Skip To Content
BuzzFeed Homepage
Sign In
Search BuzzFeed

    These Tater Tot Recipes Are Crazy But Totally Genius

    Taters gonna tate, but there are so many ways to improve on the original.

    by Christine Byrne, Jessica Maroney, Tasty
    Charlotte Gomez / BuzzFeed

    1. Cheese Grits Tots

    Jessica Maroney

    Yield: 4 Servings, 20 tots

    INGREDIENTS

    1 cup grits

    1 tablespoon butter

    4 teaspoons of salt

    ¾ cup white sharp cheddar, shredded

    ¼ cup green onion, chopped

    4 strips of cooked bacon, finely chopped

    2 cloves of garlic, minced

    ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning

    ¼ teaspoon paprika

    ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    ¼ teaspoon onion powder

    PREPARATION

    1. Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil.

    2. Pour in grits, reduce heat to medium and stir until thick, about 5 minutes.

    3. Add butter and salt, reduce heat to low. (IMPORTANT: We all know butter is wonderful, but adding more will effect the tot shape. If you’re just enjoying a bowl while the rest of the grits set in the fridge, please add as much butter as you desire at that point.)

    4. Mix in green onion, bacon, cheese, garlic, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, and Cajun seasoning. Note that these flavors will intensify as they marinate in the fridge.

    5. Pour grits into a 9x12-inch pan. Spread the mixture out with a spatula so there is a 1 to 1 ½ inch-thick layer of grits.

    6. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

    7. After chilling, dab the grits with a paper towel if any visible moisture exists.

    8. Preheat the oven to 450˚F/230˚C.

    9. To make the tots, take a tall shot glass, then press and rotate into the grit cake and pull out the tot. (Wipe glass if it gets too gritty).

    10. Place tots on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

    The extra grits will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. These can be enjoyed pan fried, baked or reheated.

    Recipe by Jessica Maroney

    2. Pizza Tots

    buzzfeed.com

    Let tots be the canvas for your wildest pizza dreams. Recipe here.

    3. Churro Tater Tots with Dulce De Leche

    iwillnoteatoysters.com

    I'm pretty sweet on these tots. Recipe here.

    4. Cheese-Stuffed Tater Tots

    buzzfeed.com

    Sometimes it's OK to be really cheesy. Recipe here.

    5. Four-Ingredient Zucchini Tater Tots

    shelikesfood.com

    Really great way to squash a tot craving, if you know what I mean. Recipe here.

    6. Baked Cinnamon-Sugar Sweet Potato Tots

    runningwithspoons.com
    runningwithspoons.com

    Ready for a gluten-free dessert that's actually pretty good for you? Sweet, let's do this. Recipe here.

    7. Broccoli Tots

    buzzfeed.com

    Cheese + vegetable is the ultimate healthy compromise. Recipe here.

    8. Butternut Squash Tots

    buzzfeed.com

    Your kids won't eat vegetables? Butter(nut) them up with these fun, healthy tots.

    9. Cheeseburger Tots

    Alvin Zhou / BuzzFeed

    Taters gonna tate, but these are basically a full burger-and-fries meal rolled into one. Recipe here.

    10. Five-Ingredient Cauliflower Tots

    justataste.com

    If you're into cauliflower pizza, you definitely need to try these easy (and a little cheesy) tots. Recipe here.

    11. Bean and Sweet Potato Tots

    kblog.lunchboxbunch.com

    Plenty of filling fiber in these healthier tots. Recipe here.

    12. Hasselback Tater Tots

    thekitchn.com

    Think of the slits as ketchup catchers. Recipe here.

    13. Bacon-Wrapped Tater Tot Bombs

    damndelicious.net

    Don't tell me you didn't see this one coming. Recipe here.