I nominate myself for the longest blog post title of the year award. The Cheesecake Factory is one of the restaurants that we enjoy but have never lived close to. One of our go-to appetizers are the loaded baked potato tots. They have a nice crunchy and crispy coating and a filling of creamy mashed potatoes.
You can either make your potato filling from scratch, use leftover mashed potatoes, or grab a package of pre-made potatoes. Season them accordingly. You’ll combine them with all of the delicious baked potato toppings. You can adjust your topping based on what you prefer. I like shredded cheese, bacon, and green onions. Caramelized onions would also be delicious.
From there, you’ll shape the loaded baked potato tots and roll them in a crunchy topping. A dredging station with bowls of the eggs and the breadcrumbs will make your life a lot easier. If you can find them, I would really recommend using panko breadcrumbs. They’re a lighter texture, so they make a better and crispier crust. Then we’ll get to deep frying.
I’ll always tell you to invest in a deep fryer (here’s one similar to mine). If you don’t have a deep fryer, you can fry them in a dutch oven on the stove top. Fry them for about three minutes each. You’ll want the filling to be warm and the crust to be super crunchy. You can bake these, but they won’t get as crunchy as you’ll probably want.
As a general fan of Ranch dressing, I serve these with homemade Ranch dressing. You can also make the sriracha mayo that Cheesecake Factory serves as a dipping sauce. These would be a great side dish for another Cheesecake Factory recipe, Parmesan herb-crusted chicken.
Loaded baked potato tots
- Total Time: 40
- Yield: 18 1x
Ingredients
Tots
- 2 cups of mashed potatoes
- 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup of sour cream
- 1/4 cup of milk
- 3–4 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons of minced chives or green onions
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs
- Frying oil
Ranch dipping sauce
- 1/2 cup of sour cream
- Milk
- 1 tablespoon Ranch dressing mix
- 1 tablespoon chives or green onions
Sriracha mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- 1–2 teaspoons of Sriracha
Instructions
Tots
- Preheat frying oil to 350 degrees (I used a Dutch oven and needed about 1.5 inches of oil).
- Combine mashed potatoes, cheese, sour cream, milk, bacon, and chives in a large bowl until well mixed.
- Crack and scramble eggs in a pie plate. Pour breadcrumbs in a separate pie plate.
- Scoop mashed potato mixture into about 1 inch balls.
- Roll in raw egg and then breadcrumbs. Chill for 5-10 minutes.
- Fry in small bunches until golden brown and warmed through (3-4 minutes). Serve warm.
Ranch dipping sauce:
- Whisk together sour cream and milk to reach desired consistency.
- Stir in Ranch dressing mix and chives.
- Taste and add more seasoning, if desired.
Sriracha mayonnaise
- Stir sriracha and mayonnaise together until well combine.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 15
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
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ugh yuuummm. I wanna come hang out for a week so you can feed me! 😉
Yum!!!!!
These sound AMAZING. I need them in my life ASAP.
These looks delicious! SO glad you shared them~
Elizabeth
allkindsofthingsblog.com
Yum!! I love loaded baked potatoes so I’m sure I’d be a fan of these 🙂