Packed full of fresh ingredients, toddlers can enjoy their tater tots as healthier little bites. They’re quick and easy to make too. Serve them up as tasty finger food for little ones or as a great side dish for mains.
Summary
Prep: 20 minutes
Cooking: 5 minutes
Ages: Toddlers to Big kids
Difficulty: Easy peasy
Makes: 15 broccoli tots
What are tater tots?
Tater tots, also known as ‘tots’ are made from a grated potato, pressed together and moulded into a cylindrical shape. They’re then fried in oil until they get a crispy coating. They’re more compact than the UK equivalent, hash browns.
Who invented Tater tots?
Tater tots were invented back in 1953. Ore-Ida was an American brand of potato based frozen foods. They were trying to find what to do with the leftover pieces of cut up potatoes. So they diced them, added flour, compacted them and fried them. Nowadays Americans consume over 70 million pounds of tots per year. That’s a whole lot of tater tots!
What are broccoli tots made of
Broccoli tots are typically made of broccoli, potatoes and flour. Egg helps bind the mixture together and cheese can be added in too for extra flavour.
Broccoli is full of nutrition. Packed with vitamins, just 1 cup of broccoli provides 135% of our recommended daily allowance for Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant.
The same amount can also provide 116% of our daily requirement for Vitamin K. On top of that it contains folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium. So not bad for one of your five a day.
Some children love broccoli, and happily munch it down. Others…not so much. It might be all you can do to get them to lick a broccoli floret at mealtimes! These broccoli tots do have broccoli in them but the taste is not overpowering. The potato gives the tots a creamy texture while the cheese adds extra flavour.
We’ve chosen to use gluten free oat flour here as it means that the tots can be gluten free as well. However you can replace this with regular flour if you prefer.
This could be the tastiest broccoli recipe your kids will yum down!
Healthy broccoli tots no breadcrumbs
Ingredients:
- 300 grams of potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- 150 grams of broccoli, chopped and stems removed
- 100 grams of cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons of gluten free oat flour (or you can use plain flour)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Instructions:
- Peel and chop the potatoes and roughly chop the broccoli.
- In a medium sized saucepan boil the potatoes for 10 minutes.
- Add the broccoli to the pan with the potatoes and boil everything for 10 minutes more until soft.
- Drain the potatoes and broccoli and mash them well with a fork.
- Stir in the cheese, egg and flour, and mix it all well.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan until sizzling.
- Dust your hands with flour and form the mixture into cylindrical tater tot shapes.
- Place the broccoli tots into the oil and cook on a medium heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Remove them from the pan and serve while warm.
Broccoli tots no breadcrumbs – our step by step guide:
Prepare your potatoes and broccoli
Peel and chop your potatoes. Cut your broccoli into florets and remove the woody stem.
Boil your potatoes
Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil and put your potatoes in.
Boil them for about 10 minutes.
Add your broccoli
Add your broccoli to the pan. Continue boiling the broccoli and potatoes for another 10 minutes.
You want the vegetables to be soft and easy to mash when you make the broccoli tot mix.
Mash your vegetables
Drain your potatoes and broccoli and mash them gently with a fork or potato masher.
Stir in your other ingredients
Add in your cheddar cheese, flour and egg.
Give the mix a good stir.
Cook your broccoli tots
Dust your hands with flour and roll your mix into cylindrical shapes.
Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan until sizzling.
Place the broccoli tots in the frying pan and set to a medium heat. Cook them for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden all over.
Serve up these broccoli tots with your favourite dip
Healthy Broccoli Tots No Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 300 grams potatoes peeled and roughly chopped
- 150 grams broccoli chopped and stems removed
- 100 grams cheddar cheese grated
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons gluten free oat flour (or you can replace with plain flour)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
-
Peel and chop the potatoes and roughly chop the broccoli.
-
In a medium sized saucepan boil the potatoes for 10 minutes.
-
Add the broccoli to the pan with the potatoes and boil everything for 10 minutes more until soft.
-
Drain the potatoes and broccoli and mash them well with a fork.
-
Stir in the cheese, egg and flour, and mix it all well.
-
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan until sizzling.
-
Dust your hands with flour and form the mixture into cylindrical tater tot shapes.
-
Place the broccoli tots into the oil and cook on a medium heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
-
Remove them from the pan and serve while warm.
