Are you looking for a kid friendly recipe? Look no further! This recipe for Crock-Pot Cheesy Chicken Ranch Tater Tot Casserole will knock their socks off!
Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Ranch Tater Tot Casserole
This recipe is one of my kids favorites and something I make, oh, about once a month. Even Parker my “I hate casseroles” kid is fond of this one as long as I don’t mention the word casserole.
Kids are weird like that aren’t they?
You can easily toss this recipe together in the morning and have it cooking and ready to go by dinner time. One of the ways I save time and money on a recipe like this is prepare ahead of time. When boneless skinless chicken breasts go on sale, I pick up a couple extra packages, bring them home, cut them up into bite sized pieces and freeze in freezer zipper bags.
The same concept applies to when bacon is on sale – buy a few extra packages, cook it up, crumble it and freeze it.
Then I have chicken ready for soups, casseroles, stir-fry’s and other dishes and the bacon is ready to top baked potatoes, sprinkle on soups (like our Bacon & Bean Soup) or on salads instead of of fake baco’ bits that are not even real bacon…yulk!
> Try our recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix in this recipe! <
I like to serve this casserole with a nice healthy green salad on the side but any sort of steamed veggies would do too.
Special Diets
More Tasty Slow Cooker Dinners To Try!
- Crock-Pot Mississippi Roast
- Slow Cooker BBQ Boneless Beef Ribs + Video
- Crock-Pot Italian Chicken & Zucchini
- Slow Cooker Sausage and Rice
- Crock-Pot Venison Roast
Crock-Pot Cheesy Chicken Ranch Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 packet Ranch Dressing Mix (or homemade)
- 1 cup Milk
- 32 ounces Frozen Tater Tots (such as Ore Ida brand)
- 8 slices Bacon (thick sliced, browned and crumbled)
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
- 1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (cut into bite sized pieces )
Instructions
- Spray the bottom and sides of a 5 – 6 quart crock-pot with non-stick cooking spray (or use a crock-pot liner)
- Mix ranch dressing mix into cup of milk and stir with a fork until combined, set aside.
- Layer half of the frozen tater tots in the bottom of crockpot.
- Sprinkle tater tot layer with 1/3 of the cheddar cheese.
- Sprinkle cheese layer with 1/3 of the crumbled and cooked bacon.
- Sprinkle bacon layer with cut up chicken pieces.
- Layer cheese, then bacon, then the remaining tater tots.
- Sprinkle final layer of tater tots with cheese and bacon.
- Give milk and ranch dressing mix one last stir and then pour over layers in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH 3 to 4 hours until chicken is cooked through.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Made this for supper tonight and I have to say it was a hit. Will make it again for sure.
Do you put the chicken in last, on top? The recipe doesn’t say when to add the chicken.
Never mind, apparently I didn’t read that very well.
Step 6
Do you use cooked chicken or raw?
Hi Velma, the chicken in this recipe is raw. Normally, if a recipe calls for cooked chicken we will specify cooked chicken. Otherwise you can assume that it uses raw chicken.
Thank you! I’m going to a “cook off” party in April and the “theme ” is cheesy potatoes. I think this will be a sure winner!
Oh be sure to let us know how you do in the cook off Velma!
I made this a couple weeks ago and my Grandkids loved it, even the picky ones. I put diced onions slightly fried in butter. I made them very small so the kids wouldn’t know. Of course my picky one found one his first bite and asked what it was. I told a little “White Lie” and said, “It was a squished Tator Tot”. He said, “Oh, okay” and chowed down loving it. I’m going to make it today using a whole chicken that I boiled yesterday for chicken & noodles using the chicken that I am taking off of the bone. I will only cook this for a few hours on Low since the chicken is already cooked. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Do you use frozen chicken breast pieces when you make this? Obviously the Tater tots are frozen but based on your intro, I am thinking the chicken you use is frozen as well. Just want to be sure.
Thanks!
You can make this one with either frozen or thawed chicken. I usually thaw my freezer bag of chicken overnight on a plate in the fridge which will make it partially thawed so that I can break up the chicken and it is not all in one big clump when I add it to the crock-pot.
I work 8 hour days. If I use Frozen chicken could I stretch the cooking time to 8 hrs??
I think you could stretch it to 8 hours if you use frozen chicken. But I have not personally tested it. Let us know how it turns out if you try it Ashley!
Love this recipe, I was wondering if it could be cooked in an oven and at what temperature and for how long? Thank you.
Hi Ann, we have not tested this casserole recipe in the oven. However if I was going to cook this recipe in the oven I would probably cook it at 350 degrees F. for about 45 to 60 minutes. You need to cook it long enough for the raw chicken to fully cook so watch the tater tots on top so they don’t burn. If they look like they are getting too browned you can cover them with foil.
Again, I want to reiterate that this recipe has not been tested in the oven and I am just giving my best guess on how it might be cooked in the oven. If you give it a try let us know how it turned out for you!
Made this for 10 people and everyone loved it. It sure is a keeper.
So glad you enjoyed it Paula!
This is probably a dumb question but do you think I could mix some broccoli in with this? I thought about serving it on the side but I like broccoli better when it cooks with other foods so it picks up a bit of the flavor. I’m not sure if another vegetable would go better, my kids are getting tired of green beans and peas as a side dish.
Not a dumb question at all Tracy! I think you could toss in some broccoli with this easily. And I bet it would be super tasty!
Is this freezable? If so are there any steps needed to take in order to do so? This sounds incredible and I would really like to make it easy for my other half to just pop out and start cooking for the night.
I have not frozen this recipe Kylie, I don’t think there would be an easy way to freeze it.
Since the bacon is cooked, the chicken can be frozen, the tutor tots are frozen, cheese, milk and seasonings are all easily frozen. This should be a very easy zip lock crackpot freezer meal – it’s just figuring out the cook time difference that I haven’t done yet :-/ let us know if you do!!
Tonight I used partially frozen chicken breasts cut into chunks, raw bacon cut into chunks, and 16oz sour cream instead of milk(only because I was out of milk) – cooked for 3.5 hours on high but then about 15 min in the oven because my family likes a little crispness on top. With my changes we noticed the tutor tots were more deconstructed than original recipe, but a little more creamy which my family liked – I found it saltier with the sour cream.
🙂
Good to know that this can be frozen and turned into a Crock-Pot freezer meal Heatherd’Ann.
Hi, I don’t see a crock pot anywhere that has a setting of low for 6 hours. It’s either 4-6 on high or 8-10 on low. Can I cook it on 8 hour low? And check it at 6 hours?
I’m gone about 10-11 hours a day so it’s really hard to find recipes that will cook that long. Even when it switches to warm, the meat usually dries out. 🙁
All of the crock-pots I have that are programmable allow you to set both the temperature and time. So yes, you can cook it on low for 6 hours. If your slow cooker does not have that programming or you are working with a manual crock-pot you can just check it at the 6 hour mark.
I have program able slow cooker that will shut off after the set time and keep the meal warm. It’s nice on days I can’t get home before the slow cooker should be turned off
Programmable slow cookers are the BEST Roxanne!
get a timer and use that on our crock pot if it doesn’t have a delayed setting on it that’s what we do with ours and it works great! I set when I want it to start so it will be ready when we get home.
I’m always worried when I make chicken because I dry it out to prevent it from not being cooked enough. I know this calls for raw chicken but have you tried rotisserie chicken? I imagine that would make it really dry though???? Recipe sounds great!
I have not tried rotisserie chicken Judi. But if you give it a try let us know how it turns out!
I’m so excited to try this tonight for supper!! I love all your recipes. We used to eat out a lot because my husband and I both work different shifts. My three pot slow cooker be came my life saver…oh and these great recipes to fill it! Thank you!
made this today and it was super simple. I used turkey bacon instead of regular bacon. I cooked for 5.5 hours on low and the bottom layer was a little burnt so I will cook for 5 hours next time. Also it didn’t taste very ranchy so I would probably add some more ranch next time. Overall super tasty
made this today and it was super simple. I used turkey bacon instead of regular bacon. I cooked for 5.5 hours on low and the bottom layer was a little burnt so I will cook for 5 hours next time. Also it didn’t taste very ranchy so I would probably add some more ranch next time. Overall super tasty
I’ve noticed that a lot of recipes using ranch seasoning don’t taste very ranch-y, so I add some ranch dressing when mixing the stuff together, and drizzle some on top of the finished dish.
Can you use ground hamburger?
Yes. You could substitute the chicken for ground hamburger.
I just dropped this in the crock pot my 30 year old son works 2nd shit and always stops at my house on the way home to eat when he finishes work he loves casseroles so thought I would give is a try since it is so easy however I changed it up a bit didn’t have powdered buttermilk so I used a cup of fresh buttermilk instead of the reg milk and added the spices from the homemade ranch recipes tasted great will let you know if it ends up a success…
Sounds great Karen, let us know how you and your son like it!
it was great will make it again with hot balls of meat
Awesome!
This is a great recipe. I followed the recipe except for one thing. I used Obrien Ore-Ida frozen potatoes. It has onions and bell peppers added to the hash browns
Sounds great! I don’t think I have seen those in my grocery store Jean, but I will have to look and see!
This looks perfect! I’ll give this a try a try and let you know how it’ll turn out.
Not sure why, but mine was overbearingly salty! I followed the recipe exactly. Only my 9 year old loved it lol =\
Oh no Lora, I am sorry yours came out so salty. I think it really depends on the salt content of the ingredients you use. Some tater tots for example are already pre-seasoned with a lot of salt, while some brands are not. I am glad your son loved the recipe still!
Lady Heidi, I don’t know if you came up with this but it is amazing I made it tonight and it is just amazing. Biggest hit in my house for a long time. Thank you so much for sharing it 🙂
Thanks April for dropping by and letting us know that your family enjoyed the recipe! Totally makes my day when our readers let us know how much they love them.
Making this today but wondering if tots will be mushy or crunchy? Husband likes crunchy.
Hi Cindy, the tots on the top get a bit crunchy while the tots in the middle of the casserole are still tender. If you want a bit more crunch you could toss the casserole in the crock part only of your slow cooker (without lid and only if your crock is oven safe) in a 350 degree oven for about 15 – 20 minutes and that should crisp up the tater tots a bit more.
How many people does this recipe feed?
Hi Leah, as indicted in the recipe it serves 6 people.
I tried this and made a few alterations and my family loved it. I used slightly less cheese and bacon, but added some frozen broccoli! It made it almost like a loaded baked potato (and I felt better about eating it because it had a veggie 🙂 )
Made this today, my boyfriend and I loved it! We actually think this would be an awesome breakfast side (came out similar to loaded hashbrowns). Might try to replace the chicken with sausage, make some eggs and have it for brunch 🙂
So glad you and your boyfriend loved the recipe Selby! Have you seen our recipe for crock-pot fully loaded breakfast casserole yet? It is da bomb!
I tried this tonight and it was excellent!! Everyone loves it 🙂 Will definitely be making it again.
Made this tonight for a family of 10.. Big hit everyone loved it. Even my picky eaters loved it. Will diffently be making this again, thank u one happy mom
So glad to hear your family enjoyed this recipe Nicole 🙂
This recipe was extremely salty. Had to throw remainder away.
Hi Pat, I am sorry yours came out so salty. I know taste buds differ from person to person but the only added salt on this dish would have come from the ranch dressing mix and bacon. I am wondering did you happen to use pre-seasoned tater tots? Those can be super salty to me and I used plain unseasoned tater tots in this recipe.
Can this be made the night before, refrigerated in the crockpot,, and then cooked in the crockpot the next day?
Hi Judy, great question! And to be honest I am not too sure. My worry with doing it that way is that the tater tots will thaw out. And thus will more than likely turn to mush when you got to cook it. However, since I have not tested it the way you suggest I cannot offer advice for sure if it can be done.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was great! My husband went back for seconds and thirds throughout the evening!
So glad you and your husband enjoyed this recipe Megan. My husband loves this one too..a lot!
Can this be made with no chicken and used as a side potato dish with a ham or roast of some kind? Would the cooking time need to be adjusted?
I have not tested this recipe with those modifications. If you give it a try please come back and let us know how it turns out Barb!
Made this today but subbed in Frozen shredded hash browns instead of tatertots, and popped in the oven for about 10 minutes at the end on 400 degrees to give it a little crust. Also I stirred in a bit more cheese right before putting it in the oven. Its a hit with the family 🙂
I made this for a Pot Luck at work and it was a Hit!! There was a small amount left when I brought my crock pot home and I was going to discard it since it was a little dried out. My husband wanted to try it…so he heated it up in the microwave, added a dab of sour cream and asked me when I was going to make it again. I did not make any changes to the recipe and since we do not eat salt, I did not add any salt. Most of the ingredients already have salt. So…”No added salt.” .Next time, I will put some sour cream on the side when serving this. No extra cooking needed, it was crispy on top and the sides.
Oh, I plan on making this and freezing some already cooked to take to my Mom on my next trip to see her.
So you glad you, your husband and the pot luck folks enjoyed this recipe Lynn. Sour cream sounds amazing (I love it) and you are right, you can totally not add any additional salt to this recipe. It is fine without it.
I’ve made this several times in the crockpot. My fiance loves it! It gives us leftover for a couple days, and we’ve also had some luck freezing the leftovers. My question is, I want to make this for a friend with children who just lost her husband for a meal train. Do you know of a way to make it up (in a foil container) to cook in the over to deliver to her? I don’t want her to have to worry about having a dish to clean up. Thanks!
Hi Brooke, first off what a kind gesture to bring this dish to a friend in need! While I have not tested this recipe in the oven I think it is easily do-able. I would prep it all in a foil pan and cover it and then it should be able to be baked at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
This was very good with no complaints and no changes to recipe. However, we didn’t eat all of it and I refrigerated the leftovers. I tasted it the next day and it’s very dry and crumbled. I’m asking for advice on how to re-heat for the leftovers. I’ll have to add some type of liquid, obviously, so should I use milk, sour cream, creamed soup, broth, cream cheese? Other ideas? There’s a lot left and I don’t want to gave to toss it. Thank you.
Hi Ryan, I have found that tater tots in general don’t hold up well in the refrigerator. I would try maybe some milk and sour cream mixed together to make it creamy.
Let me know how it turns out for you!