Crack chicken casserole is the ultimate in cozy comfort food!
Tater tots and chicken are mixed in a creamy, cheesy ranch-seasoned sauce and covered in bacon bits, and baked to bubbly perfection!
Everyone leaves the table satisfied when this irresistible dish is on the menu!
Crack Chicken Casserole
- Easy to make, crack chicken casserole is wholesome, filling, and super popular with kids for sleepovers, parties, and movie nights!
- Budget-friendly crack chicken casserole is a great way to use up leftover meat like turkey, ground beef, or sausage, and even sneak in healthy veggies for picky eaters!
- Crack chicken casserole tastes better the next day! Double up the recipe and enjoy servings for dinners and lunches all week long or bake and take one to a party because it’s so easy to reheat!
Ingredients and Variations
Tater Tots: No need for the pricey store brand, basic tots are all you need! PRO TIP: Bake tots in the air fryer or oven so they are extra crispy before lining the casserole dish! Make it keto and use a combination of broccoli and cauliflower florets instead of tater tots.
Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are easiest to cut into chunks, but frozen chicken strips or even a pre-cooked shredded rotisserie chicken works 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 sub for sour cream and cream cheese in an instant.
Toppings: Top crack chicken casserole with seasoned breadcrumbs, crushed crackers, or switch out the bacon bits for small diced ham.
Variations: 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 even rice! For a Mexican Night, 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, if you like.
How to Make Crack Chicken Casserole
- Bake tater tots on a baking sheet while the oven preheats.
- Cook the chicken as per recipe directions below.
- Whisk sour cream, mayo, cream cheese, and ranch seasoning.
- Add cooked chicken and 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
- Place baked tater tots in a prepared casserole dish and stir in the chicken mixture.
- Sprinkle with remaining cheese, bacon bits, and sliced green onions, and bake until cheese is melted. Garnish with extra cheese and serve.
What to Serve with Crack Chicken Casserole
cEverything is in this delish dish so keep it simple with a green salad and a side of roasted green beans that can be cooked alongside the casserole. Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, or ketchup! Top dinner off with a slice of decadent chocolate chess pie!
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 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.
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!