Make 2-Ingredient Cauliflower 'Tater Tots' With A Tub Of Cottage Cheese

At first, cottage cheese and cauliflower may seem like a diabolical combination suggested during the rise and fall of the cottage cheese diet in the 1980s. In reality, these two ingredients come together to make easy, delicious, and extremely nutrient-dense "tater" tots. Cottage cheese brings the protein, calcium, and B complex vitamins, while cauliflower adds fiber and vitamin C. Once blended together into springy little tots and baked with the right seasoning, you may just add them to your list of ways to enjoy cottage cheese for breakfast.

The key to baking up faux tots with that signature crispy outside and tender, fluffy interior is processing each ingredient properly first. Frozen cauliflower rice is a little fibrous thawed, but cooking it makes it malleable and tender, which is what you want to mix smoothly with the cottage cheese. Speaking of smooth, cottage cheese is not, but it needs to be for this recipe. Fortunately, a quick whip in the food processor smoothes out those chewy little curds into a dense, creamy, uniform texture.

Formed into little tot-shaped logs and baked until golden, these crisp little bites are shockingly similar to potato-based tots. The cauliflower is similar in texture to shredded potatoes, while the cottage cheese adds savory, cheesy umami and acts as a binder to keep the tots together. These are delicious served with your favorite dipping sauce alongside easy, cheesy canned tuna fish sticks or a tasty feta cheese and mushroom omelet.

Though these tasty tots don't technically need additional seasoning, they're also the perfect blank slate for indulging in your favorite flavor profiles. Garlic, paprika, and onion powder are good choices since they're familiar to many people's palates, work well together, and shouldn't be too overwhelming if you're feeding these tasty bites to your kiddos.

If you have a more adventurous palate, feel free to experiment with everything from ranch dressing and onion soup mixes to taco seasoning, furikake seasoning (which is also delicious on fries), or even Gold Medal Flavacol to mimic the classic taste of movie theatre popcorn. Tangy, spicy Tajín is also a good choice, particularly if you plan to serve the tots with grilled burgers or alongside birria chicken tacos. Just stay away from seasoning blends with sugar in them, such as certain barbecue dry rubs, since the sugar crystals may burn and make your tots taste bitter. The same goes for any "wet" flavorings you may want to add, such as hot sauce or mustard. Cottage cheese and cauliflower already have the right levels of moisture to hold together, so adding more could make the mixture soggy. Instead, stir liquid seasonings into homemade dipping sauces.