Chicken pot pie meets tater tot casserole!! Delicious homemade pot pie filling made in one pot and loaded with chicken and vegetables then topped with cheddar cheese and tater tots and baked until the filling is bubbly and the tater tots are crispy, golden brown! Perfect with leftover turkey, too!
Chicken tater tot casserole meets chicken pot pie! Nate and I are both obsessed with this recipe! It packs so much creamy, cheesy, delicious flavor, and the tater tots are a crazy good alternative to biscuits. They add a fun, tasty twist that takes chicken pot pie to a new level!
And when it comes to the chicken and vegetables, I am not shy. It's packed full!
But, the best part is that it's super easy to make in just one pot! The chicken and vegetables are all cooked in the same pot that the gravy is made in, then the pot pie filling is transferred to a baking dish, and topped with cheddar cheese and tater tots. Bake for about 40 minutes until the filling is hot and bubbly and the tots are crispy brown!
What Makes this Chicken Pot Pie Tater Tot Casserole So Good.
Chicken Tater Tot Casserole without Canned Soup.
No canned soup in this casserole!
Creamy, homemade gravy is perfectly seasoned and loaded with lots of chicken, carrots, celery, peas and corn. You're going to love it!
Making homemade cream of soup is incredibly easy, tastes so much better and is so much better for you!
To make homemade cream of soup, start by making a roux with butter and flour then mix in broth and milk and simmer until thickened. That's it! Based on the flavor of canned soup you want to make, you can use beef broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth. I most often use chicken broth, which is what I used in this recipe!
Easy, one pot recipe.
The chicken pot pie filling is super easy to make! Chicken and vegetables are cooked in the same pot that the gravy is made in, then the filling is transferred to a baking dish, topped with cheddar cheese and tater tots and baked to delicious perfection!
Fun, tasty tater tot twist.
Tater tots are a crazy good and fun alternative to biscuits! Both adults and kids love this fun twist! Simply place the frozen tater tots over the chicken pot pie filling and bake.
Ingredients.
- Butter.
- Chicken breasts.
- Onion.
- Celery.
- Carrots.
- Fresh garlic.
- Flour.
- Chicken broth.
- Milk.
- Ground thyme.
- Salt & pepper.
- Cheddar cheese.
- Frozen peas.
- Frozen corn.
- Tater tots.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Tater Tot Casserole.
- Cook the chicken and vegetables. In a large skillet, cook chicken, onion, celery and carrots in lots of butter until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Make the gravy. Sprinkle the chicken and vegetables with flour to create a roux. Mix in chicken broth and milk and simmer until thickened.
- Season the filling. Mix in ground thyme, salt and pepper.
- Add more vegetables. Mix in frozen peas and corn.
- Transfer to baking dish. Transfer the filling to a baking dish.
- Add cheese and tater tots. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the filling and then top with frozen tater tots.
- Bake. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the gravy is bubbling and the tater tots are crispy!
Frequently Asked Questions.
Can I use rotisserie or leftover chicken?
Yes, use about 4 cups of shredded rotisserie or leftover chicken instead of cooking chicken breasts. If you go this route, add the cooked chicken when you mix in the frozen peas and corn.
Leftover turkey is also great in this casserole!
Can I freeze the chicken tater tot casserole?
Yes! If you would like to freeze the casserole, hold off on baking until you're ready to eat it! Once the casserole is fully assembled with tater tots on top, cover tightly with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
Before baking, thaw the casserole in the fridge overnight or remove from the freezer about 1-2 hours before you're ready to bake so the casserole can thaw.
You may need to get an extra 15-30 minutes to the baking time. Bake until the gravy is bubbling up the sides and tater tots are crispy. If the tater tots are cooking too fast, lightly cover with foil.
How do you keep tater tots crispy in a casserole?
To get crispy tater tots, layer the tater tots on top of the casserole!
Don't cover the tater tots with sauce, instead add the filling to the bottom of the casserole, and always add the tater tots last so they can get nice and crispy on top.
Storage
Storing leftover casserole in the fridge.
Leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can reheat individual portions in the microwave, or you can reheat a larger amount in the oven at 400 degrees until hot and bubbly.
Make ahead
This is a great make ahead recipe! It can be stored in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to bake.
If you would like to make this recipe a day or two in advance, store in the refrigerator. Here's how to do it.
- Prepare the casserole as instructed in the recipe, but wait to add the tater tots until just before baking. Tater tots are best cooked from frozen, so you don't want them to thaw in the fridge. Cover the casserole and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- When you're ready to bake the casserole, remove from the fridge while the oven preheats, to allow the casserole to warm up a little bit.
- Right before putting in the oven, add the tater tots to the top.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes until the edges are bubbly and the tater tots are golden brown.
For a make head freezer meal, here's how to do it.
- Prepare the casserole as instructed in the recipe, adding the cheese and tater tots to the top. I recommend using a disposable aluminum foil baking dish for freezing. Cover tightly with plastic wrap then aluminum foil and freeze up to 3 months.
- Bake the frozen casserole (no need to thaw) at 400 degrees for 60-70 minutes until the edges are bubbly and the tater tots are golden brown.
More Delicious Casserole recipes!
Green Bean Casserole with Rosemary Parmesan Gravy
From Scratch Cheesy Sharp Cheddar and Hashbrown Casserole
Curry Chicken and Broccoli Divan
Extra Cheesy Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below! I'd love to hear from you! If you're on Instagram, share a picture of the food you created and tag me at Modern Farmhouse Eats! I enjoy seeing all the pictures! 😊
Tator Tot Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (about 4-5 chicken breasts)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 4 large carrots, thinly sliced (about 2 ½ cups)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 ½ cups milk
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 cups cheddar cheese
- 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute.
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Sprinkle flour over vegetables and mix well until combined; cook 1 minute.
- While mixing, slowly pour in the chicken broth then the milk. Simmer over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, or until thickened to gravy consistency.
- Stir in ground thyme, ground nutmeg, salt and pepper, then mix in the cooked chicken, peas and corn.
- Transfer mixture to a 9 x 13 inch (or 3-4 quart) baking dish. Top with cheddar cheese then tater tots. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until hotdish is bubbling and tater tots are golden and crispy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated by a third party software and is only an estimate, not a guarantee. This information is provided as a courtesy, and you are solely responsible for all decisions related to your health.
Karissa says
This was amazing!! I did alter the recipe to be dairy free. I used half coconut milk, half oat milk, and omitted the cheese. I omitted the nutmeg and used chives instead. I also used gluten free flour. I added the salt, pepper, and herbs while the veggies were sauteing. We all loved it!
Rachel Kochlin says
I'm so glad you were able to make the recipe dairy free and that it still turned out delicious! Thanks so much for sharing and leaving a review!
Sue says
Has anyone made this without any cheese? Our family has dairy allergies and my daughter doesn’t like the plant based cheeses. Will use plant based milk substitute.
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
Hi Sue! This can definitely be made without cheese! It'll still taste great.
Sarah says
Can this be made ahead of time then frozen to be baked at a later time?
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
Hi Sarah! Yes, this is a great make ahead freezer meal. Prepare the casserole as instructed in the recipe (I recommend using a disposable aluminum baking dish), then cover tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding about 20-30 minutes of extra cook time.
Savanna says
Yummy my kids loved this!!
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
Savanna, I am so happy to hear that your kids love the recipe! Thank you for the review!
medium.com says
I don't unremarkably comment but I gotta tell thank you for the
post on this amazing one :D.
Hanifia says
This looks like comfort food at its finest! I love chicken pot pie. Hanifia
Corina says
This is such a great recipe! Love the tater tot idea <3 I have some allergies so I subbed coconut milk from the can and Daiya shredded cheddar cheese. Thank you!
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
Corina, I'm so happy you liked it and were able to make it work for your allergies!!