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Chop onion and bacon, set off to the side. Grate cheddar cheese, set off to the side for later. Peel and grate the potatoes. Give the potatoes a quick chop with the knife to make sure they are in small bits. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl of salted ice water. Let the potatoes soak for 10-15 minutes while the oven preheats.
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Fill a large heavy-bottomed pan with vegetable oil about half of the way up. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F.
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Drain the bowl of potatoes and ice water into a colander lined with a dish towel. Wring out all the liquid from the potatoes. Transfer the potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Season the potatoes with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder, and mix well.
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Mix in the cheese, green onion, bacon, flour, and egg. Mix until everything is coated evenly. Start rolling spoonfuls of potato mixture into tot forms. Place the formed tots on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue this until all tots are formed. This recipe makes about 30-35 tots.
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Start gently placing tots into the hot oil. Fry for 4-5 minutes in batches of ten tots. Mix the tots around so they fry evenly and don’t stick together.
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When done and golden, transfer the tots to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Let cool slightly before serving. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until hot.