Cauliflower tater tots

I had a family BBQ this weekend and was looking for an alternative to potatoes, rice or pasta, to serve as a healthier option.  I ended up making smashed potatoes with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on them and decided to also try these cauliflower tater tots.  I found the recipe on Pinterest, but this is it in a nutshell.

1 head of cauliflower (2 cups of riced cauliflower)

8 tbsp of parmesan cheese *

1 tsp of butter

1 egg

1/4 tsp of onion powder (or more to taste...I don't measure usually)

salt and pepper to taste

*shredding your own is best or make sure there is nothing added to the preshredded - lots contain cellulose or things like flour to get the shredded cheese to not stick to itself

1. Chop up and steam the cauliflower florets and then toss in the blender to "rice" them into smaller bits (you could buy riced cauliflower and steam it instead).  You should end up with approx 2 cups of riced cooked cauliflower. place cooked cauliflower in a medium mixing bowl

2. Cool the cauliflower in the fridge for approx. 20 minutes.  Preheat oven to 425 F 

3. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl of cauliflower and mix it all up.

4. Portion out onto a parchment lined baking sheet using a tbsp or medium cookie/ice cream scoop.

5. Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes (tops will start to brown).

This recipe made approximately 20 "tots" and had a nice cheesy taste and make a good alternative side dish in place of a carb you would normally serve...and went nicely with BBQ Hamburgers.