Preheat oven to 425° F.

Spread out the frozen tater tots onto a large ungreased, or unlined, baking sheet. Be sure to leave space between the individual tater tots so that they can crisp evenly around all the edges.

Bake the tater tots for 10 minutes.

While the tater tots are baking, make the butter mixture by stirring together in a small bowl the melted unsalted butter, salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Set aside.

Remove the tater tots from the oven and using the flat bottom of a small juice glass, gently smash each of the tater tots on the baking sheet to 1/4 inch thickness. You want to apply light pressure so as to not smash the tater tots completely flat or they will get too crispy.

Using a pastry brush, brush each of the smashed tater tots with a light coating of the melted butter mixture.

Return the smashed tater tots to the oven to finish baking for another 10-15 minutes or until the tater tots are golden and crispy all around the edges. Be careful to not allow them to get too crispy or burnt.

Remove the smashed tater tots from the oven and allow them to cool slightly on the baking sheet before plating and serving.