Something I've always wondered...

[CelShadedDreams]

I never here Americans talk abut roast potatoes when it comes to roast meals such as Thanksgiving. Is that what a 'tot' is? All I ever hear about is mash with a roast dinner and I can't help but feel that you're missing out!

Either that or I'm ignorant and you all do have roast potatoes and I'm going to go hang my head in shame.

[blackmage_nuke]

Most potatoes I've heard of are baked

Inb4 Samwise

[Pike]

I had to google roast potatoes to find out what it was. It looks like glorified tater tots, to me!

But keep in mind that all I eat is pizza and ice cream so I'm not exactly the best person to ask about this sort of thing

EDIT: Wait, I was browsing google images and I think I've had those before. My mom made them sometimes. Just not for thanksgiving; my family traditionally had mashed potatoes. I'm sure everyone does it differently, though!

[Miriel]

Whaaat?

Roasted potatoes are completely different from tater tots. Tater tots are fried, roasted potatoes are, you know, roasted.

I have cooked potatoes: deep fried, shallow fried, boiled, stewed, poached, scalloped, mashed, baked, twice baked, smashed (which is different from mashed), and roasted. Potatoes are my favorite.

[Pike]

Roasted potatoes are completely different from tater tots. Tater tots are fried, roasted potatoes are, you know, roasted.

I have no idea what the difference between roasted and fried is, I'm sorry And yes I am well aware of how pathetic I am. It's part of my charm though, right? ...right? D:

[NorthernChaosGod]

Mashed potatoes are superior.

[Madonna]

You guys suck at explaining.

Tater tots are essentially bite-size compressed hashbrowns/itty bitty latkes. Potatoes are processed and shredded into little bits before being mixed with what is probably egg, flour, salt, and pepper, before being smooshed into little nuggets that are then cooked and packaged frozen. They can be reheated via baking or frying. Store-bought ones will usually be oven-baked, as many people at home lack deep fryers, and tater tots bought at a fast food joint will be deep fried because taking a half hour to cook something is not fast.

Roasted potatoes are exactly as you read: potatoes, roasted. There exists a variety of ways to achieve roasting, but the usual holiday meal method is to chunk up your potatoes and toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and whatever herb seasoning floats your boat, before dumping the potatoes onto a baking sheet and roasting them until soft and golden brown. If you are roasting something smaller than a turkey, you may consider wanting to use a bed of these potatoes (made as described but not yet cooked) upon which you place your beef, pork, or chicken.

I hope this makes the difference clear, CelShadedDreams.

[Pike]

You guys suck at explaining.

Tater tots are essentially bite-size compressed hashbrowns/itty bitty latkes. Potatoes are processed and shredded into little bits before being mixed with what is probably egg, flour, salt, and pepper, before being smooshed into little nuggets that are then cooked and packaged frozen. They can be reheated via baking or frying. Store-bought ones will usually be oven-baked, as many people at home lack deep fryers, and tater tots bought at a fast food joint will be deep fried because taking a half hour to cook something is not fast.

Roasted potatoes are exactly as you read: potatoes, roasted. There exists a variety of ways to achieve roasting, but the usual holiday meal method is to chunk up your potatoes and toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and whatever herb seasoning floats your boat, before dumping the potatoes onto a baking sheet and roasting them until soft and golden brown. If you are roasting something smaller than a turkey, you may consider wanting to use a bed of these potatoes (made as described but not yet cooked) upon which you place your beef, pork, or chicken.

I hope this makes the difference clear, CelShadedDreams.

Possibly the most informative post I've ever read on this forum.

[Peegee]

This thread made me die a little.

we need an eoff cooking show.

[Crop]

Hey Napoleon, gimme some of your tots!

[CelShadedDreams]

You guys suck at explaining.

Tater tots are essentially bite-size compressed hashbrowns/itty bitty latkes. Potatoes are processed and shredded into little bits before being mixed with what is probably egg, flour, salt, and pepper, before being smooshed into little nuggets that are then cooked and packaged frozen. They can be reheated via baking or frying. Store-bought ones will usually be oven-baked, as many people at home lack deep fryers, and tater tots bought at a fast food joint will be deep fried because taking a half hour to cook something is not fast.

Roasted potatoes are exactly as you read: potatoes, roasted. There exists a variety of ways to achieve roasting, but the usual holiday meal method is to chunk up your potatoes and toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and whatever herb seasoning floats your boat, before dumping the potatoes onto a baking sheet and roasting them until soft and golden brown. If you are roasting something smaller than a turkey, you may consider wanting to use a bed of these potatoes (made as described but not yet cooked) upon which you place your beef, pork, or chicken.

I hope this makes the difference clear, CelShadedDreams.

Thanks, I just figured thanksgiving dinner was an extra fancy version on a typical Sunday roast dinner over here so there must be some kind of roast potato included, but it's more different than I thought! Having mash with a roast over here is just wrong!

A tot sounds an awful lot like a rosti, except a rosti is pancake shaped.


I'm hungry again now even though I had a roast dinner earlier today

[rubah]

I think I can speak for most americans that if you say "roast" with some implication of meat to us, we will typically think of beef, as in a pot roast

however, for thanksgiving, we eat baked turkey like many canadians.

but it is also common to eat mashed potatoes with roast [beef].

[Peegee]

I hate roast beef

[Shlup]

I make roasted red potatoes with a honey mustard glaze on a fairly regular basis.

[NorthernChaosGod]

I make roasted red potatoes with a honey mustard glaze on a fairly regular basis.

Roasted red potatoes are delicious. :O