Forget Puff Pastry And Pie Crust — Make Chicken 'Tot' Pie With This Frozen Side

The inspiration for tweaking traditional recipes can come from many sources, including "what have I got in the kitchen?" If you have a bag of Tater Tots and a bag of frozen mixed veggies, you're halfway to reimagining chicken pot pie as chicken tot pie instead. The standard version of this savory comfort dish is usually made by placing a creamy chicken-and-vegetable mix between two pieces of pie crust or puff pastry (either store-bought or homemade). But topping the filling with frozen tots is a fun, easy, and tasty change-up. This might seem like an unusual way to use frozen tots, but folks already swap out the pastry crust for things like crescent rolls or biscuits looking for tips and tricks to make chicken pot pie even better.

You can of course roast your own chicken and cook fresh vegetables, mixing them together with heavy cream and chicken stock. But if the goal is convenience, then tater tots are the perfect topper for a mixture of leftover rotisserie chicken, frozen or canned mixed vegetables, and a can of cream soup, milk, or cream cheese. You don't even have to thaw the tots or the vegetables! Just pour the filling into a baking dish, spread it evenly, and add an even layer of tots on top, before popping everything into an oven for up to an hour. If the prep sounds that easy, that's because it is. 

Though there are several variations online, it appears that Ree Drummond, aka Food Network's The Pioneer Woman, helped drive chicken tot pie's popularity (and possibly gave it the clever name) in the spring of 2021. In Drummond's recipe, cream of celery soup and sautéed onions are blended with shredded rotisserie chicken and a bag of frozen mixed vegetables (seasoned as desired). The mix is spread out in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish and lightly covered in frozen tots. She bakes the whole thing at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes.

Other recipes take different approaches. You might use cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup, combined with milk or chicken stock for the moisture. Add in cream cheese or sour cream for even more richness and texture. You could sprinkle cheddar or mozzarella cheese over the filling before topping it all with tots. Feel free to go wild with additional sautéed vegetables or any number of canned ingredients to upgrade your tot pie. It's a great dish for taking advantage of whatever's in your pantry or fridge. For best effect, dice your chicken to about the same size as the vegetables, and cook it uncovered so the tots crisp up.

Keep in mind that using frozen tots instead of pie crust will likely increase the sodium in the final dish. Ore Ida extra crispy tater tots, for example, have about 450 mg of sodium per serving (about 20% of your recommended daily allowance), while two servings (top and bottom) of Pillsbury Frozen Pie Crust add about 260 mg. Keep in mind, if you're also incorporating canned soups, cheese, and other treats, the sodium level will continue to rise. But if you're only concern is creating a delicious meal, you're sure to be satisfied.