Our Chicken Bacon Ranch Tator Tot Casserole is a easy recipe that is sure to be a huge hit with the whole family.
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Delicious creamy ranch sauce, tender chicken, crispy tater tots, gooey melted cheese, fresh tomatoes, crispy bacon... what could be better?!
Comfort food never tasted so good with our Chicken Tator Tot Casserole.
This savory dish will deliver a satisfying bite that meets any salty, creamy, or cheesy cravings.
🧂 Ingredients
This is meant to be a brief overview of this great recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below.
With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a hearty meal without blowing your grocery budget.
- cream soup or homemade cream soup substitute
- sour cream
- milk
- onion
- store-bought or homemade ranch seasoning mix
- cooked chicken, such as rotisserie, shredded chicken, etc.
- frozen tater tots
- Colby Jack cheese
- cooked bacon
- fresh tomatoes
- green onions (optional)
- kosher salt and black pepper
🔪 Instructions
One bite of this creamy, comforting casserole and you'll be adding it to your regular dinner rotation!
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Grease a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large ziplock bag, combine half of the tater tots and 1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning. Seal and shake the bag to coat the tots. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken filling mixture.
- In a single layer, add the unseasoned tater tots into the prepared baking dish.
- Next, spoon the chicken mixture on top.
- Add the seasoned tots over the chicken mixture.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and top with the remaining cheese and bacon pieces.
- Return to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes longer until the cheesy is melted and the tots are crispy.
- Serve with tomatoes and green onions on top.
🥄Equipment
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Here is what you will need to make this easy recipe:
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💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions (and answers!) readers often ask about this recipe.
For this tater tot chicken casserole, you do not need to pre-bake the tots.
If you don't have tater tots on hand, you can use frozen hashbrown potatoes instead. You could make this with mashed potatoes on top also, but of course then it woudn't be a tater tot casserole!
⭐ Tips
✔️ Either Rotisserie chicken or other kinds of leftover chicken are a great way to save time making this recipe. I also love using this slow cooker pulled chicken. (Make a big batch then you can use it for soups, casseroles, and salads all week long!)
✔️ This delicious casserole will feed 8-10 people. If you have a smaller family, you can split it up between two 8x8 or 9x9 pans and freeze one for later.
Freezer Tip: To avoid tying up one of your pans in the freezer, line one with parchment paper before layering in the ingredients. Once assembled, freeze the casserole with the parchment paper for 1 hour. Remove it from the freezer, wrap in tinfoil, then slide into a 2 gallon freezer bag. (Be sure to label!)
🍲 Storage
To Store: Chicken Bacon Ranch Tator Tot Casserole leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. (These are my favorite airtight containers.)
To Reheat: Microwave individual portions in 30-second intervals until heated throughout.
To Freeze: Wrap in aluminum foil, then slide into a 2-gallon freezer bag.
To Thaw: Thaw overnight in the fridge.
✏️ Make Ahead
This cheesy casserole can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge until baking.
📖 Variations
The first time you try any new recipe we recommend that you make it just as it is written on the recipe card since that is how the recipe has been tested. However, the next time you make our recipe, you might want to try one of these ideas:
- For this chicken tater tot casserole recipe, I prefer making my own homemade cream soup substitute, however, you can use store-bought cream of chicken soup or any other cream soup you have on hand. Cream of mushroom, cream of celery, or cream of potato will all work.
- You can add a cup or two of fresh or frozen veggies to the chicken mixture if you like. Carrots, peas, corn, broccoli, and green beans are all delicious in this casserole.
- Instead of Colby Jack, you can use any creamy cheese that melts well like mozzarella, gouda, Monterrey Jack, or even Pepper Jack. Get creative and use a blend of cheeses if you like. I love colby Jack and cheddar cheese together.
- Substitute turkey bacon to make this dish a little bit healthier.
- If you don't have sour cream on hand, substitute cream cheese.
- For a slightly thinner sauce add an extra quarter cup of milk.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
Since this is a hearty casserole, you don't really need to serve it with anything else, however, a green salad or some crusty bread are always delicious.
Related: What to Serve with Chicken Casserole
😋 Similar Recipes
Next time, try one of these delicious recipes:
- million dollar chicken casserole
- creamy bubble up chicken casserole
- chicken noodle casserole
- chicken hashbrown casserole
- Buffalo chicken tater tot casserole
And if you love easy recipes using tater tots, try our shepherd's pie with tater tots recipe!
Related: Tater Tot Casseroles
Not ready to make this Chicken Bacon Ranch Tator Tot Casserole?
When you do make it, please come back and comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below!
Chicken Bacon Ranch Tator Tot Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 10.5 ounce can can of cream soup, or 2 cups homemade Cream Soup Substitute
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- 1 1-ounce package store-bought or Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese divided
- ½ cup chopped cooked bacon divided
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes
- ¼ cup sliced green onions optional
- black pepper and kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Grease a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large ziplock bag, combine half of the tater tots and 1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning. Seal and shake the bag to coat the tots. Set aside.1 1-ounce package store-bought or Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix, 1 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken filling mixture.1 10.5 ounce can can of cream soup, or 2 cups homemade Cream Soup Substitute, 1 cup sour cream, ½ cup milk, 1 tablespoon minced onion, 3 cups shredded cooked chicken, 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese, black pepper and kosher salt, ½ cup chopped cooked bacon
- Layer half of the tater tots into the prepared baking dish.
- Next, spoon the chicken mixture on top.
- Layer the seasoned tots over the chicken mixture.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and top with remaining cheese and bacon.½ cup chopped cooked bacon, 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
- Return to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes longer until the cheesy is melted and the tots are crispy.
- Serve with tomatoes and green onions on top.¼ cup sliced green onions, ½ cup chopped tomatoes
Nutrition
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Check out Meal Plan 3 that includes this delicious recipe along with Sweet Potato Soup, Pork Carnitas, and Tuna Noodle Casserole!
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