TLH Cooks: One-Pot Chicken Tot Pie combines two favorites | Chula King

Chicken Tot Pie is a one-pot wonder that combines two comfort foods—chicken pot pie and tater tot casserole! It blends the savory filling of a classic chicken pot pie with the golden topping of tater tots. The result is a delicious and simple dish.

Homemade chicken pot pie is known for its flaky crust, which often takes time to make from scratch. One-Pot Chicken Tot Pie bypasses the flaky crust and uses frozen tater tots instead. This reduces the preparation time and produces a nice crispy texture that complements the creamy chicken mixture.

The creamy chicken mixture includes chicken breasts and a traditional assortment of vegetables—onions, carrots, celery, and green peas. This is cooked in a delicious creamy sauce of chicken broth mixed with Better than Bouillon Roast Chicken base, added to the flour-coated chicken mixture.

Once veggies are tender, the filling is topped with frozen tater tots arranged in a picturesque circular fashion. The One-Pot Chicken Tot Pie is baked until the filling is bubbly and the tots are golden brown.

This flavorful one-pot meal is perfect for potlucks, family gatherings, or a relaxing evening at home. I like to serve it with homemade biscuits and a simple salad on the side. The combination of tastes and textures will surely please even the pickiest of eaters.

The One-Pot Chicken Tot Pie is both tasty and convenient to make! You can prep it in advance and pop it in the oven when you're ready to eat. It’s an easy option, even if you're new to cooking.

This recipe provides a delicious twist to a classic dish by blending simple cooking steps with the yummy taste of a traditional pie. Whether you aim to wow guests at a gathering or crave a comforting dinner at home, the One-Pot Chicken Tot Pie is bound to become a go-to favorite.

One-Pot Chicken Tot Pie

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 ½ cups (20 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth

1 Tablespoon Better than Bouillon Roast Chicken Base

6 Tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter

1 ½ cups chopped onion (1 large onion)

1 cup diced carrots (2 to 3 medium carrots, peeled)

1 cup diced celery (3 to 4 stalks)

1 pound (16 ounces) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

6 Tablespoons (1.875 ounces) all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup (5 ounces) frozen green peas

2 Tablespoons (1 ounce) heavy cream

16 to 24 ounces of frozen tater tots, depending on the size of your baking dish

Directions

Whisk together the chicken broth and Better than Bouillon Roast Chicken Base. Set aside.

Melt butter over medium heat in a 12-inch braiser or ovenproof skillet. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 15 minutes.

Add the chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the flour and pepper; stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the carrots and celery are done. Remove the cover; add the frozen peas and the cream. Stir to combine. Remove from the heat. Chicken mixture can be prepared in advance up to this point.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Starting at the outer edge, arrange the tater tots over the filling in a circular fashion. Bake uncovered in the preheated 425°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the tater tots are golden brown.

Yield: 6 servings.

Recipe tips and tricks

Better than Bouillon Chicken Base is generally found next to the soup in the grocery store. It adds a lot of flavor to the filling but is quite salty. Therefore, taste the filling before adding any salt.

I made this one-pot dish in my medium 12-inch braiser. To cover the filling, 24 ounces of tater tots were needed. You can use a 12-inch ovenproof skillet instead of a braiser. You can also make the filling in a skillet and transfer it to a 3-quart casserole dish. The quantity of tater tots will likely differ depending on your casserole dish's dimensions.

This dish is best eaten right after it is baked. However, I will generally discard the uneaten tater tots if there are leftovers because they don’t reheat well and refrigerate just the filling. I like to serve the reheated leftover filling over rice or freshly made biscuits.

Chula King is the blogger behind PudgeFactor.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Chicken Tot Pie recipe puts easy twist on two comfort foods