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Potato & Butternut Squash Tots

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These delicious little tots are packed with potato and butternut squash and make the perfect finger food for weaning babies and toddlers!

potato & butternut squash tots with tomato sauce

Is anyone else on a mission to get their kids to eat lots more fruit and veg this January? After a chocolate filled Christmas I’m trying to cut back on the junk my two are consuming and up their intake of fresh produce instead. 

Last week I had half a butternut squash lurking in the fridge and some random potatoes starting to look a little neglected in the veg bowl and so I decided to make these little cheesy tots rather than let the veggies go to waste.

First, I mashed the cooked potato and butternut squash together with some cheese, flour (to help bind them), garlic and herbs and then rolled them in dried breadcrumbs.

crispy butternut squash tots

I then fried the tots which made them lovely and golden and crispy on the outside.

I did try baking a few too, just to see how they turned out. They were ok, but definitely not as nice as the fried version.

The tots went down a treat with the kids. I served them as a snack but they would make a great addition to a main meal as well, or even popped into a lunchbox the next day!

They also make a really great finger food idea for toddlers and weaning babies (suitable for 1 year) as they easy to hold and very soft to chew.

finger food tots for kids

I’m definitely going to try making some more versions of these veggie tots soon… I’m thinking maybe a carrot version but let me know your thoughts!

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These delicious little tots are packed with potato and butternut squash and make the perfect finger food for weaning babies and toddlers!

Potato & Butternut Squash Tots

★★★★★ 4.6 from 15 reviews
  • Author: Ciara Attwell @ My Fussy Eater
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Main Meal
  • Cuisine: European
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Description

These delicious little tots are packed with potato and butternut squash and make the perfect finger food for weaning babies and toddlers!

Ingredients

  • 250g / 9oz white potato, peeled
  • 250g / 9oz butternut squash, peeled
  • 40g / ½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1.5 tbsp plain flour
  • ½ clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
  • 25g  / ¼ cup dried breadcrumbs

Instructions

  1. Chop the potato and butternut squash into bite sized pieces. Place them in a large saucepan, cover with boiling water and cook for approx 10 minutes until soft.
  2. Drain the vegetables completely and return them to the saucepan. Mash with a hand masher and then add the cheese, flour, garlic and herbs and mix well. At this point you can season with salt and pepper if you wish.
  3. Transfer the mash onto a plate and allow it to cool a little before shaping into small tots or nuggets, before rolling in the breadcrumbs.
  4. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the tots for 3-4 minutes on either side until golden and crispy.

If you liked this recipe you may also enjoy:

Broccoli & Cheese Frittata Fingers

Broccoli & Cheese Frittata Fingers - Easy Finger Food for Toddlers
cheesy potato butternut squash tots

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Comments

  1. Jen says

    Sounds and looks so yummy! Can’t wait to make it! Unfortunately little one has a dairy allergy, what would you recommend I add instead of the cheese? I was thinking egg but wasn’t sure if it will be too runny. Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Vicky says

      We have never made this recipe using red potatoes, but we cant see any reason why they wouldn’t work, if you do deiced to make them, please come back to us and let us know how they turned out.

      Reply

  3. Ariane says

    My husband and I both loved these, but alas our 13-month old wasn’t a big fan. He ate a few, but was making faces and gagging a bit. I did use panko breadcrumbs and I don’t think he liked the texture of that. They also were crispy on the outside – which we thought was great – but I don’t think he liked the hard exterior. I will keep this recipe in our rotation though and perhaps once he gets a bit older and has some molars he’ll change his mind! I didn’t want to deal with the mess of frying them in oil, so I used the suggestion in the comments of baking at 350 for 45 min. and that was perfect. I had my doubts that the mash would hold together when I was trying to shape them into tots/nuggets as it was extremely mushy, even after it had cooled down to barely warm. But somehow after baking they all held their shape perfectly and I had no issues with them falling apart.

    ★★★★

    Reply

  5. Rahana says

    I made these today and my 8 month old loved them. So did I to be honest! I used sweet potato instead of white potato, panko breadcrumbs and left the crushed garlic out but other than that, followed the recipe. I tried frying them but it just wasn’t working, some sides burning and some undercooked so I popped them in the oven 180 for 25 minute. They were crispy on the outside but lovely and soft on the inside. I really recommend these for baby led weaning. Quick question, can I freeze but baking/frying? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Bianca Carey Spencer says

      Hi Rahana,

      So glad your little loved the Tots! It would probably be best to freeze them after cooking and they have cooled and then reheat them when you want them.

      Reply

  6. Ladyink19 says

    My daughter love this recipe but I put it in the air fryer because it never hard enough to fry. In the air fryer it perfect. I’ve made this a few times already and my 8 month old eats it all up!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  7. Sophie says

    These were so soft – too soft bub couldn’t pick them up. Any suggestions to make it hold together better?
    Could I add some egg

    Reply

    • Anonymous says

      Hey Sophie

      I had the same issue with frying them without egg. I had done half the batch then decided to roll them then dip into egg and then coat in the breadcrumbs… they cooked much better like this. Held there shape and had a nice crispy coating 🙂 I also used some with breadcrumbs and some with almond meal and both turned out great this way.

      Reply

  9. Susanne says

    It should work without cheese, I assume. I’d prefer them vegan. Will try with oats and more flour.
    Any suggestions?

    Reply

  10. Kim says

    Thanks for the great idea! I used 3/4 cups steamed sweet potato and 3/4 cups steamed butternut squash and added 1/2 cup of black beans I had made in the instant pot this morning with a pinch of cumin. Followed the rest of the ingredients except left out the garlic. Baked 350 for 40 minutes.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  11. Annette says

    Hey everyone! I baked these at 350 for 45 min, used almond flour and skipped breadcrumbs and it turned out great! Just wanted to let you all know!

    ★★★★

    Reply

  12. Gracie says

    Both the toddler and the baby really liked these (as did I!) and they made a real nice change from normal tots.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  14. Melanie says

    Hello, I have cooked this recipe many times now, my 2 year old triplet boys love them and so do I! So easy and so tasty! Thank you. If I freeze a batch, can I then defrost and then fry as normal or would you only bake them?

    Reply

    • Ciara Attwell says

      So glad you all like it Melanie! Try frying them, they might work but my only fear is that they might start to fall apart. If so just press down on them with a spatula so you get a fritter kind of shape rather than a tot!

      Reply

  15. Megan says

    Just made this recipe today. My 10 month old loved it! I switched a few things up though! I used sweet potato instead of white potato and instead of boiling it I steamed it until soft! I used 3 tbsp of whole wheat flour instead of white flour and rolled them in Panko breadcrumbs. I also baked mine in the oven! Turned out wonderful! Will make this for my little guy again! Thank you so much for the recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  16. Sharon says

    I am going to try to make a healthier version of these… Will try using oats instead of breadcrumbs and baking them instead of frying. Will see how they turn out ????

    ★★★★

    Reply

  18. Emily says

    So I can’t believe I only just came across your site! So glad to find additional easy and healthy recipes for BLW. The BLW cookbook, other sites, and my suddenly not so creative mind were running out of ideas. I too have been stuck in the sliced fruit, cheese sticks, and cheddar bunnies mind set.

    Reply

  21. Alissa says

    Mine turned out okay. Think I might have overlooked the potato and squash because they were pretty soggy. Then I had to use soo much oil to fry them in order to keep them from burning. Any suggestions? Maybe I had the heat too high or something. Yours look so nice and mine didn’t look nearly like that. 🙁

    ★★★

    Reply

  22. Julia says

    Hi mine didn’t turn out well at all, I ended up throwing them away 🙁 such a shame. They were so soggy and I could barely make then into tots and when I fried them they fell apart.. any ideas what I could of done wrong please ? Thank you

    Reply

    • Ciara Attwell says

      I’m sorry to hear that Julia. The only thing I could think is that there was too much moisture in the potato and sweet potato. Maybe if you cooked them for a little less time they wouldn’t be so soggy.

      Reply

      • Julia says

        I will definitely try again. And cook them less like you suggested I hope they turn out right this time ! I will post when I have tried again ????

        Reply

  26. Maree Concato says

    I love this one. Had it for lunch today taste testing for my little one who is having it for dinner. Yummy!!!!

    ★★★★

    Reply

  27. Stacey says

    What an awesome idea! I’m always looking for something new and different that are also healthy and veggie-filled. My little one always liked the pureed butternut squash I made for her when she was first starting to eat foods, but I have not come across a new way to make it that she would enjoy. I think she will love these! Can’t wait to cook up a batch!

    Reply

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