I’m up for Tater Tots just about anytime. They give you that French-fry grease and salt without a trip to McDonalds. Also, you don’t have to spatter up your kitchen with hot oil.

My mother must have liked them, too, because she served Tater Tots on extremely special Friday nights. When I suggested she try homemade French fries, she frowned as if I’d asked for Coke.

Cheddar Taters is another handy way to sneak this treat into dinner. While there’s nothing wrong with funeral potatoes, this dish gives you the same creamy, cheesy satisfaction without having to dress up and say good-bye to Grandma.

I ran out of potato chips to crush on top, but I had some Fun-Yuns hanging around and they didn’t hurt the final product at all.

Photo credits:

tater tots: Mike Dresser on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC

potato chips: Visual Hunt