Name: Tater Tot Chicken Pot Pie Hotdish
Yield: Serves 6–8
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 3 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces; Kosher salt; 6 tablespoons flour; 3 cups whole milk; Enough chicken broth base to make 3 cups broth; 3/4 cup peas, fresh or frozen; 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thigh, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; Black pepper; 18 ounces frozen Tater Tots; Ketchup, for serving (optional)

Chicken pot tot hot dish in a black Staub casserole dish.

Photo by Molly Yeh

The battle of Most Iconic Hotdish would probably come down to Tater Tot versus wild rice, which is kind of like arguing over which Matthew McConaughey role is the most definitive, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days? Or Dallas Buyers Club? Tater Tot hotdish is typically ground beef, creamed soup (often mushroom), some sort of vegetable (probably peas or green beans, maybe some corn), and then, in the words of Sam Sifton, "You cover the bitch with Tater Tots." But you don’t just throw them on like an abstract topping, you have to let your OCD hang out a little and organize them in rows and columns, as neatly as possible. This organizing of the tots might be one of the most sacred food rituals in the Midwest, second only to making lefse. My Tater Tot hotdish has the body of a chicken pot pie, a dish that I loved growing up, long before I knew the existence of Tater Tot hotdish. But a close examination reveals that the only real differences are the subbing of chicken for ground beef and the use of a homemade cream of chicken soup instead of mushroom soup. I don’t think this will offend a hotdish purist.

Recipe information

Yield
Serves 6–8

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Kosher salt

6 tablespoons flour

3 cups whole milk

Enough chicken broth base to make 3 cups broth

3/4 cup peas, fresh or frozen

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thigh, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Black pepper

18 ounces frozen Tater Tots

Ketchup, for serving (optional)

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Step 2
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrots and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour so that it gets evenly distributed. Add 1 1/2 cups of the milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Repeat with the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk. Stir in the chicken broth base, peas, chicken, thyme, and a few turns of pepper and simmer, stirring often, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste the mixture and adjust seasonings if desired.
Step 3
Transfer the mixture to an 11x8-inch baking dish (or other 3-quart ovenproof dish) and cover the bitch with Tater Tots. Arrange them snugly and neatly. Bake until the tots are golden brown. Begin checking for doneness at 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve with ketchup, if desired.