Tater Tots

 Homemade Tater Tots

I have been wanting to make these for some time now.  When I first looked up some recipes I found all kinds of delicious recipes.  Some were plain, some spicy, some made with leftover mash, and some with shredded potatoes.  I wanted my texture to resemble a tater tot what we are all familiar with. You know the ones,....the ones sold in a bag found, in the frozen food section of the grocery store.  

Where did the tater tot come from?  Tater tots were invented in 1953 when an American frozen food company experimented with leftover slivers of cut-up potatoes.  

When my children were little, they loved tater tots.  They were the perfect size that fit into their tiny hands.  I would put an array of different sauces on the table, which allowed them to dip into and experiments with all the separate flavors.  Of course, their favorite dipping sauce was ketchup.  

Next, I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay with the original plain shredded potato tot.  I am an adventurous person and figured, hey if they don't come out right I can redo them.  So, I decided to make an adult tater tot, since I have no kids in the house to consider.  My choice was bacon, onion, garlic, and cheddar cheese.  I would use the cheddar cheese to help with the binding.  

Now, will I bake them or fry them?  I love fried foods.  This day I made the tots I happen to make other fried food the same day.  So, I decided to bake them.  How well will my tots stay together?  Should I use egg as another binder?  These were all questions that I had for myself to answer.  I knew I had to do a little experiment.  I made my mixture and then molded a couple tots together.  I placed them in my little toaster oven for 15 mins.  After letting them cool a bit I realized the bottom of the tot was crispy but the top was a lot softer.  I knew this would work in my convection oven at a higher temperature.  

And this is how my amazing tater tot recipe was born.

Ingredients:
2 large russet potatoes, peeled
2 TBS grated cheese
4 bacon strips, cooked and chopped fine
1 TBS chives
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

Directions:
1.  Peel potatoes and place them in a pot.  Cover potatoes with water.  Parboil the potatoes until they become almost soft in the center.  Note:  You do not want them all the way cooked.  Remove potatoes from the pot and let them cool.  With a box grater, shred them on the large shredder.  Add the potatoes to a mixing bowl. 
2.  Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.  Add grated cheese, bacon, chives, cheddar, garlic, and onion powders.  Fold to incorporate into the shredded potatoes.
3.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (I used my convection oven).  Fill a small cookie scoop with the filling.  Place in the center of your palm, gently squeeze the tot, and then mold into a tater tot shape.  Place the tot on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  If you do not have parchment paper just spray your baking sheet with cooking spray really well.  Repeat the molding process for the remaining tots.
Bake for approx. 25 mins or till desired crispiness.  

Chocolate Strawberry Roll Ups/Turkey Club Skewers

Back to school Already?  Get their mornings starting right with some

yummy treats to pack into their lunch boxes.  These delicious treats will

become a regular favorite; your children will not be able to wait to eat.  

These roll ups are unique because they made with Three Bakers Gluten

Free White Bread, stuffed with fresh strawberries and rolled in ground

up Three Bakers Gluten Free Chocolate Snackers, making these little

babies delicious with a slightly sweet crunch.  But don't stop here.  

Switch them up!  How about spreading some creamy peanut butter with

a dollop of their favorite jelly.  Ohhh,  I just had another idea!  

Try some spreadable cheese with diced up ham, then roll in some

ground up Three Bakers Cheddar Cheese Snackers.

Now, let's talk about the skewers.  Stack cubes of turkey, 

chicken, ham or roast beef with any type of cheese.  Then

add the bacon, because everyone loves bacon.  Let them choose

the varieties and put them together.  It makes eating lunch more enjoyable.

Chocolate Strawberry Roll Up Ingredients:
10 slices white bread, warm
10 TBS cream cheese, room temperature
10 Ripe strawberries, diced
8 TBS butter, melted

Crust Mixture:
1 cup chocolate, chocolate chip snackers, ground
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1.  Cut crust off bread.  Warm in microwave for 10 seconds.  With a small rolling pin, roll each slice thin.  Spread each piece with 1 TBS cream cheese.  Sprinkle 1 tsp diced strawberries over top.  Carefully fold up like jelly roll.
2.  Bake or toast for 5 mins.
3.  Brush with melted butter.  Roll into crust mixture.
     (Crust Mixture Recipe:  Grind all together, place in bowl)
Makes 10 Roll Ups


Turkey Club Skewers Ingredients:

5 slices white bread
10 ( 1 inch cube) turkey
10 (1 inch cube ) cheese
10 ( 1 inch piece) bacon
10 grape tomatoes
10 sticks (found at any craft store)

Directions:
1.  With small round cookie cut, cut out 20 circles from bread
2.  To assemble:  Place one piece of bread on stick.  Slide down stick, leaving approx. 1 inch from bottom.  Place one piece each of turkey, cheese and bacon through stick, ending with a second piece of bread.
Makes 10 skewers

Caramel Dip:
4 ozs cream cheese
4 TBS caramel sauce
(Blend well)
Optional ( 1 TBS powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla)

CAPIROTADA (MEXICAN BREAD PUDDING)

Capirotada is a traditional Mexican dish, usually served as a dessert.

This dish is similar to a bread pudding.  It is made with pure brown sugar 

called Piloncillo, found in the specialty section, of your grocery store.

The sugar is cooked down to a syrup with added spices, such as star anise, 

cinnamon sticks and cloves.   The aroma from the syrup will drive you

INSANE!!!  You can add any variety of nuts, cheeses, fresh and dry fruits.                                           I have to admit, I had a hard time wrapping my head around the addition of 

Mexican cheese, but it definitely balanced the whole dish, making you say

WOW!!! 

INGREDIENTS:
1 loaf Three Bakers MaxOmega bread, cubed
1 stick butter, melted
3 cups water
2 piloncillo cones (8ozs) or 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
3 star anise spice
2 apples, peeled and sliced thin ( I used macintosh)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup dry cherries
8 ozs Monterey Jack, shredded
vanilla ice cream


DIRECTIONS:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cube bread spread evenly on bottom of baking sheet.  Bake for 15-20 mins.
2.  Add bread to large bowl.  Drizzle butter over top of bread and toss well.  Put aside.
3.  In a medium size sauce pan, on high heat add water, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and anise.  Cook to dissolve sugar and bring to boil, approx. 15 mins.  Reduce heat and simmer for additional 10-15 mins.  Strain and reserve liquid only.
4.  Add your apples, walnuts, cherries and cheese into separate bowls for easy assembling.
5.  Add approx 1/3 of bread at bottom of baking dish.  Add 1/2 of the apples spreading across top of bread.  Add 1/3 walnuts, cherries and cheese, spreading across top of apples.  Pour 1/3 of the syrup over top.  Let sit for 10 mins so bread can absorb liquid.  Add 1/3 of bread to top.  Add other 1/2 of apples.  Add 1/3 of walnuts, cherries and cheese.  Pour 1/3 syrup over top.  Let sit for additional 10 mins.  Add remaining bread, walnuts, cherries and cheese.  Pour remaining syrup over top and let sit for another 10 mins.  Bake covered for 15 mins.  Remove cover and bake another 10 mins.
Serve with vanilla ice cream, sprinkle of sugar/cinnamon and chopped walnuts.

Mexican Turkey Meatballs

Meatball Mixture:
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 egg
2 tbs scallion, chopped
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper

Sauce:
12 oz chunky salsa
1/4 c brown sugar


Mix meatball mixture ingredients together in bowl.  Roll into balls and fry on med until brown.  Remove meatballs from frying pan and put aside.  Drain oil from pan.  Add salsa and sugar, simmer on med/low heat until liquid is reduced.  Add meatballs to sauce, stir.  Serve with flour tortilla.  Garnish with sour cream, guacamole and cilantro.

Five Cheese Mac and Cheese

1 1/2 cups dry elbows (or favorite)
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 lb shredded Velveeta
1/2 lb American Cheese
4 Tbs Parmesan, grated
4 Tbs Roman, grated
2 Tbs Asiago, grated
2 Tbs butter
1/2 tsp chicken bouillon
salt, to taste

In small sauce pan add 1 1/2 cups of elbows to boiling water, cook al dente, drain.  In same pan
combine milk, Velveeta, american, Parmesan, Roman Asiago cheeses, butter, broth and dash salt.  Simmer on low until all cheeses melt, stirring.  Add drained pasta to melted cheeses, stir and serve.

Mini Corn Dogs (Baked "not fried")

1 box 8.5 oz Jiffy Mix
1 egg
1/3 c milk or half and half
6 hot dogs, cut in half
velveeta cheese (opt) or other American Cheese
mini loaf pan, also can use mini cupcake pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In large bowl mix Jiffy mix, egg and milk.  Spray individual inside of loaf pan with non stick spray so corn dogs do not stick.  Spoon 1 tsp into each loaf or cupcake cavity.
Place half of a hot dog on top of batter, add cheese.  Top with additional batter.  Bake approx. 15 mins.
*Note: You may leave some batter off tops of corn dogs to create an open face corn dog.  Serve with favorite dipping sauce.

Play Dough

Recipe Below is for each color:

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp oil
1 Tbs salt
Food coloring
4 small bowls
4 large bowls

Recipe is for one (1) color:  To make four (4) colors you must quadruple recipe.
In each small bowl mix flour, tartar and salt.  In large bowls combine warm water, oil and food coloring.  (remember to drop different colors of dye into each large bowl to make different color balls of dough).  Add each dry ingredient bowls into colored water bowls.  Mix each color ball separately by hand and knead on counter.  Add extra flour, if needed and knead.

Kid Friendly Beef and Spaghetti

1/2 lb ground beef
1 can tomato soup
1 can water
1/4 c grated cheese, plus extra for topping
salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef in medium pan (medium heat).   Add can of tomato soup and water.  Simmer for 10 mins, add 1/4 c grated cheese and salt/pepper to taste.  Serve with favorite pasta, top w/grated cheese.

Chicken Strips w/Ma'mu'ke Sauce

3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
oil for frying
1 beaten egg
1 c seasoned bread crumbs
1 tbs grated cheese
1/2 tsp dry basil

In small bowl combine bread crumbs, cheese and basil.  In another small bowl break egg and beat.  In medium pan, heat oil on medium.  Dip strips in egg mixture then into bread crumb mixture.  Place into hot oil, brown.  Turn over and brown other side.  Drain on paper towels on large plate.

Ma'mu'ke Sauce:
2 parts mayo
1 part mustard
1 part ketchup
(For Adults: add Horseradish, opt)

Mini Sliders w/Ma'mu'ke Sauce

1 lb ground beef
11 slices american bread
4 slices american cheese
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced into 16 pieces

Roll 1 oz balls of ground beef, flatten into patties.  Place patties into large preheated skillet (med heat).  Brown on each side until no longer red in center.  Toast bread. With cookie cutter or round object, cut 2-2 1/2 inch rings, put aside.  Wash, peel and slice cucumber into 16 slices.  Assemble, enjoy!!!!

Ma'mu'ke Sauce:
1/2 c mayo
1/4 c mustard
1/4 c ketchup
mix all ingredients in small bowl.  Refrigerate any leftovers.