# Waffled Potato Paninis This Decadent Grilled Cheese Dish is Made with Tater Tots Instead of Bread By M | Published 2016-01-21 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grilled-cheese-dish References: [thrillist.tumblr](http://thrillist.tumblr.com/post/137756396784/yumi-food-waffled-tater-tot-grilled-cheese) & [realfoodbydad](http://realfoodbydad.com/waffled-tater-tot-grilled-cheese/) As consumers seek out carb-free alternatives of their favorite foods, this [grilled cheese dish](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hardees-grilled-cheese) by lifestyle blog Real Food by Dad offers an equally delicious and crispy alternative that uses vegetables instead of bread. The Waffled Tater Tot Grilled Cheese maintains a cheesy centre topped with crispy potatoes to recreate the popular comfort food sandwich. The sandwich is made using a large amount of tater tots that are smashed together in a waffle iron. With the added heat, the potatoes will come together to form a crust that will act as a [carb-free bread replacement](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/avowich) that will hold the sandwich together. Layered onto the potatoes is gooey Fontina cheese along with another layer of [smashed tater tots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hash-brown-topple-tower). The substitution of vegetables for grains replicates the comfort food aspect of this recipe which slightly healthier ingredients. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.9/10 - Popularity: 62% | Activity: 47% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Carb-free Alternatives:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in creating more carb-free alternatives for traditional comfort foods. - **Vegetable Substitutions:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in developing new ways to use vegetables as replacements for traditional ingredients. - **Crispy Potato Crust:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in using crispy potato crusts as a bread replacement in various dishes. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Food and Beverage:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the food and beverage industry to create and market carb-free alternatives and vegetable-based dishes. - **Restaurant and Food Service:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the restaurant and food service industry to incorporate vegetable substitutions and crispy potato crusts into their menus. - **Health and Wellness:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the health and wellness industry to promote and develop carb-free alternatives for healthier eating options. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Crispy Cheesy Waffles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cheesy-waffle.md) - [Waffle-Flavored Potato Fries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/maple-city-waffle.md) - [Crispy Potato Tot Croutons](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/crispy-croutots.md) - [Grilled Cheese Burger Sandwiches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grilled-cheese-cheeseburger.md) - [Potato-Based Cheese Alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plant-based-alt-cheese.md) - [Grilled Cheese-Style Bites](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grilled-cheesestyle-bites.md) - [Potato-Based Vegan Nuggets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tater-cheezz-nuggets.md) - [Cheesy Tater Tot Nachos](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cheesy-bacon-chicken.md) - [Potato-Powered Pizza Crusts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/french-fry-style-crust-pizza.md)