Tater Tot Fantasy

Imagine a "nugget" of mashed potatoes, gooey and with a few chunks, just like mom's. Add some cheese (your preference, I did some with blue cheese and some with sharp cheddar), and a panko crust. What I was hoping for was the ultimate comfort food, with a contrasting texture of creaminess and crunch. Tasty, right?

Unfortunately, it just didn't turn out like my tater tot fantasy. The textures were there, but the comfort part was lacking. What it really needed was a dipping sauce.

So I surveyed my team. I received answers ranging from dijon mustard to tartar sauce, and actually had someone pre-emptively say "absolutely not gravy."

Now the traditional tater tot condiment would of course be ketchup, but it didnt fit into my fantasy as I am not exactly the tomato's biggest fan. So I went with the traditional mashed potato condiment - sour cream. I roasted a few heads of garlic, added them to some sour cream and seasoned with salt and pepper.

There it was, the ultimate comfort food. Creamy, crunchy, tangy, tasty - what's not to love? I have quite the future planned for these little Mashed Potato Bites. I'm going to try a version with bacon, perhaps a version with chives, maybe even a loaded baked potato with all of the above and some broccoli.

Wait... nix the broccoli, it's too healthy and interferes with the fantasy.