On February 2nd, National Tater Tot Day recognizes a kitchen staple. In the United States, we consume approximately 3.5 billion of these nuggets of potato goodness per year.
These bite-sized bits of golden deliciousness created from the scraps from making French fries once were used to feed cattle. But how do the cast-offs from making French fries become the bite-sized, kitchen-friendly morsels we love to devour today? Through persistence and ingenuity, of course!
Two brothers, Nephi and Golden Grigg, along with their brother-in-law started dabbling in frozen food when they rented a plant on the Oregon and Idaho borders in 1934. They focused on making French fries, but the waste fed to cattle seemed excessive. Was there a way to reduce the excess? Maybe, but instead, they chose to create a product from the excess. Not only did the scrapped and shredded bits form into tasty bites when blanched and fried, but they also fit into their product line, too. They froze well, could be baked, and were delicious! By 1952, they purchased the plant, forming the Oregon Frozen Foods Company that would later become Ore-Ida.
Seasoned with spices or baked into a casserole, tater tots make a meal, side dish, or a snack celebration. We dip them, pop them, or just savor them.
🍳 RECIPE: Minnesota Hotdish (Tater Tot Casserole)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 pound 80-percent lean ground beef
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups frozen cut green beans, thawed (8 ounces)
- 1 3/4 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed (8 ounces)
- Two 10-ounce cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 pound frozen potato tots
- 1 c cheese
1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2.) Add the oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Add the beef to the onions and cook until the meat is brown, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet to release the yummy brown bits, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3.) Transfer the beef and onion mixture from the skillet into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Scatter the green beans and corn evenly on top. Spread the cream of mushroom soup over top and top with frozen potato tots. Bake uncovered for 1 hour; the potato tots should be golden brown. Serve.