Brothers Nephi and Golden Grigg are credited with the invention of the tater tot. As potato farmers struggling through the Great Depression, the brothers decided to mortgage their farms to purchase a flash-freezing plant. Their plan was to use the potato slivers left after processing to make French fries. But what about the pieces too small for fries? Ingenuity born of economic necessity led to the invention of the tater tot. The brothers formed a company called Ore-Ida, as their farms were at the border of Oregon and Idaho, and brought their so-called “tater tots” to Miami’s 1954 National Potato Convention. They pestered the chefs to serve their tots to attendees. Everyone loved them. Today tater tots are beloved nationally, and Ore-Ida is consistently one of the top distributors of frozen potato products in the country.
Recipe Servings: 4
Ingredients
Directions
- Preheat oven 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix potatoes with salt and pepper.
- Working in 2 batches, pulse in blender or food processor just to break up potatoes, about 2 minutes.
- Form into small pillows about the size of your thumb.
- Place tots on baking sheet and brush lightly with vegetable oil
- Bake 15 minutes to a light golden crust.
- Serve hot with ketchup.
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