potato Tots by Maria Koutsogiannis are something special. They’re baked and then broiled to ensure an addictive crispiness and served alongside a colorful, spicy, and creamy tahini dip.

4. Cheesy Broccoli Tots

Source: Cheesy Broccoli Tots

Shea Cope‘s Cheesy Broccoli Tots are made by combining black-eyed peas and broccoli, plus nutritional yeast to give it that cheesy flavor. They’re baked, not fried, but they turn out with that perfect texture — crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Served with cashew ranch dip, these tots are perfect for any occasion.

5. Cauliflower Tots With Herbed Tofu Dip

Source: Cauliflower Tots With Herbed Tofu Dip

Lenia Patsi‘s cauliflower tots are like tater tots 2.0 — and they’re so good, you’ll never want to share them with anyone. Cauliflower is cooked then blended with bread crumbs and plenty of seasoning, then shaped and baked until crispy on the outside.

6. Potato and Cauliflower Tots

Source: Potato and Cauliflower Tots

There’s something about tater tots that just scream to be enjoyed. Erin McKenna‘s Potato and Cauliflower Tots version uses cauliflower and non-dairy, gluten-free cheese to up the flavor ante and make these almost too delicious to dip!

7. Guac Tots With Pico de Gallo

Source: Guac Tots With Pico de Gallo

Freezing the avocado filling first ensures perfectly shaped tots and makes frying a cinch. You can prepare the Guac Tots ahead of time and freeze them for later; they’ll keep for up to three months. They’re great to pull out for casual get-togethers – Be careful, though: Kids and adults both love them, and these tots go fast! We suggest tripling or even quadrupling this recipe from the Avocaderia cookbook if you’re serving a large crowd. Don’t say we didn’t warn you…

If you’re looking for more delicious and plant-based recipes, especially ones involving potatoes, then we highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for both Android and iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 20,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to ten new recipes per day. Check it out!

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