Happy 60th, Tots!
07 October 2014
As Tater Tots® hit the Big 60, the Idaho Potato Commission celebrates six decades of tot-inspired menu creativity.
When Tater Tots® began arriving in grocery stores in 1954, they quickly caught on as a snack food, a side dish and the foundation for casseroles at dinner tables across America. (Tater Tots are a registered trademark of Ore-Ida, a division of the H.J. Heinz Company).
Across the next 60 years, foodservice operators capitalized on tot popularity, enthusiastically integrating them into menus ranging from quick service to white tablecloth. As these bite-sized potato croquettes officially move into middle age, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) salutes the tot as both an inspired potato product and a springboard for potato creativity.
The IPC boasts a collection of innovative tot recipes and variations on the theme. For signature housemade tots, operators will add aromatics (truffles), herbs (parsley, rosemary, sage) and proteins (crumbled bacon, shredded crab) to the mix before frying. Other operators raise the bar by stuffing the tots with elaborate fillings like Parmesan or blue cheese, braised pork and curried chicken. Still others use the classic Tater Tots as a base for loaded tots, poutine, nachos, chili and breakfast scrambles.
In honor of Tater Tots’ 60th birthday, the IPC urges both operators and culinary-training programs with retail foodservice outlets to fire up a potato-tot special. For example, Richard Pietromonaco, F&B vice president and corporate chef of Heartland Brewery in New York City, created the tots pictured here. To download his recipe, visit http://recipes.idahopotato.com/potato-tots.
To research other tot recipes or for help with All Things Potatoes, visit www.foodservice.idahopotato.com. While on the site, check out the IPC’s comprehensive recipe database, refer to a helpful size guide and Idaho® potato preparation tips, and find answers and solutions to operational and culinary FAQs.