A cool, rain fall weekend is setting in and the kitchen is calling. Let’s grab a baking dish and pull some tots out of the freezer—it’s time for a tater tot casserole! This quintessential midwest potluck dish is the perfect reason to crank the oven and lounge on the couch all. Day. LONG.

Our rendition ditches the cream of whatever soup for a lighter (and easy-to-make!) mushroom-celery sauce. We love the depth gained from a splash of white wine, but if you’re looking for something a little more rich, swap the wine out with heavy cream. Cherry tomatoes (the PERFECT way to use up the last of this years garden tomatoes!!) and peas give the dish a fresh finish and extra color. Topped with classic tot goodness, this casserole strikes a masterful balance!

So what are you waiting for? Make this deliciousness now. Then spend some quality time on your couch. Happy cooking, ya’ll!

Chicken Tot Casserole

This recipe combines the flavors of a chicken-veggie pot pie and classic tator tot casserole. In a time crunch? Swap out out our sauce for a can of condensed cream of chicken, mushroom, or celery soup, plus 1/2 cup milk or broth. (We won't tell!)
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil or butter
  • 1 small sweet onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 8 oz fresh button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. paprika or other chili pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. flour
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • ¼ cup white wine or heavy cream
  • 2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • ½ cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  • cups shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese (6 oz.)
  • 1 32-oz pkg. frozen potato tots

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Add oil to a large cast iron pan and place over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms to the hot pan and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in Italian seasoning, salt and paprika. Sprinkle with flour; cook and stir 1 minute.
  • Carefully add chicken stock and white wine. Stir well, scraping up bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low add chicken, peas, and tomatoes; simmer about 5 minutes or until thick and bubbly. (If mixture needs more liquid add water or chicken broth, ¼ cup at a time. If mixture is too runny, simmer another 3 to 5 minutes)
  • Remove from heat. Top with cheese and tots. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until tots are golden and and mixture is bubbly.
  • Top with green onion, black pepper, and hot sauce before serving.
Keyword casserole, roasted chicken, tator tot casserole

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