Crack chicken casserole is a cozy comfort food that everyone enjoys.
Tater tots and chicken are mixed in a creamy, cheesy ranch-seasoned sauce, covered in bacon bits, and baked to bubbly perfection.
This Crack Chicken Casserole Is a Must-Make Recipe Because…
- It’s easy to make and can be prepped ahead of time!
- This chicken casserole is wholesome, filling, and super popular with kids.
- It’s a leftover-friendly casserole – use up leftover meat like turkey, ground beef, or sausage, and add in any veggies left in your fridge.
Ingredients and Variations
Tater Tots: No need for the pricey store brand, basic tots are all you need! Bake tots in the air fryer or oven so they are extra crispy before lining the casserole dish.
Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are easiest to cut into chunks, but frozen chicken strips or pre-cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken work in this recipe.
Cheesy Sauce: Sour cream, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese melt into a rich sauce. Short on time? A jar of Alfredo sauce is a good substitute for sour cream and cream cheese in an instant.
Toppings: Top with seasoned breadcrumbs, and crushed crackers, or switch out the bacon bits for small diced ham.
Easy Variations You’ll Love!
- Make it meatless and double up on veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, and even a can or two of beans (drained first).
- Switch out tater tots for wide egg noodles, medium macaroni shells, or rice.
- Switch out the ranch seasoning for Italian, taco, or chili seasoning, top with green chiles or sliced black olives, and switch out the last cup of cheddar for a Monterey Jack topping for a whole new flavor profile!
How to Make Crack Chicken Casserole
- Bake tater tots on a baking sheet and cook the chicken (full recipe below).
- Combine cheesy sauce ingredients with the chicken.
- In a casserole dish, add the baked tater tots and stir in the chicken mixture.
- Sprinkle with remaining cheese, bacon bits, and sliced green onions, and bake.
Pair This Casserole With:
To keep it simple, serve it with a green salad and a side of roasted green beans that can be cooked alongside the casserole.
Add a dollop of sour cream, salsa, guacamole, or ketchup on top when serving. Yum!!
Storing Leftovers
- Keep leftover crack chicken casserole covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir in a little milk to loosen up the cheese before reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Freeze portions in zippered bags or airtight containers for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Other Easy Casseroles To Try!
Have you tried this Crack Chicken Casserole recipe? Leave a comment and rating below!
Crack Chicken Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tater tots
- 3 chicken breasts chopped (about 1 pound or 3 cups)
- 2 Tablespoons ranch dressing mix (ranch seasoning) divided, or more to taste (ranch dressing mix)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- 2 slices bacon cooked and chopped (or more to taste)
- 1-2 green onions chopped
Instructions
- Set oven to 425°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, place tater tots on tray, then bake till crispy.*
- Grease a 9×13 casserole dish and set aside.
- In a medium bowl or zip top bag, toss chicken with 1 Tablespoon ranch seasoning.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add the chicken and saute until browned and fully cooked and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, cream cheese, and remaining Tablespoon ranch seasoning. Add chicken and 1 cup of cheddar cheese and mix to combine.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Remove tater tots from the oven.
- Add tater tots to the greased casserole dish. Add chicken mixture to the casserole dish and carefully toss with tater tots.
- Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Garnish with green onions and serve!
Notes
- *For more crispy tater tots, bake the tater tots while preparing the chicken and the rest of the dish. If preferred, you can skip this step. Preheat oven to 350°F. Simply add them to the casserole dish and combine with the mixture as directed.
- Nutrition calculated with 8 servings.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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This is delicious! Thank you for shraing this recipe.
You’re welcome Nancy! I’m so glad to hear that you love this chicken dish so much!
Im gonna try putting the tots on top and a good layer of cheese over the chicken mixture. May add corn!
That sounds amazing Allyson! Let us know how it turns out if you try it!