Follow these simple steps to bake your way to perfect cauliflower tots:

1. Preheat Your Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking. Lightly grease the parchment paper with olive oil spray or a thin layer of olive oil. This will help the bottoms of the tots get crispy.
2. Prepare the Cauliflower: Wash and thoroughly dry the head of cauliflower. Remove the leaves and the tough core. Cut the cauliflower into florets.
3. Rice the Cauliflower: You have a few options for ricing the cauliflower:
   • Food Processor: This is the quickest method. Add the florets to a food processor (you may need to do this in batches) and pulse until the cauliflower resembles coarse crumbs or rice. Be careful not to over-process into a paste.
   • Box Grater: Use the medium-sized holes on a box grater to grate the cauliflower florets.
   • Knife: Finely chop the cauliflower until it reaches a rice-like consistency. This method is more time-consuming but works if you don’t have a food processor or grater.
     You should have approximately 4-5 cups of riced cauliflower.
4. Cook the Cauliflower: The riced cauliflower needs to be cooked slightly to soften it. You can do this in one of two ways:
   • Steaming: Place the riced cauliflower in a steamer basket over boiling water for about 5-7 minutes, or until it’s tender but not mushy.
   • Microwaving: Place the riced cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave on high for 4-6 minutes, stirring halfway through, until tender.
5. Cool and Squeeze Out Excess Moisture (Crucial Step!): Once cooked, spread the cauliflower on a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels and let it cool for about 10-15 minutes, or until it’s cool enough to handle. This cooling period also allows some steam to escape. Then, gather the kitchen towel (or paper towels) around the cauliflower and squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible. This step is absolutely critical for achieving crispy, well-formed tots rather than mushy ones. You’ll be surprised how much water comes out!
6. Combine Ingredients: Transfer the squeezed, dry cauliflower to a large mixing bowl. Add the beaten egg, Panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley (or chives), garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
7. Mix Well: Using a spatula or your hands, mix all the ingredients thoroughly until everything is well combined and the mixture holds together. Taste a tiny bit of the mixture (if comfortable, as it contains raw egg) and adjust seasonings if necessary.
8. Shape the Tots: Take about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of the cauliflower mixture and shape it into a small tot (cylinder or small patty shape) using your hands. Make sure to pack the mixture firmly so the tots don’t fall apart during baking. Repeat with the remaining mixture, placing the shaped tots in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they are not touching. This allows air to circulate for even crisping.
9. Bake the Tots: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Then, carefully flip each tot using a spatula.
10. Continue Baking: Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the tots are golden brown and crispy on all sides. The exact baking time may vary depending on your oven and the size of your tots. Keep an eye on them during the last few minutes to prevent burning.
11. Cool Slightly and Serve: Once baked, remove the tots from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. They will firm up a bit more as they cool. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauces.