Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Bake (Printable)
Tender chicken, golden tater tots and melted cheddar layered into a creamy, crowd-pleasing baked casserole.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 3 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 cup frozen peas and carrots mix, thawed
→ Dairy
04 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
05 - 1 cup sour cream
06 - 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
→ Pantry & Seasonings
07 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots
11 - 2 tablespoons butter, melted
12 - Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or butter.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, chopped onion, thawed peas and carrots, 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir until evenly incorporated.
03 - Transfer the chicken mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
04 - Place the frozen tater tots in a single, even layer across the entire surface of the chicken filling.
05 - Pour the melted butter evenly over the arranged tater tots.
06 - Bake uncovered for 40 minutes until the tater tots begin to crisp and turn golden.
07 - Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the tater tots are golden and crispy.
08 - Allow the casserole to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired, and serve warm.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It turns basic pantry staples into something kids and adults fight over the last spoonful of.
- The crispy tater tot topping gives you all the comfort of loaded fries with zero deep frying involved.
02 -
- Do not skip greasing the dish because that creamy filling will cement itself to the corners and you will lose half your casserole to the pan.
- Adding the cheese at the end instead of all at once prevents it from burning or sinking into the filling where nobody can see it.
03 -
- Shred your own cheese from a block rather than using pre shredded bags because the anti caking additives on bagged cheese prevent it from melting smoothly.
- Arrange the tater tots in neat rows rather than tossing them randomly for more even crisping and a presentation that looks like you tried harder than you did.