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Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole is the ultimate comfort food dinner. Creamy ranch chicken is topped with crispy tater tots, melty cheese, and smoky bacon for a meal the whole family will love. It’s an easy casserole that your family will want again and again.
For more recipe with this delicious flavor combination – be sure and make this Easy Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole and these family favorite Crack Burgers (Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, and Ranch)
Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
If you love the classic combination of chicken, bacon, ranch, and cheese – sometimes referred to as ‘crack’ – this chicken bacon ranch tater tot casserole is the ultimate easy comfort food dinner that cooks all together in one 9×13 casserole pan.
Tender shredded chicken, crispy bacon bits, creamy ranch seasoned sauce, melted cheese, and golden tater tots come together in one delicious casserole that the whole family will love.
Why You’ll Love This Tater Tot Casserole
- ♥ Easy To Make : Simple ingredients, convenient store-bought ingredients, and minimal prep because everything mixes together in one bowl and cooks in one pan.
- ♥ Family-Friendly : Chicken, bacon, ranch, cheese, and crispy tater tots are a flavor combination that appeals to everyone!
- ♥ Comfort Food Favorite : Creamy, cheesy, savory, and topped with crispy potatoes.
- ♥ One-Dish Dinner : Everything bakes together in one casserole dish for easy cleanup.
Ingredients Needed
- Cooked Shredded Chicken
- Cream of Chicken Soup
- Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Milk : For a creamier chicken filling use 2% or whole milk.
- Bacon Bits
- Ranch Seasoning
- Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper
- Frozen Tater Tots
- Green Onions
How To Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole (Printable Recipe Card)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded chicken, cream of chicken soup, 1 cup shredded cheese, sour cream, milk, half the bacon bits, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper. Stir together until everything is well combined.
Evenly spread the mixture into the prepared casserole pan. Top with the tater tots, laying them in a single layer in even rows and columns, and then evenly sprinkle the remaining 1 cup shredded cheese and remaining bacon bits over top of the tater tots.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the tater tots are crispy and golden brown, and the casserole is bubbling up around the edges.
Remove the tater tot casserole from the oven and sprinkle the sliced green onions over top. Then let it set and cool down slightly before serving; about 5-10 minutes.
How To Store Leftovers
Leftover tater tot casserole can be kept in the casserole dish, or remove individual serving(s) to an airtight continuer, covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat Instructions : Reheat individual portions in the microwave, for 60-90 seconds at a time until the desired temperature has been reached.
- Freezer Meal : Prepare the casserole up to the point of baking it and make sure you are using a throw-away dish such as an aluminum pan. Wrap the casserole in a double layer of aluminum foil and then in a layer of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let the casserole thaw in the fridge overnight before continuing on with the baking instructions.
Substituons & Ingredient Notes
- Shredded Chicken : I love using a rotisserie chicken, but you could also use leftover chicken, grab some ready-to-use shredded chicken meat from the store, or bake boneless skinless chicken breasts your preferred way – I love to throw chicken breasts into the slow cooker with a can of chicken broth, and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours. I then use a hand mixer to shred it up perfectly.
- Cream of Chicken Soup : Use a can of gluten-free cream of chicken soup if needed. Using cream of chicken is best; either the lower-sodium, healthy request, regular, or the cream of chicken with herbs.
- Colby Jack Cheese : It’s best to shred the cheese yourself from a block of Colby Jack cheese. Other alternatives include any variety of cheddar cheese.
- Bacon Bits : If you don’t want to use bacon bits then you can easily make your own by cooking bacon your preferred way, until crispy, and then chopping it up into small pieces.
- Ranch Seasoning : If using from a bulk package of seasoning, you will need 3 tablespoons of it to equal one packet.
Recipe FAQs
Do The Tater Tots Need To Be Thawed Before Using?
No, the tater tots can remain frozen up to the point of using them in the recipe. The cook time is long enough that they will thaw and bake up perfectly crisp.
What Is The Best Way To Shred Chicken?
You can shred chicken using two forks, using the paddle attachment in a stand mixer, or use a handheld mixer to shred the chicken perfectly. Sometimes you can also buy it already shredded and ready-to-use at the grocery store.
How Can I Get The Tater Tots Crispier?
I have found that the tater tots will get crispier if they are slightly thawed before using. I usually always set out the tater tots, on the counter top, at least 30 minutes before making the casserole. Or at the very least, the tots sit out while I am preparing the casserole (mixing everything, shredding cheese, etc). If the tots are slightly thawed they will cook up quicker in the oven, which means the reaming time will be spent getting them crispier.
More Tater Tot Casserole Recipes
- Taco Tater Tot Casserole
- Philly Cheesesteak Tater Tot Casserole
- Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole
- Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole
- BBQ Beef Tater Tot Casserole
- Buffalo Ranch Chicken Tater Tot Casserole
- EASY Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
- Shepherd’s Pie Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
- Pepperoni Pizza Tater Tot Casserole (Ground Italian Sausage)
Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 2 cans (10.5 oz each) condensed cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups shredded colby jack cheese divided
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup whole milk (or half and half)
- 1 bag (3 oz) bacon bits divided
- 1 packet (1 oz) ranch seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots
- thinly sliced green onions (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded chicken, cream of chicken soup, 1 cup shredded cheese, sour cream, milk, half the bacon bits, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper. Stir together until everything is well combined.4 cups cooked shredded chicken, 2 cans (10.5 oz each) condensed cream of chicken soup, 2 cups shredded colby jack cheese, 1 cup sour cream, ½ cup whole milk, 1 bag (3 oz) bacon bits, 1 packet (1 oz) ranch seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Evenly spread the mixture into the prepared casserole pan. Top with the tater tots, laying them in a single layer in even rows and columns, and then evenly sprinkle the remaining 1 cup shredded cheese and remaining bacon bits over top of the tater tots.1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until the tater tots are crispy and golden brown, and the casserole is bubbling up around the edges.
- Remove the tater tot casserole from the oven and sprinkle the sliced green onions over top. Then let it set and cool down slightly before serving; about 10 minutes.thinly sliced green onions
Notes
- Shredded Chicken : I love using a rotisserie chicken, but you could also use leftover chicken, grab some ready-to-use shredded chicken meat from the store, or bake boneless skinless chicken breasts your preferred way – I love to throw chicken breasts into the slow cooker with a can of chicken broth, and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours. I then use a hand mixer to shred it up perfectly.
- Cream of Chicken Soup : Use a can of gluten-free cream of chicken soup if needed. Using cream of chicken is best; either the lower-sodium, healthy request, regular, or the cream of chicken with herbs.
- Colby Jack Cheese : It’s best to shred the cheese yourself from a block of Colby Jack cheese. Other alternatives include any variety of cheddar cheese.
- Bacon Bits : If you don’t want to use bacon bits then you can easily make your own by cooking bacon your preferred way, until crispy, and then chopping it up into small pieces.
- Ranch Seasoning : If using from a bulk package of seasoning, you will need 3 tablespoons of it to equal one packet.
- Tater Tots : I like using the mini tater tots because they seem to cook slightly faster, but the best part, is that they get crispier while in the oven.
Nutrition
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