
homemade tater tots
Thank you to teenytinykitchen.com for this appetizer sure to please. It’s like a gutted jalapeno popper! Love the kick of the cheese sauce.
Homemade Tater Tots w/ Cheddar Habenaro Sauce
Author: teenytinykitchen.com
Recipe type: Appetizer
Serves: 12 tots
Ingredients
- Tater Tots
- 3 medium russet potatoes
- Canola or vegetable oil
- ½ of a small red onion
- 1 tbsp. of corn starch
- 1 tsp. of salt
- 1 tsp. of pepper
- 1 tsp. of cayenne (optional)
- Cheddar Habenaro Sauce
- 1 tbsp. of unsalted butter
- ½ of a small red onion, diced
- 2 tbsp. of flour + 1 for the cheese
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (they used Cabot's Extra Sharp)
- 1 tsp. of dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. of habanero sauce (they used "Habanero Heaven, a deadly pepper sauce.")
Instructions
- Tater Tots
- Slice the potatoes into one-inch cubes. Fill a large bowl with cold water and move the potatoes around in it to release some of the starch. Drain the potatoes in a strainer and let them dry for 10 minutes.
- Pour an inch of the oil into a large frying pan and bring it to 350 degrees over medium heat. Fry potatoes until light brown, stirring occasionally with a wire mesh spoon to keep them from sticking to the bottom.
- Let the potatoes drain and cool in a sieve lined with a paper towel.
- Once cooled, run the potatoes through a food processor or salad shooter along with the onion.
- Combine the potato-onion mixture with the cornstarch, salt, pepper and cayenne. Reheat the oil in the frying pan and, while that's heating, form the tater tots. Drop them into the oil and brown on both sides, about 2 minutes.
- Serve warm with the dipping sauce.
- Cheddar Habenaro Sauce
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan and saute the onion. Add the flour and stir well for 1 minute.
- Add the milk, mustard and habanero sauce. When the milk is hot but not boiling quickly combine the cheese and additional tablespoon of flour and add to the milk. Stir until the cheese is melted, approximately 2 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add more milk.