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.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 564 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 ½ cups chopped carrot
• 2 ½ cups chopped celery
• 1 cup instant mashed potato flakes
• 1 (32 fluid ounce) container chicken stock
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 ½ pounds frozen bite-sized potato nuggets (such as Ore-Ida® Tater Tots®)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

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

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

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.

Step 5

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.

Step 6

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.

Step 7

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

Step 8

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.