# Tater Tots



## Rings Я Us (May 21, 2018)

I've seen a bunch of people with tater tots on their plates in the past few months. I don't think I ever bought tater tots.. I do believe my mom made tater tots for us kids back in the 70s maybe.. 
 I never knew so many 50+ age people bought tater tots.  
Learn something new everyday. :D


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## pc farmer (May 21, 2018)

I love tater tots and cheesy tots


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## Rings Я Us (May 21, 2018)

Haha..  I need to get a bag one day.


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## pc farmer (May 21, 2018)

Rings Я Us said:


> Haha..  I need to get a bag one day.




I just reread your post.  I am not 50+.   Is 40 close enough?


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## SonnyE (May 21, 2018)

If you like taters, or Hash Browns, you will probably like them.
Heat them in the Oven on a cookie sheet, or in a CI pan.
They look a lot like hash browns in little cubes or balls.
Try a bag, Johnny. ;)


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## Rings Я Us (May 21, 2018)

Some eggs and a dash of hot sauce..  fast snack!


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## SonnyE (May 21, 2018)

Also good with a dab of Ranch Dressing!


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## isitdoneyet (May 21, 2018)

Tater tots baked in oven till crisp then covered with smoked pulled pork butt, smoked cheddar, and a couple of fried eggs, then back in oven to melt cheese is a wonderful meal.


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## gonavy (May 21, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> If you like taters, or Hash Browns, you will probably like them.
> Heat them in the Oven on a cookie sheet, or in a CI pan.
> They look a lot like hash browns in little cubes or balls.
> Try a bag, Johnny. ;)



no...no...nooooo they must be deep fried, all that crunchy goodness gets messed up in the oven.  I eat them all the time and I am 60+...I am an expert, trust me on this...lol


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## SonnyE (May 21, 2018)

gonavy said:


> no...no...nooooo they must be deep fried, all that crunchy goodness gets messed up in the oven.  I eat them all the time and I am 60+...I am an expert, trust me on this...lol



I'm 68, a heart patient, and what the hell are you thinking man?
Intravenous cholesterol injections?

I'm pulling seniority... LMAO!


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## Smoke23 (May 21, 2018)

Tater tots are very good but I if given a choice I’d pick crispy crowns over tater tots...


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## zippy12 (May 21, 2018)

I like the Green Giant spin ...  Coliflour tots and Broccoli Tots


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## Geebs (May 21, 2018)

I love tater tots, well basically any kind of fried potato. But I have recently given up all fried foods and anything to do with potatoes, need to find some tasty but healthy alternatives.


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## myownidaho (May 21, 2018)

I hadn’t had tots in many years until I moved to Idaho. Tots are a choice at many diner type places and are deep fried. I’ll take them over fries.


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## Tc23 (May 21, 2018)

Fried tater tots topped with sausage white gravy is where it's at!!:D


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## GaryHibbert (May 21, 2018)

I love tater tots cooked in about a half inch of melted butter in a CI pan.
Gary


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## myownidaho (May 21, 2018)

GaryHibbert said:


> I love tater tots cooked in about a half inch of melted butter in a CI pan.
> Gary



Tell me what isn't to love that's cooked in 1/2" of butter in cast iron skillet...


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## gmc2003 (May 22, 2018)

zippy12 said:


> I like the Green Giant spin ...  Coliflour tots and Broccoli Tots



I like cauliflower and broccoli, but if I'm having tot's I want them to be as unhealthy as possible and 100% potato or whatever they're made of. 

They also make a great vessel when giving the pooch his medicine. Skidmark is a tater tot eating machine.

Chris


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## Bearcarver (May 22, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> I'm 68, a heart patient, and what the hell are you thinking man?
> Intravenous cholesterol injections?
> 
> I'm pulling seniority... LMAO!




68, huh----That's why we call you "Sonny".

Bear


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## browneyesvictim (May 22, 2018)

In the fryer for sure! I know some of you guys have AIR FRYERS... How does that work with tots? I'm on the fence on buying one... I need a push.


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## Bearcarver (May 22, 2018)

browneyesvictim said:


> In the fryer for sure! I know some of you guys have AIR FRYERS... How does that work with tots? I'm on the fence on buying one... I need a push.




AirFryer works Awesome  with Tater Tots, especially when wrapped in Bacon!!!

Bear


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## rc4u (May 22, 2018)

oh you put the tots on the grill....when i make steaks or burgers i put the tots on my pan that has lots of holes some newer ones have lots of slits...well let them over the sink for half hour or so...then put on hot grill center burner off and outers on close to high after hot like 400-450 put em on and let em site for 5-7 minutes closed and then turn em. they get so much better of a crisp.. not dried like oven if you want crispier tots...love em..takes longer than the burgers or steaks. which i cook high also.


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## SonnyE (May 22, 2018)

browneyesvictim said:


> In the fryer for sure! I know some of you guys have AIR FRYERS... How does that work with tots? I'm on the fence on buying one... I need a push.



Bear and I have the same big Air Fryer.
I mostly use ours to make chicken Legs and Thighs with the skin on, and crispy! I smoked my chicken, then ran it through the Air Fryer for Crispy Smoked Chicken.
But I also use ours to do cabin fries. Hand cut, skin on French Fries.

But wait.... There's more! :p
They have an entirely new design out that does 3 different ways.

I haven't tried it with Tater Tots yet. We just do ours in the oven.
But I'm sure you could do Tater Tots in one.


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## browneyesvictim (May 22, 2018)

bearcarver said:


> AirFryer works Awesome with Tater Tots, especially when wrapped in Bacon!!!
> 
> Bear



Now that's cheat'n! I would think those tots would soak up the bacon fat and be tasty for sure, but not so crispy taters.. but the bacon would.

Say.. that gives me an idea... I bought some of those breakfast potato patties which are just like tots for camping this weekend, just because they are easy. I might be getting creative.


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## SonnyE (May 22, 2018)

Smoke23 said:


> Tater tots are very good but I if given a choice I’d pick crispy crowns over tater tots...



Like this? Crispy Crowns.


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## SonnyE (May 22, 2018)

bearcarver said:


> 68, huh----That's why we call you "Sonny".
> 
> Bear



No, you call me Sonny, because I'm a Junior, named after my Dad.
He nick-named me Sonny as a baby.
And my Family and Friends refer to me as Sonny. ;)


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## browneyesvictim (May 22, 2018)

Oh... and the fast food taco chains around here call them "mexi-fries". :rolleyes:


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## Bearcarver (May 22, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> No, you call me Sonny, because I'm a Junior, named after my Dad.
> He nick-named me Sonny as a baby.
> And my Family and Friends refer to me as Sonny. ;)




No, I'm not your Family.
I call you Sonny because that's your nickname here, and because you're just a 68 year old Kid that thinks he's Old.

Bear


SonnyE said:


> *Bear and I have the same big Air Fryer.
> I mostly use ours to make chicken Legs and Thighs with the skin on, and crispy! I smoked my chicken, then ran it through the Air Fryer for Crispy Smoked Chicken.
> But I also use ours to do cabin fries. Hand cut, skin on French Fries.*
> 
> ...




You should post these things with pictures. I have a few in my Step by Step Index.
That way I don't have to talk about things. No Pics--Never Happened.
I heard about those Chicken parts on a couple threads, but haven't seen them yet.

Bear


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## Smoke23 (May 22, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> Like this? Crispy Crowns.


Yep! More like a disk as opposed to a drum (tater tot).


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## SonnyE (May 22, 2018)

bearcarver said:


> No, I'm not your Family.
> I call you Sonny because that's your nickname here, and because you're just a 68 year old Kid that thinks he's Old.
> 
> Bear
> ...



Listen, I may be getting Older, but I refuse to grow up!

You old Bear, those Bold typed, underlined parts are LINKS.
But since that corn-fused you, Click here:
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/smoked-chicken-thighs-with-crispy-skin.270987/

Complete, with Pictures. It happened.
And if you look a little further, you are in the replies. :oops:   :rolleyes: Gottcha! o_O

You call me Sonny because we are Friends. As shocking as that may be to you. :p:eek::D
And I'm younger (by 1 year), and run faster. LOL!

OK, you can roar and claw the trees now. :D;)


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## Bearcarver (May 23, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> Listen, I may be getting Older, but I refuse to grow up!
> 
> You old Bear, those Bold typed, underlined parts are LINKS.
> But since that corn-fused you, Click here:
> ...





I forgot all about that one---Thanks for the Link, Junior!!
I've been waiting for somebody to explain how to do chicken in the HotAirFryer, because out of all the things I've done in mine, Chicken was the only thing I wasn't happy with.
First of all I could only get 3 thighs in at once to keep them from being on top of each other.
Then I had to do them a lot longer than the Recipe book said to do them, and they still came out soggy & pale.
Yours look kinda pale, so that might just be the nature of the beast, but mine were soggy, and yours weren't. What Gives?? What did I do wrong?

BTW: I saw that new Hot Air Oven on TV----Makes me wish I didn't buy the one I have, so I could get that Big one!!!

Bear


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## bluewhisper (May 23, 2018)

Well, I have ten fresh stitches in my left hand, and I've lost the use of it for food prep








so supper tonight will be stuff I can eat with one hand, tater tots and chicken strips and some kind of frozen vegetables.


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## Bearcarver (May 23, 2018)

bluewhisper said:


> Well, I have ten fresh stitches in my left hand, and I've lost the use of it for food prep
> 
> so supper tonight will be stuff I can eat with one hand, tater tots and chicken strips and some kind of frozen vegetables.





Oh--No!!!!
And you did that How??

Bear


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## zwiller (May 23, 2018)

I have to chuckle, I noticed all the tot shots too.  That and the gravy.  Wife is a scullery maid (works in the school kitchen).  Secret weapon:convection oven, that and they are practically thawed by the time they hit the oven.  Seeing that an air fryer is essentially the same thing it oughta rock on tots.  Not gonna do an air fryer will probably just gonna upgrade the oven when time comes.  Stuffer and SV machine are higher on "the list".  

Damn Blue hope all is OK.


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## bluewhisper (May 23, 2018)

It's a strange story involving my hand, rolling a lifting device, and a roof support pillar. My hand got pinched between the pillar and the handle, and that tore open a deep cut almost all the way across my palm. I was dripping blood for a few hours. Shots, stitches, bandages. I can't hold a knife or fork, so it's bite food I can eat with one hand.


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## Bearcarver (May 23, 2018)

Ouch!!
I hate when that happens!!
A one second long screw-up can cause a long term of Pain & Annoyance.
Take care of it !!

My last one of those was when I actually stopped a Commercial Hedge trimmer with my left thigh.
Now I have a "W" on the front of my Thigh, with nothing to say but, "Nice Play Shakespeare!!"

Bear


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## Rings Я Us (May 23, 2018)

Tater tots and chicken wings, with one hand!
Sorry to hear about the gash.


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## SonnyE (May 23, 2018)

bearcarver said:


> I forgot all about that one---Thanks for the Link, Junior!!
> I've been waiting for somebody to explain how to do chicken in the HotAirFryer, because out of all the things I've done in mine, Chicken was the only thing I wasn't happy with.
> First of all I could only get 3 thighs in at once to keep them from being on top of each other.
> Then I had to do them a lot longer than the Recipe book said to do them, and they still came out soggy & pale.
> ...



Sounds like maybe your chicken thighs are quite big. :rolleyes: I can get 4 in as a rule.
I just use the pre-set menu. I _do_ do a 10 minute pre-heat at the drumstick (Chicken) setting. (Where you move it around to the Drumstick), do a 20 minute, turn it over and do the second run of 20 minutes. The second run seems to crisp it up.
I use a seasoning called Chef Merito Pollo Seasoning. Learned that trick from the DIL's parents.
http://www.chefmerito.com/storelocator.aspx

I did learn the hard way to start with the skin side up. Otherwise the crispy skin you are trying to achieve gets stuck to the pan. :mad:

Most recently, we had the Son and Grand-kids over for chicken dinner, I managed to get 3 thighs, and 4 drumstick in and they came out good in spite of me.
We buy large packages of skin on thighs (12) and drumsticks, and I repackage them into 3t and 4d for the freezer. Or sometimes just 4 and 4 separate. Then pull what we need.
In fact, you talked me into it. I got out some to Air Fry tonight.

Anyway, maybe smaller thighs, 360 degrees, and 20-20 turns? That's all I can think of Bear.
But the smoke then Air Fry was a winner-winner chicken dinner to me. :D

My french fries tend to come out a tad done, but I like them that way anyway.

Maybe folks with a preference for Deep Frying wouldn't like the Air Fryer as much? But we do.


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## SonnyE (May 23, 2018)

bluewhisper said:


> It's a strange story involving my hand, rolling a lifting device, and a roof support pillar. My hand got pinched between the pillar and the handle, and that tore open a deep cut almost all the way across my palm. I was dripping blood for a few hours. Shots, stitches, bandages. I can't hold a knife or fork, so it's bite food I can eat with one hand.



Follow orders, and take care of it. Light duty for 7-10 days.
One handed cooking, should be an adventure.


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## RiversideSm0ker (May 23, 2018)

I hate to fit a stereotype but I guess in this case I have passed 50 and love me some tater tots.

George


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## Bearcarver (May 23, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> Sounds like maybe your chicken thighs are quite big. :rolleyes: I can get 4 in as a rule.
> I just use the pre-set menu. I _do_ do a 10 minute pre-heat at the drumstick (Chicken) setting. (Where you move it around to the Drumstick), do a 20 minute, turn it over and do the second run of 20 minutes. The second run seems to crisp it up.
> I use a seasoning called Chef Merito Pollo Seasoning. Learned that trick from the DIL's parents.
> http://www.chefmerito.com/storelocator.aspx
> ...





Yup, the only thing you did that I didn't was Cold Smoking them first.
I kept putting them back in after their time was done, and they never dried out any with even Doubling the time.

My Tater tots were perfect, my Fries are always right on, Great Stromboli, Awesome Fresh Sausage and Smoky Links.
But Lousy Chicken!!
So I said Screw-it---I got more important things to do.

Bear


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## mike243 (May 23, 2018)

Love tots but the ones with onions are the best,diabetic so dont have them often


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## bluewhisper (May 23, 2018)

Got the onion tots finishing in the oven now.


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## js0813 (Jun 3, 2018)

38 and we destroy some tots with our kids!  We found a new love for them...defrost some and put them in a greased & hot waffle iron. Then throw a sausage patty and some cheese on top when done. Maybe some Yellowbird Habenero hot sauce. Game over.


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## Jeff Wright (Jul 18, 2018)

Geebs said:


> I love tater tots, well basically any kind of fried potato. But I have recently given up all fried foods and anything to do with potatoes, need to find some tasty but healthy alternatives.


Just joking, but have you ever looked up an Hawkeye in an urban dictionary?

Oh my!!!

And I am firmly in the Tater Tot side...although I love mine cooked in my air fryer.


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## illini40 (Jul 18, 2018)

Don't mean to thread jack...but does anyone do tots on their smoker? Or need higher temps?


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## TomKnollRFV (Jul 18, 2018)

Rings Я Us said:


> I've seen a bunch of people with tater tots on their plates in the past few months. I don't think I ever bought tater tots.. I do believe my mom made tater tots for us kids back in the 70s maybe..
> I never knew so many 50+ age people bought tater tots.
> Learn something new everyday. :D


When I'm in my 50+ Bracket, I'll still like tater tots! They're the best form of taters next to mashed!


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## Rings Я Us (Jul 18, 2018)

I think they do those on the grill in like a basket.


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## SlickRockStones (Jul 19, 2018)

Bunny’s go to meal when nothing sounds good....Sloppy Joes and Oreida Crispy Crowns with apple sauce.


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## MeatSkull (Jul 19, 2018)

I just discovered Tater Tots in my new air fryer, oh yeah!


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## MeatSkull (Jul 19, 2018)

browneyesvictim said:


> In the fryer for sure! I know some of you guys have AIR FRYERS... How does that work with tots? I'm on the fence on buying one... I need a push.


I have to think with my heart and not my stomach these day after my surgery, I even made some hash browns along with fries and tots and they were all actually better without all that grease.


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## SonnyE (Jul 19, 2018)

browneyesvictim said:


> In the fryer for sure! I know some of you guys have AIR FRYERS... How does that work with tots? I'm on the fence on buying one... I need a push.



If you're still holdin out, I'd say get one.
Bear and I have the larger model.
I use mine for chicken thighs and legs with the skin on, and for cabin fries.
It's really convenient, and if I can run it, anybody can run it. There is a lot of pre-programmed stuff it can do.

My only error so far was to do my chicken with the skin down first. It's better with the skin side up for the first run. Then turn it over for the second half. Doing it wrong stuck the skin to the non-stick pan. :confused:
(40 minutes total)


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## Steve H (Jul 20, 2018)

My favorite is take a 10" CI skillet. Fry up about 6 slices of bacon till crispy. Remove bacon. But leave the grease. Put one layer of crispy crowns in pan and let them cook a few minutes. Flip the crowns. Then add a layer of cheddar cheese. Then crumble up the bacon. And place on top of cheese. Put in preheated broiler for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese. Take out, throw a couple tablespoons of sour cream on top and dig in.


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## browneyesvictim (Jul 20, 2018)

MeatSkull said:


> I have to think with my heart and not my stomach these day after my surgery, I even made some hash browns along with fries and tots and they were all actually better without all that grease.





SonnyE said:


> If you're still holdin out, I'd say get one.
> Bear and I have the larger model.
> I use mine for chicken thighs and legs with the skin on, and for cabin fries.
> It's really convenient, and if I can run it, anybody can run it. There is a lot of pre-programmed stuff it can do.
> ...



A couple of things are stopping me from getting an air fryer- counter space and I already have a convection oven. I am trying to learn how to utilize that feature more but I cant quite get the same "deep fried" effect. As I understand it you just cant get the same results with "fresh-battered" things like fresh deep fried beer battered fish. Now like tater tots, or pre-made fish sitcks, yeah. I have done a panko coating and that has been pretty good, but just not the same as if fried in oil.

A handy  tater tot cups- Use a pre-oil a muffin pan and place a few tater tots in the bottom. Oil the bottom of another muffin pan and push it down on top of the other. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Viola! Tater tot cups!
(My favorite use is- add shredded cheese, chopped onion, a fried egg, and then sausage gravy.)


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## SonnyE (Jul 20, 2018)

browneyesvictim said:


> A couple of things are stopping me from getting an air fryer- counter space and I already have a convection oven. I am trying to learn how to utilize that feature more but I cant quite get the same "deep fried" effect. As I understand it you just cant get the same results with "fresh-battered" things like fresh deep fried beer battered fish. Now like tater tots, or pre-made fish sitcks, yeah. I have done a panko coating and that has been pretty good, but just not the same as if fried in oil.
> 
> A handy  tater tot cups- Use a pre-oil a muffin pan and place a few tater tots in the bottom. Oil the bottom of another muffin pan and push it down on top of the other. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Viola! Tater tot cups!
> (My favorite use is- add shredded cheese, chopped onion, a fried egg, and then sausage gravy.)



I don't think you need no Air Fryer gizmo.
I think you have too much fun figuring out funner ways to do stuff. LOL!
Sounds great!
Ever try doing what you do with some shredded tators, or hash brown patties?


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## TomKnollRFV (Jul 20, 2018)

Fun fact about the Tex Mex Chain Taco John <Actually some of ya'all might REMEMBER when it was this way..>

The Potato Oles used to have a bit of refried beans in the middle. 

I know they are more hashbrown rounds then tater tots but still it's sort of relevant..

Also Poutine made with tater tots to me is a bit better then the fries version. <Canadians forgive me> Because I like more crispy bits.


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