Homemade Tater Tots : Super Easy Frugal Breakfast or Snack

You know sometimes cooking can be so satisfying to the soul, especially when you make something fried for yourself :)  I'm still feeling super pride in the Tater Tots I made.  It never occurred to me to make these before but I was dying for a savory breakfast this morning.

Ingredients

3 Medium Size Russet Potatoes

1 cup Vegetable Oil (or enought to fill half  your frying pan)

Salt, Pepper to taste

Equipment:

Grater

Slotted Frying Spoon or chopsticks

Instructions:

1.  Throw Potatoes into Pot with enough water to cover Potatoes.  Bring to boil and let simmer for 5 minutes until you can easily pierce the potato with a fork. 

2. Transfer potato's to bath of cold water.  Let set for 2 minutes or till cool enough to handle.

3. Peel the potatoes (skin should come off easily with peeler or you can even use your hands by applying pressure and peeling manually)

4. Shred your potato's in grater.

5.  Take shredded potatoes and form into tight 1 inch balls or to your preference. **form them tight so they don't come loose in the fryer.

6.  Pour in oil to your frying pan and let it get hot. **Very important that its gets hot so you can properly fry, you can test for readiness by throwing small bit of potato in and if it immediately sizzles your good to fry. 

7.  The smaller your tater tots the quicker it'll fry, on average it should take 2-3 minutes till they get crispy on the outside.  Remember to gently transfer the tots to the frying pan and you don't want to splash and burn yourself.  I keep the flame on medium to high the whole time because the more you add the lower the oil temp will get.  Also don't over crowd the pot.

8.  When ready remove with slotted spoon or chopsticks and put on plate with paper towels.

9. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste.  Serve them immediately.

                                     

My 3 potato's made a whole plateful of tater tots.  If your serving this for others and accompanying with other foods like eggs and bacon, then this should be more than enough for 4 people.  Best part ever, is I got my huge 5 lb bag of potatoes for less than $2 and on average that is about 12 potatoes.  So aside from the vegetable oil to fry, this whole plate cost less than $.60!!!!!!!!!

I love this version best because I hate peeling potato's and after boiling its so much easier.  AND you don't have to do the squeezing the liquid out of the potato's to avoid splashing danger.  

 Frugal Tip: I choose really small soup pan because I didn't want to waste oil but that made it every difficult to get the slotted spoon in.  You can also do what the Chinese Take Out places do and reuse this oil for frying again.  Hint hint: you can make more and fry half way to freeze for another time.