Crock Pot Chicken Tater Tot Casserole
This Crock Pot Chicken Tater Tot Casserole is a family favorite. Tater tots, cheese, chicken and bacon. A whole meal in one!
A DELICIOUS SLOW COOKER MEAL!
This cheesy chicken tater tot casserole is so good. I just don’t know how else to describe it. It is cheesy. It is bacon-y. And you got your chicken and taters all together so it is a whole meal in one. You just gotta try it and let me know what you think. In my house, this is a kid favorite!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I don’t recommend it. If you need more, just make it in a second crock pot.
You can use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and cut the cooking time by a couple of hours.
It’s important to season the chicken well with salt and pepper or any other seasoning you prefer, like cajun seasoning or blackened chicken seasoning.
To make in the oven: spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Then layer ingredients into baking dish. Don’t add the milk. Cover and bake at 350F degrees for about an hour to an hour and a half.
A fresh, crisp green salad or your favorite veggie like these Glazed Sweet Potatoes or this Roasted Cauliflower.
I don’t recommend it. Everything would be starting from very cold and the slow cooker insert could crack from going from very cold to hot.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Leftovers can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- frozen tater tots
- bacon pieces
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- shredded cheddar cheese
- milk
- salt and pepper
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT CHICKEN TATER TOT CASSEROLE:
Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray
Layer half of the frozen tater tots on the bottom of the slow cooker.
Sprinkle with 1/3 of the bacon pieces.
Now top with 1/3 of the shredded cheese.
Add diced chicken on top. Season with salt and pepper. Note: This is a good place to add your favorite seasonings. I think Cajun or blackened seasoning work well.
Now add 1/3 of the bacon pieces and another 1/3 of shredded cheese. Put the rest of the frozen tater tots on top. Finish with the remaining 1/3 cheddar cheese and remaining 1/3 of bacon pieces.
Pour 3/4 cup milk all over the top.
Cover and cook on low about 4-6 hours. Please note: Some slow cookers run at different temperatures. If you are using an older slow cooker (older than about 6 years old), your cooking time may take longer. Newer models run a bit hotter so keep an eye on this around the 4 hour mark. You want to make sure the chicken is cooked thoroughly (to 165F degrees.)
Look at all that cheesy goodness on top. Serve with your favorite veggies and a fresh, green salad.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!
Crock Pot Chicken Tater Tot Casserole (+Video)
Ingredients
- 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots
- 3 ounce bag bacon pieces
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (diced) diced
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup milk
- salt and pepper, to taste
- any other seasoning you prefer (like cajun or blackened seasoning)
Instructions
- Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- Layer half of the frozen tater tots on the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle with 1/3 of the bacon pieces.
- Now top with 1/3 of the shredded cheese.
- Add diced chicken on top and season the chicken with salt and pepper and any of your other favorite seasoning.
- Now add 1/3 of the bacon pieces and another 1/3 of shredded cheese.
- Put the rest of the frozen tater tots on top.
- Finish with the remaining 1/3 cheddar cheese and remaining 1/3 of bacon pieces.
- Pour 3/4 cup milk all over the top.
- Cover and cook on low about 4-6 hours. Then serve.
Video
Notes
- To make in the oven: spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Then layer ingredients into baking dish. Don’t add the milk. Cover and bake at 350F degrees for about an hour to an hour and a half.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Leftovers can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Originally published: July 2012
Updated & republished: February 2020
Could you use chicken broth instead of milk? I’m reading that the milk might curdle. However, with all the positive comments this must not be a problem.
Thank you
Becky
I’ve never had a problem at all with curdling. Hmmm…I’ve only ever made it this way so I couldn’t tell you to be honest.
Is the milk added in for a creamy mix or does it help break down the chicken? I only ask cause I often substitute butter milk for regular milk in recipes and the check comes out great! Thoughts?
It’s a little bit of both. It helps soften the whole mixture a bit. Buttermilk wouldn’t be a good substitute here in my opinion (and I am one to use buttermilk a lot – ha!)
This has been a family favorite for a few years now. We always add onion powder and garlic powder to every layer as well because of family preference, but it’s amazing as is too
Extra seasoning is never wrong – LOL Love hearing that Joy! I really appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment!
To make this a freezer meal do I have to cook this prior to putting it in the freezer ? Or can I layer it up in a baking dish raw and cover it and then freeze it?
Do you mean to cook it in the oven or the crock pot?
Can u double this,for a larger serving? In a 7 quart crockpot
You could try but I wouldn’t recommend it. The problem you can have is when there is so much, the bottom might begin to burn while waiting for the stuff on top to finish cooking. You’re much better off borrowing another person’s crock pot and just making two pots of it.
One of our favorites! Would love recommendation on how to prepare in a pressure cooker/air fryer! 🙂
Can’t wait to try this. Nice to see a casserole that doesn’t use cream soups. I am lactose intolerant
I have an Instant Pot, not a Crock Pot. Is it the same cook time in the Instant Pot slow cooking setting? Or are any adjustments needed? This looks delicious!
Love it
I’ve had this recipe saved since 2015 🙂 We had a long time ago and loved it, so I found it again and it’s in the crockpot right now. It should be high for four hours. Otherwise, it’s delicious and we love it!
I have fixed this and it’s great.
I made this recipe for the second time today, but I didn’t have any bacon or cheddar cheese on hand. What I *did* have though, was some sliced deli ham and some shredded swiss. So, I turned it into an impromptu chicken cordon bleu. I coated my chicken in some honey mustard sauce before adding it to the crock pot, and it added a nice flavor throughout. Everything else, I kept the same. I still may go back to the original recipe on occasion, but the newer twist was a hit, too.
Brava Christine!! Sounds absolutely perfect!!