Southwest Tater Tot Hotdish (V/GF)
Giving the Midwestern Tater Tot Hotdish a new southwestern look with all vegan and gluten-free ingredients including my Homemade Sweet Potato Queso, Almond-Based Sour Cream and Homemade Tater Tots!
Ingredients
Tater Tots
- 2 lbs russet potatoes (about 4 potatoes) peeled
- 1 tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup vegetable or grapeseed oil
Queso
- 3 cups cubed sweet potato (skins removed)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened nondairy milk (I use almond milk)
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (depending how cheesy you’d like it to taste)
- 2 tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp gluten-free all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp juice from pickled jalapeños
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- A pinch of cayenne
Sour Cream
- 1 cup raw blanched almonds soaked for at least 6 hours
- 1 green onion (including the white part) finely chopped
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
Extra Casserole Toppings
- 1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- tomatoes chopped
- white or red onion finely chopped
- jalapeños (stems and seeds removed) sliced or diced
- avocado diced
- cilantro and/or chives minced
- lime juice
Instructions
Tater Tots
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Using a grater, finely shred the potatoes. Transfer potato shreds to a clean, thin kitchen towel or a cheesecloth. Wrap the potatoes with the cloth and squeeze to remove any excess moisture. There will be a lot of liquid so take your time and squeeze out as much as you can! A little moisture is okay, though.
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Transfer the shreds to a large bowl along with the remaining tater tot ingredients. Stir to combine.
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In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil to 250 degrees. You’ll want to use a thermometer to keep track of the temperature. Adjust the heat throughout the cooking process to keep it at 250 degrees as much as you can.
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With your hands, form the potato mixture into tots. It should make 24-26 tots. The mixture should stay together perfectly. If you have trouble, give the tot a gentle squeeze to keep it together.
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Fry tots 5-6 at a time for a total of 4 minutes. If the tots are halfway submerged in the oil, you'll have to flip them 2 minutes in to fry for another 2 minutes.
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Once fried on both sides, transfer the tots to a plated lined with paper towels. This will help soak up any excess.
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Repeat last two steps for remaining tots.
Queso
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In a large pot, add the cubed sweet potatoes and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat and let simmer until potatoes are tender. Drain water and set potatoes aside to cool.
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In the meantime, add the remaining ingredients to a food processor. Then add potatoes and process together until smooth and creamy.
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Enjoy! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator. Heat up over the stove top before reserving.
Sour Cream
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Soak the almonds in filtered water at room temperature for at least 6 hours.
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In a high speed blender, add all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Stop to scrape down the sides of the blended a few times if needed.
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Transfer to a bowl and set in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.
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Serve and enjoy! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
Casserole
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
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To an 8x8 square baking dish, add a layer of black beans, then tomatoes, onions and jalapeños, then add a layer of the queso sauce, then add a layer of the tots.
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Bake for 10 minutes.
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Top casserole with almond sour cream and any other desired garnished (chives, tomatoes, jalapeños, avocado, lime, etc.)
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Serve warm and enjoy!