Who says you have to grow up and stop loving tater tots?

Tater tots are soooo good! I remember buying the frozen bags of them with my mom as a kid. She would throw them in the oven and I would come in and out of the kitchen anxiously peeking at them in hopes that they would cook faster if I did 😉 My favorite part was the fluffy inside because to me they tasted like french fries but so much better. They were like magic pillows of fluffy potato that I couldn’t wait to dip into some ketchup!

Who says you have to grow up and stop loving tater tots? Not me! That’s why these spaghetti squash tater tots are perfect. Made with sweet potato, spaghetti squash, and gluten free bread crumbs, these tots are a delicious snack or side dish. They’re secretly good for you and loaded with hidden vegetables. They also have the most amazing curry aioli thanks to my favorite avocado oil mayo. So who’s ready to dig in?!

Toxic Tater Tots

Take a look at the ingredients in these Ore-Ida Tater Tots:

“POTATOES, VEGETABLE OIL (SUNFLOWER, COTTONSEED, SOYBEAN, AND/OR CANOLA), SALT, YELLOW CORN FLOUR, ONIONS, DEXTROSE, DISODIUM DIHYDROGEN PYROPHOSPHATE, NATURAL FLAVORING.”

Why the heck is there disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate in these taters tots? Why is there added sugar in the form of dextrose? Why is there “natural” flavoring? Why do they use highly inflammatory oils from cottonseed, soybean, and canola? Oh yeah… because it’s FAKE FOOD.

News flash: most packaged food companies don’t have your best interests at heart. These tater tots are made to last years in the freezer aisle… in hopes that when someone finally cooks them they still manage to taste good. That’s exactly why they need preservatives and added flavors, because without them they would NOT be delicious.

Spaghetti Squash Tater Tots with Curry Aioli

Time: 45 minutes

When to Eat Them: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack time 

Perks: low carb, gluten free

Sh*t You Need:

1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
1 large sweet potato
2 eggs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup gluten free panko bread crumbs
1 tsp. onion powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Avocado oil spray (or avocado oil and brush)
Curry Aioli: see recipe note below

The Recipe:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Puncture your squash and potato with a knife to allow the steam to escape, then place both vegetables on a baking sheet. Bake them for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until the sweet potato is soft and the squash skin can be punctured with a fork. Allow them to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

3. Once the potato and squash are cool enough to handle, it’s time to make the tater tot batter. First, peel the sweet potato, then place the inside of the potato in a bowl and mash it. Next, cut the spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out the seedy inside part and throw it away, then scrape the “spaghetti” part of the squash out of the shell. Finely chop the “spaghetti”, then place it in a large mixing bowl. Add the mashed sweet potato to your bowl with the squash. Add the remaining ingredients, then mix well to combine.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then take a small amount of the batter in your hands. Squeeze it to form the batter into a tater tot, then place on the baking sheet. The batter may seem a little loose, but it will bake evenly. Repeat until the baking sheet is full, leaving a little room between tots to allow even cooking.

5. Spray the tops of the tater tots with a light coating of avocado oil. The spray works great, but if you don’t have it you can lightly brush the tops with oil instead. Bake the tater tots at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, flipping half way through to brown both sides. Let them cool on a wire rack. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with any remaining batter.

6. Dip in curry aioli!

Notes: This recipe tastes amazing with a curry aioli. Just combine avocado oil mayo with a tiny pinch of cayenne, some curry powder, and a little squeeze of lime juice, then dip away!

This recipe was contributed by Bree from Simple Healthy Eats. Bree is a health coach and health food blogger. Check out her blog and Instagram for more.

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