Cheesy Cauliflower Tots Food

CHEESY LOW CARB CAULIFLOWER TOTS RECIPE - 4 INGREDIENTS

Steps:

• Stir fry cauliflower rice in 2 tbsp (30 mL) oil in a large saute pan or wok over medium-high heat, until soft and lightly browned, with no moisture left in the pan.
• Meanwhile, whisk the egg in a large bowl. Mix in the mozzarella, garlic, and sea salt.
• When the cauliflower rice is done, stir it into the bowl right away while it's hot. It will melt the cheese in the bowl and make the mixture sticky.
• Use a small cookie scoop to pick up balls of the "dough". Form small tater tot sized patties and flatten slightly. (Make sure they are not too thick so that they'll cook through.)
• Wipe the pan lightly with a paper towel to get rid of any cauliflower rice pieces.
• Heat the remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) avocado oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the tater tots in a single layer, trying not to have them touch, and fry for about 2 minutes, until golden on the bottom. Flip and repeat until golden on the other side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Repeat with all tater tots. (You may need to add more oil between batches.)

CAULIFLOWER TOTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add cauliflower, cover, and steam until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and cool until easily handled.
• Chop cauliflower finely until it is the size of rice grains.
• Measure out 2 cups cauliflower "rice" into a large bowl. Add bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, egg white, parsley flakes, minced onion, salt, and black pepper. Form into 30 small logs. Arrange on the lined baking sheet; spray with cooking spray.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned on the bottom, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven, flip, and spray with cooking spray. Continue baking until lightly browned on the other side, 8 to 9 minutes more.

CHEESY CAULIFLOWER TOASTS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the cauliflower into 1/2-inch clusters. Transfer to a sheet pan and toss with the oil, red-pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread florets out into a single layer and roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until tender and browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir ricotta or mascarpone in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Mix in Gruyère, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and set aside. In a toaster, toast the bread until golden.
• When cauliflower is done, remove from the sheet pan and set aside to cool. Line the pan with foil and reduce the oven to 375 degrees.
• Arrange the toasts on the lined sheet pan. Stir the cauliflower into the ricotta mixture, then divide among the toasts, spreading to the edges. Dust with Parmesan and paprika. (Recipe can be made up to this point and held at room temperature for up to 2 hours.)
• Bake until toast edges and topping are browned, 10 to 15 minutes. (If desired, broil 2 to 3 minutes to brown and melt the top.) Let cool slightly. Sprinkle with herbs, if using, then cut into halves or quarters and serve immediately.

CAULIFLOWER-CARROT CHEESY TOTS

Steps:

• Pulse carrots and cauliflower in a food processor (or grate carrot on smallest holes and cauliflower on largest holes of a box grater) until rice-like in texture. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl and toss with 1 Tbsp. oil and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high 3 minutes. Carefully remove plastic wrap and let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, mix cheeses, garlic, chives, pepper, 1/2 cup panko, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Stir in carrot mixture until well combined.
• Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Using your hands, roll tablespoonfuls of carrot mixture into tater-tot shapes. Transfer to prepared sheet, then chill at least 10 minutes.
• Place flour in a shallow baking dish. Mix remaining 1 cup panko and 4 Tbsp. oil in another shallow dish. Lightly beat eggs in a shallow bowl. Working in batches, toss tots in flour, then dredge in egg, shaking off excess, then coat in panko mixture. Return to baking sheet and chill at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.
• To Bake:
• Arrange a rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Spray with nonstick spray, then transfer tots to rack. Bake tots until deep golden brown and cheese is melted (check by piercing a tot with a paring knife), 22-25 minutes. Serve immediately with ketchup.
• To Fry:
• For extra-crispy tots, fill a large, deep-sided skillet with 1" vegetable oil and heat over medium to 350°F. Working in batches, fry tots, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined platter or baking sheet. Serve immediately with ketchup.
• Do Ahead
• Tot mixture can be formed but not breaded 1 day ahead; cover loosely with plastic and chill.

5-INGREDIENT BAKED CAULIFLOWER TOTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a nonstick baking sheet generously with cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets to the water and cook just until fork tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Thoroughly drain the florets, then transfer them to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the cauliflower for a few seconds just until it breaks down into small pieces (about the size of grains of rice). (Do not overmix the cauliflower or the mixture will be too wet to form.)
• Measure out 3 packed cups of the cauliflower and add it to a large bowl. Stir in the onion (see Cook's Note), Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, mixing until thoroughly combined. (The mixture should be roughly the consistency of mashed potatoes.)
• Using your hands, scoop up 1 to 2 tablespoons of the mixture and mold it into a tater tot shape. Place it on the prepared baking sheet, then repeat the shaping process with the remaining mixture, spacing the tots about 1 inch apart. Spray the tops with cooking spray for a little extra crunch.
• Bake the tots for 20 minutes, then flip them and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until crisped. Remove and serve with ketchup or your preferred dipping sauce.