Description
Cracked Out Chicken Tater Tot Casserole combines comfort and flavor in one hearty dish. Crispy potatoes, tender chicken, and melted cheese create a satisfying meal that home cooks will quickly embrace.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (32 oz/907 g) bag frozen tater tots
- 1 (10.5 oz/298 g) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken (about 2 large chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken)
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup cooked, crumbled bacon (plus extra for garnish, optional)
- 1 (1 oz/28 g) packet ranch seasoning mix
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish for seamless cooking and serving.
- Protein Preparation: Cook chicken thoroughly, slice into bite-sized pieces, and set aside while preparing other components.
- Bacon Transformation: Crisp bacon in a skillet until perfectly golden and crumble into rustic fragments that will infuse deep, smoky essence into the dish.
- Flavor Foundation: Whisk cream of chicken soup, ranch seasoning, and sour cream into a velvety, harmonious blend that will coat the primary ingredients.
- Mixture Integration: Gently fold cooked chicken and bacon into the creamy mixture, ensuring comprehensive flavor distribution throughout the casserole.
- Layering Strategy: Spread the savory mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish, creating a uniform base for the upcoming layers.
- Cheese Application: Distribute half of the shredded cheddar cheese across the chicken mixture, allowing it to melt and create a rich, gooey underlayer.
- Tater Tot Arrangement: Meticulously place frozen tater tots in a precise single layer, forming a crisp, golden protective covering for the casserole.
- Initial Baking Cycle: Bake for 25-30 minutes until tater tots transform into a gorgeous golden brown and cheese becomes delightfully bubbly.
- Final Cheese Embellishment: Remove casserole, sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese, and return to oven for an additional 5 minutes to achieve ultimate cheesy decadence.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle freshly chopped green onions over the casserole, introducing a vibrant, crisp element to this indulgent comfort creation.
Notes
- Precise Chicken Prep: Cook chicken thoroughly and dice uniformly to ensure even cooking and consistent texture throughout the casserole.
- Bacon Crispness Control: Drain bacon completely on paper towels to prevent excess grease from making the dish soggy and maintain its crispy texture.
- Cheese Melting Strategy: Sprinkle cheese in layers for maximum flavor distribution and achieve a perfectly gooey, melted consistency.
- Temperature Monitoring: Watch closely during the last 5-10 minutes of baking to prevent burning and ensure golden-brown tater tots without overcooking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg