Reba McEntire Can't Get Enough Of This Classic Fast Food Item
Reba McEntire is very clear that her favorite fast food dish is tater tots. She's famous for handing out baskets of the crunchy barrels of shredded potato to her team on "The Voice," and her boyfriend's nickname for her is even Tater Tot. They even spent a Valentine's Day date at a Sonic Drive In, the home of their favorite tots, which inspired a collaboration with Sonic for Valentine's Day 2024 with its Reba's Sweetheart Deal. The deal included a cheeseburger, a chocolate-covered strawberry shake, and, yes, tots.
While promoting her book, "Not That Fancy," on "Late Night With Seth Meyers," she told him her favorite recipe for tater tots: "You get in your car. And you put it in reverse. Get out of the garage and drive down the road, and you find your nearest Sonic," she instructed Meyers.
In case anyone is confused, she (thankfully) went into more detail: "Pull in the entrance, not the exit. And you pull in one of them little slots, and you push that red button and you say, 'Can I have me some tater tots?' And I hope they don't say 'We're out.'" Hopefully, this helps you get some of her favorite side dish, which has as deep of roots in America as Reba herself.
The humble history of the classic tot
The tater tot was invented in 1953 in eastern Oregon by Ore-Ida co-founder F. Nephi Grigg, when he looked for a better use for the potato scraps leftover from making french fries. Later that year, he tested his snack at the National Potato Convention. Armed with 15 pounds of tots, Nephi bribed the chef there into serving the fried treat to attendees. It was an instant hit that helped the company grow in the frozen food market.
There's a reason Sonic's tater tots are on our list of best fast food tater tots; they're perfectly crispy and have the right amount of salt. They're original and down to earth, just like Reba McEntire (and Sonic's BBQ chip tots take them up another level with a spice mix that has a little heat). If all this talk of tater tots is getting you hungry, check out Daily Meal's tip for making frozen tater tots at home, which is arguably even easier than getting in your car and driving to the closest Sonic Drive In.