5-Ingredient Crack Chicken Tater Tot Casserole
This crack chicken tater tot casserole is the ultimate comfort food that you can make even on lazy days with just 5 ingredients! It's delicious and creamy, with no canned soup required. Make it as a quick & easy dinner, side dish, or party appetizer that the whole family (including picky eaters) will love.
Equipment
- 9 x 13 baking dish
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 32 oz frozen tater tots
- 16 oz shredded rotisserie chicken about 3 cups
- 8 oz reduced fat cream cheese you can also use full-fat cream cheese
- 1 oz ranch seasoning mix about 3 tablespoons
- 2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Soften the cream cheese. Prior to starting this recipe, take out the cream cheese from the fridge and let it soften on the counter at room temperature for 1 hour. This will soften up the cream cheese, make it easier to mix, and make the dish more creamy.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
- Make the crack chicken filling: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the shredded rotisserie chicken, softened cream cheese, and ranch seasoning. Mix until evenly combined. If the filling seems dry, you can add 2-3 tbsp of heavy cream, milk, or extra cream cheese.
- Assemble the casserole: Spread the crack chicken mixture evenly into the bottom of the greased baking dish.
- Layer the frozen tater tots on top in a single, even layer as pictured.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on top until all of the tater tots are covered.
- Bake the casserole: Place the assembled casserole in the oven and bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the tater tots are golden brown and crispy.
- Serve and enjoy! Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Eat right away!: This tater tot casserole tastes best right out of the oven (after a few minutes of cooling of course). If you're making this casserole for a party or meal prep, I recommend assembling the casserole ahead of time but then baking it right before serving. See the storage instructions.
- Make it more creamy: If you want your filling to be more creamy or if the filling seems too dry, you can add 2–3 tablespoons of heavy cream, milk, or extra cream cheese to Step #3.
- Use rotisserie chicken for extra flavor: I love using rotisserie chicken for this recipe to add even more flavor to the dish! You can definitely make this crack chicken tater tot casserole with plain shredded chicken instead - the ranch seasoning will still infuse the dish with flavor and you can always add other seasonings to jazz up the flavor too!
- No extra salt needed: The ranch seasoning + rotisserie chicken gives this dish enough sodium, so you shouldn't need to add more salt. If you want a lower sodium option, feel free to use plain shredded chicken and/or cut the amount of ranch seasoning mix in half.