Ultimate Creamy Chicken Pot Pie with Tater Tots

​Ultimate Creamy Chicken Pot Pie with Tater Tots

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

This Ultimate Creamy Chicken Pot Pie with Tater Tots has all of the delicious flavors of the classic recipe but is even easier with a crispy topping of golden brown tater tots instead of pie crust. It is the ultimate comfort food: tender chicken, onions, carrots, peas, and fragrant poultry herbs all smothered in a creamy sauce. It is the perfect recipe for a hearty dish to serve as a weeknight meal or for bringing to a potluck. Best of all, with meat, veggies, and carbs in one dish, it is a complete meal. Plus, this easy chicken pot pie recipe is a great way to use leftovers, including leftover turkey. 

Some of the best features of this recipe:

​Rows of golden tater tots! There is no pie crust to fuss with – or to get soggy.

Rotisserie chicken! Not having to cook chicken breasts will cut way down on cooking time and dishes.

Speaking of dishes, if you own a cast iron – or other oven safe skillet – this becomes a one pot meal.

​Really pressed for time? Use all frozen vegetables. 

Fresh herbs – rosemary, thyme, and sage – will have your house smelling like Thanksgiving dinner!

Heavy cream, chicken broth, and a touch of flour quickly mix up for a creamy sauce.

As always, this is an easy recipe full of great flavor that comes together using simple ingredients and that doesn’t require any special cooking techniques. It is perfect for new home cooks and is truly a meal the whole family can enjoy!

Recipe Ingredients

1 rotisserie chicken (3 cups shredded chicken)

1/2 medium yellow onion

2-3 fresh carrots

1 tbsp fresh poultry seasoning herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme)

1 tbsp olive oil

​2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tbsp all purpose flour

1 cup frozen peas

1 32 oz. bag of frozen tater tots

salt and black pepper

Helpful Tools

cast iron skillet, deep pie dish , baking dish, or casserole dish

large mixing bowl

small bowl 

cutting board

vegetable peeler

large skillet

​rubber spatula or wooden spoon

sharp knife

measuring cups (liquid and dry measure)

measuring spoons

rimmed baking sheet

Ingredient Notes

My supermarket carries fresh herbs packaged as “poultry mix,” and contains sage, rosemary, and thyme. You can buy fresh herbs individually or you can use dried herbs. If you choose the dried herbs, use 1/2 tsp of each. Do not, however, use the powdered poultry seasoning (like Bell’s Seasoning) which is great in stuffing, but won’t work in this recipe.

Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream? In this case it doesn’t matter. I used heavy whipping cream because that’s what I had on hand. You do need the thickness of heavy cream, so don’t skimp.

Fresh carrots vary in size. The carrots I used were pretty skinny, so I used three. 

Both the peas and the tater tots should be frozen when you use them.

Feel free to substitute shredded leftover turkey for the chicken.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Shred the rotisserie chicken into small/medium pieces. I did this with my fingers but if you want to be neater, you can do it with two forks. You should have about 3 cups of shredded chicken when you are done. Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

​3. Chop the onion and place in a small bowl. Set aside.

4. Peel and slice the carrots. Try to slice them on the thin size as that is the best way to ensure they will be cooked through. Set aside.

5. Finely chop the herbs and set aside.

6. Place one tbsp of olive oil in the cast iron or large skillet.

7. Add the onions to the skillet and cook on medium high heat until nearly translucent.

8. Add the carrots to the onions and cook over medium high heat until they are soft and the onions soft and translucent, 4-5 minutes. Lower to medium heat if the onions are browning too quickly.

9. Place the herbs in the pan with the onion and carrots and cook for about one minute until fragrant.

10. Lightly salt and pepper the vegetables.

11. Add the chicken broth to the vegetables.

12. Pour the heavy cream into the pan in a steady stream while whisking continually.

13. Whisk in the flour and stir continually. You want to be sure to break up any clumps of flour. 

14. Cook until the liquid thickens, about 3 minutes.

15. Add the shredded chicken, stirring to coat with the sauce.

16. Add the frozen peas and stir to combine.

17. Lightly salt and pepper.

18. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. If you are using the cast iron or oven safe skillet, you can leave the chicken pot pie filling in the pan.

19. Top the surface of the chicken mixture with the frozen tater tots. If you are using a round pan, you can lay them in a circular pattern, otherwise you can form rows.

20. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet. This will help catch any filling that bubbles over.

21. Bake this Ultimate Creamy Chicken Pot Pie with Tater Tots for 30 minutes until the tater tots are cooked through and the filling is bubbly.

Check out the recipe card below for full instructions on how to make this easy pot pie recipe!

Storage

Will there be any Ultimate Creamy Chicken Pot Pie with Tater Tots leftover? Questionable. Just in case, store leftover chicken pot pie in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

Tips & Tricks

​The carrots are ready when you can relatively easily pierce them with the tip of a knife without them falling apart.

For best results place the cooked chicken pot pie under the broiler for about 5 minutes letting the tater tots get extra crispy and golden. NOTE: Watch super carefully as food under a broiler burns very quickly!

FAQs

What if I can’t find a rotisserie chicken?

You can also used baked or poached chicken. Cook and then shred.

Can I use all frozen vegetables?

You can use all frozen vegetables. Try 1 1/2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables or a peas and carrots mix.

Creamy chicken dishes are a family favorite around here. Try out my Creamy Chicken with Gnocchi & Spinach or One Skillet Creamy Tuscan Chicken Dinner.