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Loaded Baked Potato Tater Tots

By: Nicole 31 Comments
Posted: 01/30/13 Updated: 09/11/15

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Loaded Baked Potato Tater Tots

You know those nostalgic places that just bring you back to a certain moment in time? I have a few of them, but the one in particular that pertains to today’s recipe is good old Sonic Drive-In.

What??

Yep, Sonic Drive-In.

If you don’t have one in your town or city, it’s meant to act as an old school drive in, equipped with an intercom ordering system, bubbly carhops on roller skates, and old-fashioned burgers and milkshakes.

Loaded Baked Potato Tater Tots

I remember getting downright giddy when my Dad would take me to the Sonic that was all the way across town (or at least I thought it was when I was a kid, in reality it was only about a mile or two away). It felt like a special little treat when we’d drive over there, order our food and contently eat in the car. I’d always order the same thing: a sweet and savory corn dog and either cheddar bites or crispy tater tots smothered in cheese and then dunked in ketchup.

Loaded Baked Potato Tater Tots

When I got a little bit older one was built within walking distance of our house; my friends and I would ride our bikes there nearly every day and just hang out, order slushies or flurries (a mixture between a slushie and a milkshake…amazing) and unapologetically eat loads of greasy food. Again, my order stayed the same.

Loaded Baked Potato Tater Tots

As a high schooler, Sonic became the go-to hang out spot for pretty much everyone I knew. Everyone would park their cars one after the other and congregate to gossip and figure out what the plans entailed for the night. In those times, I danced and sang in the rain with three of my best friends. I fought with those same friends. I sat in the back seat of my friend Keri’s car while she blasted inappropriate music, just to embarrass me. And all the mischievous kids would spike their fruit slushies with cheap vodka (totally not me). I don’t think anyone even ate anything – except for me of course, which again was a corndog with either cheddar bites or crispy tater tots.

I still go to Sonic today (when I’m not counting calories, swearing off fried foods, and pledging an all “raw” diet) and although I have come to enjoy the burgers and spicy cheddar peppers as well, if you give me a corndog and tater tots, I am one content little girl.

Enter: today’s loaded baked potato tater tots.

Loaded Baked Potato Tater Tots

I thought it would be a no-brainer to combine my love of tater tots with my family’s obsession with baked potatoes – loaded baked potatoes to be exact. What’s not to love about sharp cheddar cheese, butter, sour cream, green onion, and sometimes salty bacon on a pile of carbohydrates and crispy potato skin? Absolutely nothing.

I first start by baking two large starchy russet potatoes (no other variety of potato will suffice), peel them, and then grate half (while still hot) and pass half through a ricer. If you don’t have a ricer, don’t fret – grating all of the potatoes will work just fine. Working quickly, throw in your favorite baked potato toppings. In my case, I put in lots of sharp cheddar cheese, tangy sour cream, chopped green onions, and plenty of salt. The mixture becomes cohesive with the addition of a little flour and half of a lightly scrambled egg. The “batter” is then formed into cute little tater tot shapes, chilled and dropped into a pot of blistering hot oil to crisp up. I like to serve them simply with a little bit of sour cream and green onion, but a luscious cheese sauce to dunk them in would be absolutely to-die-for.

Loaded Baked Potato Tater Tots

 

5.0 from 3 reviews
Loaded Baked Potato Tater Tots
 
Print
Author: Nicole-Cooking for Keeps
Serves: About 30 Tots
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, baked
  • ½ egg
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 scallions, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Sour cream and green onions to serve
Instructions
  1. Heat about two inches of canola oil in a large deep pot or deep fryer, to about 375 degrees.
  2. Peel skin off hot potatoes. Send half through a ricer and grate half on a hand held grater. (If you do not have a ricer, just grate all of them)
  3. Add in the rest of the ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not over mix.
  4. Form into tater tot shapes. Place on a baking sheet and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes. Working in batches fry about six at a time, until golden brown and hot throughout. Drain on paper towels.
  5. Serve immediately with a little sour cream and green onion.
3.2.1215

Loaded Baked Potato Tater Tots

Loaded Baked Potato Tater Tots

Loaded Baked Potato Tater Tots

Meet Nicole

Welcome! My lifelong passion for delicious food and cooking has evolved over time into an equal love of showing you an elevated meal can be easy, approachable and most importantly, tasty. Dive in and find something perfect for you and your family!

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  1. Anisha says

    Posted on 3/26/13 at 9:55 am

    I made this several times after reading this recipe. To make it easier I first microwaved the potatoes instead of baking them. Also dusted the tots lightly with seasoned flour before deep frying to make them even crunchier. YUM!

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      Posted on 3/26/13 at 1:55 pm

      Great Idea Anisha! Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
  2. Kristen @ Smashed Garlic says

    Posted on 4/3/13 at 3:56 pm

    I think you just decided what I’m having for dinner tonight! Can’t wait to get my “tot” on 😉

    Reply
  3. meatballs & milkshakes says

    Posted on 4/3/13 at 4:32 pm

    yum! wish I didn’t have a rule about not frying at home!

    Reply
    • Bonnie Mann says

      Posted on 6/19/24 at 5:07 pm

      I bake mine!

      Reply
  4. Sagrario says

    Posted on 4/3/13 at 5:11 pm

    I like this appetizer. Love this, is fantástic!!!

    Reply
  5. April says

    Posted on 7/9/14 at 7:21 am

    This looks too simple not to try! These looked delicious!

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      Posted on 7/12/14 at 4:12 pm

      Please do!

      Reply
  6. Rhonda Franz says

    Posted on 1/1/17 at 12:36 am

    I went searching for these on Google after having some delicious shaker potato tots at Whole Foods. Recipe saved!

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      Posted on 1/4/17 at 4:18 pm

      Awesome! Hope you like them!

      Reply
  7. Yvonne says

    Posted on 5/3/17 at 9:53 am

    I had some leftover potatoes that had been roasted with powdered onion soup mix. I gave them a rough mas using a potato masher, but otherwise followed the recipe. I used a small cookie scoop to form them and drop them in the oil. Perfection! What a great recipe!

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      Posted on 5/4/17 at 7:54 pm

      So glad you loved them!

      Reply
  8. Jody Hamm says

    Posted on 3/25/23 at 7:46 pm

    So it’s now 2023 and I just found this recipe after looking for it because I paid six dollars for 12 of these in the meat store and they were delicious. I want to make my own so I hope this recipe is awesome and I’m sure it will be.

    Reply
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Welcome! My lifelong passion for delicious food and cooking has evolved into an equal love of showing you easy elevated meals can be approachable and most importantly, tasty.

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