Only two ingredients; three or four with spices. It doesn’t get much easier. While you know it’s cauliflower (you’re not going to fool anyone into thinking they’re potatoes), the Parmesan cheese adds a layer of flavor and helps brown the outside of the tots. Try using other vegetables to vary textures and flavors, including zucchini, radishes and turnips, for even greater variety and other crumb mixtures (pork rind crumbs, almond flour, coconut flour) for other browning, flavors and textures (more experiments will be following).

Cauli Tots (Baked)

1 12 ounce bag frozen cauliflower

1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

salt, pepper, onion powder (to taste)

Cook cauliflower, covered, in microwave for 6 minutes. Pour off water and let stand until cool.

Process well in a food processor, (or rice using other means). I’ve found the smoother texture holds together better than the more coarse texture. As you form cauliflower into its shape, squeeze, working any excess water from the vegetable. Roll into approx. 1.5″ balls and drop into Parmesan. Form into tots by flattening the tops. If the mixture is still too moist and falls apart, work a little of the Parmesan into the tot, and then roll the formed tots into the Parm once again to coat.

Place tots on a greased cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes prior to baking to help tots hold their shape. At this point it’s good to note that you can freeze them longer or make these ahead of time. Simply place in a freezer bag after the initial chilling period and store for up to a month.

Below, you can see the uniform shape of the tots. (The ones to the far left were stuffed with American cheese inside, and only incredibly amazing. My kids swiped those. The whole world should be covered in cheese stuffed cauli tots.)

To bake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating tots every five minutes or so for even browning.

Makes about 30 tots. One serving is 6 tots.

Nutritional Information per serving: Calories: 38, Carbohydrates: 5g, Fiber: 1g, Net Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 7 g, Fat: 4.5g.