Trader Joe's Trader Potato Tots

A recurring problem with Trader Joe's frozen foods, afflicting most though not all of them, is that the baking directions meaningfully underestimate the cooking time actually required for optimal preparation. When faced with a new freezer-to-oven TJ's product, I now routinely add five minutes of bake time, and even that often proves to be insufficient.

That was the case with these tater tots. The instructions call for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, turning once halfway through. I did that, but added five minutes to the second half. And it wasn't enough. They were still barely cooked inside. So they went back in for another five minutes, and that STILL wasn't enough. They were hot and edible then, but basically mushy inside and out. The chief joy of tater tots is in the texture--specifically, getting a crispy outer layer, with a firm but yielding inside. These completely failed in that regard.

Lest you think that my troubles are due to an oven with a faulty thermostat or unusually long warm-up time, let me assure you that (1) I keep an oven thermometer hanging from the top rack of the oven, and it always closely matches the setting I've dialed in, and (2) I always check to be sure the oven is fully to temperature before putting the food in and starting the timer.

Nina suggested that the next time I should try making the last ten minutes at 450 degrees instead of 400. I decided to do even more than that: 10 minutes at 400, then 15 minutes at 450. The result? Perfection! The Trader Joe's tots suddenly went from being boring, lifeless disappointments to as good as any tots I've ever had. They were so good that I didn't even stop to think to squirt some ketchup on my plate for dipping, which is how I usually eat them. I was snarfing through them too fast to stop for any such amenities.


Will I buy them again? 

Yes indeed. I WANT MORE TRADER JOE'S TATER TOTS--but only if they are heated according to the secret formula described above. Otherwise, I don't want them.