cajun spiced tater tots*

So after a LONG blogging hiatus, I decided it's about time I got back to one of the things that I truly love, which is blogging about all of the amazing foods that me and my peeps make on a daily basis. Sorry for being gone for basically over a year  - I cannot believe it's been that long!! If you are wondering why I've been absent for long, you can read about it here. In a nutshell, my husband passed away last January, which was shocking and completely unexpected and left me trying to pick up the pieces the best I can. I am now actually in a good place and have learned to love life again!! A big shout out to everyone who have helped me get through this past year and supported and loved me along with way. I owe making it through to all of you!

So let's get to these tater tots. I saw this recipe on Pinterest the other day and could not wait to have the opportunity to make them. Today we made the students turkey burgers (they are AMAZING, made with garlic and lots of pepper), and I paired them with these spicy, crispy, salty tater tots. They were a huge hit! I had several of the kids come up and tell me how much they loved them! That in and of itself is a success!! WOOT WOOT!

Cajun Spiced Tater Tots
from Everyday Southwest

5 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 heaping tsp. black pepper
1 heaping tsp. dried rosemary
3/4 tsp. cayenne (we used half this amount. Didn't want to kill the kids :)
1/2 tsp. salt, more for finishing
6 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced (or 1 tsp. garlic powder)
1/4 onion, sliced (or 1/2 tsp. dried onion powder)
1 package (32 oz.) Ore Ida Tater Tots

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine all spices in a small bowl and set aside.

Pour oil in a small saute or frying pan. Add butter and heat over medium heat until the oil/butter mixture begins to boil around the edges. Stir to combine. If using fresh onion and garlic, add the slices to the oil and return to a boil.

Remove pan from heat and set aside to allow the flavors to "infuse" into the oil mixture. Combine the spice mix with the oil/butter mixture and stir well.

Working in batches, toss the tater tots in a bowl with the spice sauce by pouring 1/3 of the sauce into a large bowl and swirl to coat the sides of the bowl. Add 1/3 of the tater tots to the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and toss the tater tots to coat with sauce.

Place tater tots on a baking sheet. Repeat until all of the tater tots are covered and on the baking sheet.

Bake at 425 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until very crispy. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with additional salt to taste. Serve hot.


These really are quite delicious!! Enjoy!

-alyssa*