Sweet Potato Tots with Spicy Aioli Dip

02 Feb Sweet Potato Tots with Spicy Aioli Dip

I’m a little bit in love with these golden nuggets of flavor…they’re fun to make and even more fun to eat!  Plus they’re loaded in fiber and vitamins and perfect to serve at your next party or game day.

Not a fan of aioli? No problem.  Skip it and serve with organic ketchup (organic to avoid the high fructose corn syrup.)  You can even stir a little Sriracha sauce into the ketchup for a kick.  This recipe makes A LOT of tots (2 sheet pan full or about 100 individual tots!)  Feel free to cut the recipe in half or save leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for the next day.  Love this recipe? Please share it!

Sweet Potato Tots with Spicy Aioli Dip

Makes about 2 large sheet pans full or about 100 tots, perfect for a party (about 6 tots per serving = 16 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE TOTS:

• 6 small sweet potatoes, rinsed and dried and stabbed a few times with a fork
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced very small
• 1 small onion, diced very small
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely minced or grated on a micro plane
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (not the fake stuff!)
• 1/2 heaping teaspoon salt
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups gluten free panko bread crumbs
• 1 heaping cup good Parmesan reggiano cheese, finely grated
• Handful of chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried parsley)
• All-natural cooking spray or extra virgin olive oil

FOR THE AIOLI:

• 1 cup avocado mayonnaise
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated on a micro plane
• 1 teaspoon or more Sriracha Sauce
• juice from 1/2 lime or lemon
• salt to taste
• pure maple syrup, to taste
• Chopped chives for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Roast potatoes until very soft and flesh is almost stringy (about 50 minutes.)  Let potatoes cool completely.  Once cool, slice in half length-wise.  Use your hands or a spoon to scoop out the flesh into a bowl.
2. In the meantime, spray two large sheet pans generously with all natural cooking spray or brush with extra virgin olive oil.   Set the sheet pans aside for the tots.   Change oven temperature to 350 degrees.
3. Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add a good size drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add very small diced onions and peppers.  Saute for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked. Season with salt.
4. Stir in garlic and saute one minute.  Add Sriracha Sauce and  pure maple syrup and saute for one minute.  Scrape pepper onion mixture into the bowl of potatoes.
5. Add beaten eggs, gluten free Panko bread crumbs, cheese and parsley to the bowl of potatoes.  Mix all ingredients with your hands just until they come together and are fully combined (don’t over mix.)  Place dough uncovered in the fridge for 30 minutes so it’s easier to work with.
6. After 30 minutes or so, remove the dough from the fridge.  The dough will still be really wet and sticky but should be solid enough to form into loose tots. If it’s way too wet, add a tablespoon or two of cheese or bread crumbs to tighten up the dough a bit.
7. Take one rounded tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball in the palm of your hands.  Then squish the sides with your thumb and pointer finger to form into more of a tot shape.  Flatten slightly and place tot on prepared sheet pan.  Repeat for all 90000 tots haha (note:  talk someone into helping you to make this process faster!!)
8. Bake tots for 18 to 20 minutes per side at 350 degrees or until lightly golden brown (only flip once.)
9. While tots bake, whisk together ingredients for the spicy aioli (you’ll need just a tiny drizzle of the pure maple syrup to balance the sauce.)
10. Serve sweet potato tots with chopped chives and spicy aioli.  Enjoy!

SO, WHAT’S THE NUTRITION BALANCE?

This recipe has a great balance of carbs and fat.  It’s party food but clean party food! Pair with protein for a balanced meal.