Tot-ally delicious potato salad

Potato salad is a staple of picnics, barbecues, and family gatherings. As part of culinary school, I was required to take a "garde manger" class, which a class that focuses on the preparation of cold dishes, like salads and appetizers. I made so much potato salad in that class. Boiling, cooling, peeling, and chopping potatoes is such a pain, not to mention very time consuming.

If you want a simpler approach that is sure to wow friends and family, here’s a clever shortcut: use tater tots instead of traditional potatoes.

Why use tater tots?

Tater tots are a surprisingly efficient and flavorful substitute for boiled potatoes in potato salad. Here’s why:

1. Convenience

Tater tots come pre-cooked and frozen, so they're ready to go straight into the oven. Skip the washing, peeling, chopping, and boiling. With about 25 minutes of (hands-off) baking time, you’re free to prep the rest of your salad while they crisp up.

2. Texture

One of the challenges of traditional potato salad is maintaining a good texture—soft but not mushy. Tater tots naturally crisp on the outside while staying tender inside, creating a nice contrast in texture that holds up well when mixed with dressing and other ingredients.

3. Flavor Boost

Tater tots are typically seasoned before freezing, often with a bit of salt and oil. This adds built-in flavor. Their golden, fried exterior also adds richness that complements creamy or tangy dressings.

A few important notes

After smashing the tater tots, bake them until they're extra crispy. It may take 15 minutes, or it may take up to 20 minutes depending on the brand.

You can make the dressing and mix everything except the tater tots ahead of time. But I don't recommend cooking and adding the tater tots until you're ready to serve it. As you can imagine, the tater tots will lose their crispiness as they soak up the dressing. This happens after about an hour. I think it's still really tasty even when the tater tots are soft, but I just want to make sure you're aware of this ahead of time.

I like to add even more herbs (fresh dill, chives, parsley) on top before serving.

Tot-ally delicious potato salad

Yield: About 8 servings

Time: About 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the dressing

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 lemon, juiced (about 3 Tablespoons)
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar 
• 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

For the salad

• 1 (32-ounce) bag frozen tater tots
• 3 dill pickle spears (3 ounces), chopped
• 3 garlic cloves (0.5 ounces), minced
• 3 stalks celery (4 ounces), chopped
• 1 shallot (2 ounces), minced
• 1/4 cup dill (10 grams), chopped
• 1/4 cup chives (10 grams), chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

For the dressing

1. In large bowl, combine the mayo, pickle brine, and dijon mustard. Set aside.

For the salad

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and divide tater tots between 2 lined baking sheets.
2. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
3. Use bottom of cup to gently press down and slightly flatten tater tots. 
4. Return to oven and cook about 15 more minutes until golden and crispy.
5. Remove from oven and set aside.
6. Add chopped pickles, garlic, celery, shallot, dill, and chives to bowl with dressing and mix until well combined.
7. Gently stir in tater tots and serve.