Name: Best Frozen Chicken Pot Pie
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6 servings

Chicken Tot Pies

Recipe Summary Chicken Tot Pies

I tried to really push boundaries with this recipe, and breaking tots up into a pot pie crust was definitely one of my favorite unusual uses.

Ingredients | Best Frozen Chicken Pot Pie

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 ½ cups chopped celery

1 ½ cups chopped carrot

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (32 fluid ounce) container chicken stock

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons whipping cream

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup instant mashed potato flakes

½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 ½ pounds frozen bite-sized potato nuggets (such as Ore-Ida® Tater Tots®)

¼ cup olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large bowl.

Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon oil, celery, carrot, and onion to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

Return chicken to skillet along with stock, butter, whipping cream, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then stir in potato flakes. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in parsley.

Put tots in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high, stirring once per minute, until defrosted and broken up, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup oil until incorporated.

Set six 14- to 16-oz individual baking dishes on a large baking sheet. Divide chicken mixture among dishes. Top each with tots mixture, pressing down gently to flatten into a crust.

Bake in the preheated oven until filling is bubbly at the edges, about 30 minutes.

Preheat broiler to high and broil until crusts are browned and extra crisp, about 1 minute. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Let cool slightly before serving.

Instead of using individual baking dishes, you could use one 3-quart baking dish.