Description
Hearty chicken bacon ranch tater tot casserole combines comfort and flavor in one satisfying dish. Crispy tater tots, savory chicken, and creamy ranch create a crowd-pleasing meal sure to delight everyone at your table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 32 oz (907 g) frozen tater tots (do not thaw)
- 4 chicken breasts (cooked, shredded)
- 6 slices bacon (cooked, crumbled)
- 1 ½ cups shredded mild cheddar cheese (divided for topping)
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup ranch dressing
- 3 tbsps unsalted butter (melted)
- 2 tbsps all-purpose flour (for thickening sauce)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and thoroughly cook chicken breasts, then shred into bite-sized pieces.
- Sauce Creation: Melt butter in a saucepan, whisk in flour until smooth, gradually incorporate milk while stirring to prevent lumps. Season with salt and pepper, then blend in ranch dressing for a rich, tangy flavor.
- Assembly: Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish, layer shredded chicken evenly across the bottom. Pour creamy ranch sauce over chicken, ensuring complete coverage. Sprinkle half the cheddar cheese to create a melty foundation.
- Tater Tot Layer: Arrange frozen tater tots in a uniform layer across the entire casserole surface. Bake for 20 minutes until tots turn golden and crispy around the edges.
- Bacon Topping: While casserole bakes, cook bacon until crisp and crumble into small pieces. Remove casserole from oven, top with crumbled bacon and remaining cheddar cheese.
- Final Baking and Serving: Return to oven for an additional 5 minutes to melt cheese and crisp bacon. Let casserole rest 5-10 minutes to set. Cut into squares and serve hot, savoring the combination of crispy tots, creamy sauce, and savory bacon.
Notes
- Prevent Sauce Lumps: Whisk flour and butter continuously and add milk gradually to ensure a smooth, lump-free base for your creamy sauce.
- Achieve Crispy Tater Tots: Bake at high temperature (425°F) and place tots in a single, uniform layer for maximum crispiness around the edges.
- Bacon Preparation Tip: Cook bacon separately until extra crisp, then crumble into small pieces for perfect texture and even distribution.
- Resting Time Matters: Let the casserole cool 5-10 minutes after baking to help ingredients set and prevent potential mouth burns from hot filling.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 920 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg