Chicken and tater tot casserole is the ultimate comfort food for busy nights. This cozy, all-in-one dish layers tender chicken, cheesy goodness, and crispy tater tots into one easy-to-make skillet or casserole bake. It’s just the kind of hearty meal that’s perfect for weeknight dinners, potlucks, or anytime you’re craving something warm and satisfying. With simple ingredients and minimal prep, it’s a family favorite you’ll turn to again and again.
Unlike many heavier casseroles, this tater tot casserole with cream of chicken offers a satisfying balance of creamy, cheesy flavor and lean protein. The broccoli adds a fresh element that pairs well with the savory base, while the tater tots deliver that crave-worthy crunch. What makes tater tot casseroles with chicken especially appealing is how adaptable they are—easy enough for a casual family dinner, yet filling and cozy enough to serve at potlucks or gatherings. And since frozen tots are already seasoned and ready to bake, they save time without sacrificing flavor.
Chili tatertot casserole is one of our favorite comfort foods, but it can be pretty high in fat and calories. To lighten it up and make it more wholesome, this version incorporates white meat chicken and broccoli.
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Why We Love This Tater Tot Casserole with Cream of Chicken
- Delicious comfort food
Who doesn’t love a cheesy, chicken potato casserole?! It’s a comforting dinner and adds broccoli for a veggie touch, so both kids and adults love it! - Versatile
Feel free to use whichever fresh, canned, or frozen veggies your family prefers. - Cooks quickly
This dinner is ready to serve in just about 40 minutes!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Customize this casserole with simple ingredient swaps to fit your taste and dietary needs. Here’s what to use and how to make adjustments!
- Chicken: Since recipes using chicken tenders are our favorite, that is what we used here. Boneless skinless chicken tenders or breasts will also work. You could even use a rotisserie chicken to save time.
- Cream of chicken soup: Condensed soup is a big time saver, but if you aren’t a fan of using them, you may want to make homemade condensed cream of chicken soup instead. It doesn’t have the preservatives or chemicals that are found in storebought condensed.
- Veggies: Fresh or frozen vegetables work. Sturdy vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, green beans, or frozen mixed veggies would all work well! Avoid using softer vegetables, which tend to become mushy when they’re baked in the tater tot casserole.
- Tater Tots: Do not thaw them. Use them frozen or they’ll lose their crispiness.
- Cheese: Since this is a kid-friendly casserole recipe, we used cheddar cheese, but any hard cheese works well.
Recipe Variations
Get creative by mixing up the flavors and ingredients! Whether you switch the soup, add different veggies, or make it meatless, these simple variations let you customize it to your liking.
- Use a different flavor of soup: This chicken broccoli tater tot casserole is made with cream of chicken soup, but you can use any variety of condensed cream soups. Cream of mushroom, asparagus, or celery are good options. You can also use condensed cheddar cheese soup for extra cheesy goodness.
- Choose your favorite vegetables to add to the chicken potato casserole. Broccoli is a healthy choice, but other sturdy vegetables like cauliflower and carrots bake well too!
- Make it meatless: If you want to omit the chicken, you could make tater tot green bean casserole.
- Tex-Mex chicken tater tot casserole: For a fun twist, turn this into a Tex-Mex inspired dish! Swap the cream of chicken soup for cream of mushroom soup, then mix in a packet of taco seasoning for bold flavor. Add in 1 cup of mixed vegetables—like corn, carrots, and peas—along with ½ teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder. Top with sharp cheddar cheese before baking for a zesty, colorful casserole that’s packed with flavor.
Equipment Used in this Recipe
- 12-inch cast iron skillet or 9×13-inch baking dish
How to Make Tater Tot Casseroles with Chicken
Follow these step-by-step instructions along with the process shots to perfect your Chicken Broccoli Potato Casserole. The photos provide a visual guide to help you achieve the right texture and ensure the best results.
- Cut the pieces into similar sizes.
Some of the ingredients in the chicken casserole have round edges, like the onion and broccoli. So, when you’re cutting and dicing, do your best to create consistent sizes.
- Bake until bubbly and golden brown.
Using your eyesight is the easiest way to tell when the broccoli chicken and tater tot casserole is ready to come out of the oven.
You’ll know the casserole is done when the tater tots are golden brown and the edges of the casserole are bubbling.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
For crispier tater tots, place them in a single layer on top without crowding, and bake uncovered. This allows them to get golden and crunchy rather than soggy.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Layer the cheese beneath the tater tots instead of on top. This helps the tots brown properly and keeps the casserole from getting too greasy.
Serving Suggestions
This tater tot casseroles with chicken recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. This can be served with green salad or vegetables like Brussel sprouts with maple glaze. Or top this with extra protein like bacon or ground beef.
Love this recipe? Make sure to check out our summer BBQ chicken recipes!
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Allow it to cool completely, then store in a sealed container in the freezer. When ready to reheat, you can thaw first or bake from frozen. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until reheated.
Essentially, Hotdish is a baked, main dish casserole. It always includes a protein, a starch of some sort, and a canned or frozen vegetable. Meanwhile, casseroles don’t always have to be the main dish, and there are plenty of casserole recipes that don’t include any protein.
Be sure to layer any cheese under the potato tots. The tater tots crisp up better when they are directly under the oven heating coils.
Assemble the chicken broccoli tater tot casserole with the chicken tenders, but don’t add the tots yet. Cover the baking dish well and refrigerate your hotdish for up to three days.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375º F., add the frozen tater tots and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The chicken casserole is done when the tots are golden brown and the edges of the casserole are bubbly.
Consider Making These Other Casserole Recipes…
If you tried this tater tot casserole with cream of chicken recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Chicken and Tater Tot Casserole
Equipment
- 12-inch cast iron skillet - or 9×13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins or chicken tenders (can substitute with chicken breasts cut into 1" to 2" strips)
- 1 cup onion, chopped (1 small onion)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 can (10 ounces) cream of chicken soup (see notes for soup variations)
- 1 cup broccoli
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated or shredded
- 16 ounces (1/2 bag) frozen tater tots
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Saute chicken tenders in a 10-12" skillet over medium heat until lightly golden, about 5 – 7 minutes. Remove them to a plate and cover with foil.
- Saute chopped onion, and garlic in butter, until onions are translucent. Stir in canned soup and broccoli.
- Shred or chop chicken tenderloins and add to skillet. If your skillet is oven-safe, continue on to the next step. Otherwise, add the mixture to a round or oblong casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly across the top. Then top the casserole with a layer of tater tots.
- Bake at 375º uncovered for 30 minutes, until the tater tots are golden brown and the edges of the casserole are bubbly. Let cool 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with sour cream, sliced green onion, or parsley.
Notes
- For crispier tater tots, place them in a single layer on top without crowding, and bake uncovered. This allows them to get golden and crunchy rather than soggy.
- Layer the cheese beneath the tater tots instead of on top. This helps the tots brown properly and keeps the casserole from getting too greasy.
- Use a different flavor of soup: This chicken broccoli tater tot casserole is made with cream of chicken soup, but you can use any variety of condensed cream soups. Cream of mushroom, asparagus, or celery are good options. You can also use condensed cheddar cheese soup for extra cheesy goodness.
- Choose your favorite vegetables to add to the chicken potato casserole. Broccoli is a healthy choice, but other sturdy vegetables like cauliflower and carrots bake well too!
- Make it meatless: If you want to omit the chicken, you could make tater tot green bean casserole.
- Allow it to cool completely, then store it in a sealed container in the freezer.
- When ready to reheat you can thaw first or bake from frozen. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until reheated.
- Follow steps 2-5 in the instructions, then cover and refrigerate the casserole for up to 3 days. Bake at 375º F for 35-40 minutes, until the tater tots are golden brown and the edges of the casserole are bubbly. Let cool 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with sour cream, sliced green onion, or parsley.
- Use any of Campbell’s condensed cream soups, like cheddar cheese soup, cream of celery, cream of asparagus, or cream of potato to customize this chicken tater tot casserole.
Nutrition
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Cathleen says
I am always trying to think of ways to elevate tater tots, and this idea is PERFECT! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, bookmarked to make tomorrow!
Amanda says
I had to make this last night and wow — talk about total comfort food! Perfectly cheesy and creamy with tater tots in every bite. My kind of meal!
Angela says
What a flavorful and comforting dish! Love all things tater tots and this recipe is definitely a winner!
Anjali says
This is always a favorite whenever I make it! It’s comforting, satisfying, and packed with flavor – and so easy to make too!
Karlie says
We LOVE a recipe under 10 ingredients! I used to live in Minnesota and these kinds of tater tot casserole dishes were everywhere. I made this tonight for my family and it brought us right back to the great white north! Thanks!