Does anyone else out there regularly get packages delivered to their doorstep and get so excited because they’ve completely forgotten what they ordered a few days before? Or am I the only one with an online shopping addiction?!
Ok, good, I knew I wasn’t the only one who did things like that! Today I came home from work and there was this long skinny package and I couldn’t, for the life of me, remember what I hard ordered. The worst part is, it isn’t like I’m ordering something and then waiting weeks for it to come. I’m ordering something and then thanks to my BFF Amazon Prime it comes to my doorstep 72 hours later. Somewhere in that 72 hours I completely forget that I’ve ordered something and it is like Christmas when my package arrives!
I was so excited when I pulled up the driveway to see a package at the door. Although I couldn’t remember what it was, I figured it was for me and I was really hoping that maybe my husband had possibly missed the huge package sitting by the front door when he came home. He doesn’t quite approve of my online shopping addiction as much as Cheeto does. That might have something to do with the fact that my husband gets no satisfaction out of jumping in and out of empty boxes!
I finally opened my package and was delighted to find my new tripod sitting inside! I had been using a tripod that I got from a friend for some time now and apparently in its previous life the top had fallen off. A few days ago I had my camera sitting on top, thank goodness I was holding it, and the entire top of the tripod just came right off! I grabbed my camera and then had a mini heart attack! I usually only use a tripod if I am doing a fun action food shot, but now that I have a nice new one I’m gonna try to shoot with it more. I’ll let you now how that turns out!
Now, onto the tots! If you’ve never made homemade tater tots before you really should start homemade tater totting asap! And, yes they are good enough to have their own verb! I love eating tater tots, but for some reason I always feel like a kid when I have them. These tater tots are baked so you don’t have to feel too guilty about eating a whole tray full (not that that happened…) and they also have some grown up flavors in them like green apples and smoked gouda. I try not to eat too much cheese these days, but I can never pass up a big block of smoked gouda.
I used to work in a cafe where one of my jobs was to grate all the gouda cheese. I always ended up eating more cheese than I grated š These baked tater tots are seriously so easy to make and hardly require any ingredients at all. And, to top things off they are even seasonal with the addition of the green apple! And, if you weren’t already convinced, we all know that apples and cheese go hand in hand so these tots will be one of best bites you’ve ever had!
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Baked Tater Tots with Smoked Gouda & Green Apple
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes
- 3 green apples, peeled and grated
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups shredded smoked gouda cheese, depending on how cheesy you want them
- 1 teaspoon salt
- olive oil, coconut oil, or canola oil
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 15-20 minutes, until you can stick a fork into the potato, but it is still firm in the middle. Let potatoes cool for a few minutes and then peel the skin off of them. Grate potatoes using a box grater and place in a large bowl.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and saute the grated apples, with a very small amount of oil for about 3 minutes, until just beginning to soften.
- Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F. Add the green apple to the potatoes and then add the salt and shredded cheese. Mix potato mixture with your hands until everything is evenly distributed. Form mixture into cylinders and place onto a sheet pan covered in parchment paper. Place tater tots in the freezer for about ten minutes until they have firmed up.
- Cover another large sheet pan with parchment paper and lay tater tots out evenly spaced. Brush the top of each tater tot with a small amount of olive oil. Place into the pre-heated oven and bake for about 30 minutes, flipping halfway though.
Notes
Recipe makes 40-50 tater tots, depending on how big you make them.
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
Throw back Thursday of Cheeto and the husband!
I made these. They’re really good and thanks for the recipe! But the prep time listed seems super inaccurate to me. It was the reason I made them and now the reason I might never make them again. If you have extra hands around to help or time to kill though go for it.
Also, dear people, if you didn’t make the recipe please don’t rate it, many thanks!
Hi Ana, I’m sorry that the time was off! It looks like I may have accidentally left out the boiling of the potatoes, so sorry about that! Glad you enjoyed them, but sorry it took much longer than anticipated š
I love getting packages at the door! And these baked tator tots look beyond amazing, Izzy! I love the idea of making them homemade with fun ingredients. š
I am such a sucker for smoked Gouda. Seriously love the stuff! I can’t wait to make these and go tater-tottering, lol!
Me too, Leah!! I rarely buy it because I know I will eat the entire block just by itself! You are going to have so much fun tater-totting!! š
Holy moly, Izzy, you are at it again and oh boy is “it” looking delicious! This recipe looks so Gouda that I want to eat it, now, for breakfast;-) Apples and cheese are such a classic pairing, and I love the ingenious spin you put on it by adding potato!
Aww, thanks so much, Dulcie! That would be a very gouda idea to eat these for breakfast! I think I’ll do it too!
Oh smoked gouda!! How I loveeee you. And these tots … man they sound so so good!
haha prime is dangerous – I love discovering packages at the front door – it is always so exciting!
A new tripod is exciting stuff! Mine broke ages ago (that was the bad kind of impulsive buy…) and I haven’t replaced it since! š
This looks so yummy, the addition of apple is just <3
Hi Izzy! I love tater tots, but have never made them myself. I can see how these would be addicting especially with the gouda and apples! Pure comfort food! Thank you for this delicious recipe!
RE: Tripod; what a nightmare! Good thing the top didn’t come off with your camera on it… JEEZE that’s an awful thought! Yay for Amazon, always standing by, ready to swoop in at a moments notice! I was thinking about Amazon earlier today… ….. need to go get some wine and get shopping!! hehe!
PS: how sweet is little Cheeto with her daddy? <3 Precious. How old is Cheeto now?
Hi Traci! This is the first time I made them myself and now I want to make them all the time! They were so easy and sooooo good and you can put all different kind of flavors into them! That would have been so awful! A new tripod is definitely much cheaper than a new camera! Haha, I love shopping and drinking wine, but it can be so dangerous! I once spent about twenty bucks extra on shipping because I was a little tipsy and wanted it the next day, ooopps! This month is actually our 4 year anniversary of having Cheeto and he was 3 months when we got him!
LOL! That’s so funny, Izzy! Here’s to a good glass of wine!