This low carb recipe idea was born when I was eating a bowl of the Cheesy Cauliflower Puree from last week and I had some leftovers. Since the cauliflower was so like potatoes in texture, I thought it might work the same way as potatoes in other low carb cauliflower recipes. So I decided to try and make low carb & gluten free “tater” tots out of them.
Author: Mellissa Sevigny, Yield: At least 50
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium head of cauliflower
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 4 egg whites
- salt & pepper to taste
- oil for frying
INSTRUCTIONS
- Clean and trim the cauliflower, adding the florets to a microwave safe bowl. Add the cream and butter to the bowl. Microwave for 5 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower and cheese to a magic bullet or food processor and blend until still chunky – kind of like a cooked oatmeal consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
- Chill for at least half an hour.
- Whip the egg whites to a stiff peak. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the cauliflower mixture to lighten it up. Then fold the cauliflower mixture into the rest of the egg whites and gently mix until combined.
- For best results, chill for another half hour or they won’t hold their shape as well.
- Fit a pastry bag with a round or star tube with about a 3/4 inch opening. Spray the inside of the bag with nonstick spray. Gently squeeze out 1 inch sections onto a greased cookie sheet, cutting with a butter knife as you go.
- When finished, bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes (or longer if you’re skipping the frying) until puffed and slightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and serve – or heat 1/4 inch of oil in a saute pan and when it’s very hot add the tots. It doesn’t need long, a minute per side to turn them golden brown and crispy.
- Serve immediately.
NOTES
These are still tasty after they cool but they start to lose their crunch only minutes after they come out of the oil so if crunch is what you’re after, eat them right away!
Regarding nutrition info on these, I will give you the info per batch of tot mix but depending on how large you make them, etc, I have no idea what the breakdown would be per tot. Also, I don’t know how many calories would be added by frying them after baking since it’s hard to quantify how much oil would be absorbed. To lower the calories, use half and half instead of heavy cream, and substitute a lowfat cheddar.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 50
- Calories: 864
- Fat: 63g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Protein: 47g
