Pioneer Woman Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

Pioneer Woman Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole is a spicy American side dish featuring crispy potatoes and shredded pepper jack. Cayenne hot sauce and creamy blue cheese ranch dressing bring bold flavor to this easy, one-pan family dinner.

Approach B: If you do nothing else, bake the tots until they’re truly dark golden before you add the chicken. That’s the difference between a satisfying crunch and a soggy, mushy mess that falls apart under the weight of the buffalo sauce.

I’ve tried a few versions of this dish and this one from Ree is the one I keep going back to because the spice blend on the potatoes actually matters. Most recipes just use plain tots, but tossing them in cumin and chili powder first gives the whole base a smoky kick that stands up to the vinegar in the hot sauce. It’s the kind of meal that disappears in minutes when I put it on the table for a football game.

Pioneer Woman Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole Ingredients

For the Seasoned Tots:

• 1 pound (450g) frozen potato tots (about 4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

For the Buffalo Chicken:

• 2 tablespoons (30g) salted butter
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced (save the leaves for garnish)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (save half for garnish)
• 3/4 cup (180ml) cayenne hot sauce (like Frank’s RedHot)
• 1 1/2 cups (170g) shredded pepper jack cheese

For the Blue Cheese Ranch:

• 2 cups (480ml) ranch dressing
• 1/4 cup (30g) blue cheese crumbles
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

How To Make Pioneer Woman Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

• 1. Prepare the Potato Tots: Heat your oven to 230°C (450°F) and get a large rimmed baking sheet ready. In a big bowl, toss the frozen tots with the chili powder and cumin until they’re all orange and coated, then spread them out in a single layer and bake for 35 minutes.
• 2. Cook the Chicken: While the potatoes get crispy, melt the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces with a pinch of salt and pepper and let them brown for about 3 minutes without moving them too much.
• 3. Sauté the aromatics: Toss the sliced celery, minced garlic, and half of the green onions into the pan with the chicken. Keep cooking for another 5 minutes until the meat is white all the way through and the celery has lost its raw snap.
• 4. Simmer the sauce: Pour the hot sauce into the skillet and stir it around so it picks up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it bubble for about a minute until it looks thick enough to coat the back of your spoon.
• 5. Combine and Broil: Take the crispy tots out of the oven and flip the setting to broil. Scatter half the pepper jack over the potatoes, spoon the buffalo chicken mixture on top, and finish with the rest of the cheese.
• 6. Melt the cheese: Slide the baking sheet back under the broiler for about 3 minutes. Stay right there and watch it closely because the cheese goes from perfectly melted to burnt very fast under that direct heat.
• 7. Prepare Blue Cheese Ranch: Stir the ranch dressing and blue cheese crumbles together in a small bowl while the cheese is bubbling. Add a crack of black pepper and a pinch of salt, then taste it to make sure it’s punchy enough.
• 8. Garnish and Serve: Drizzle that cool ranch mixture all over the hot casserole and top it with the reserved celery leaves and green onions. Serve it straight off the sheet pan while the potatoes are still at their crunchiest.

Don’t wait too long to eat this once the dressing hits the tray. The cold ranch is great, but it’ll start to soften the potato crust if it sits for more than 10 minutes.

Recipe Tips

• Dry your chicken: Before you chop the breasts, pat them dry with a paper towel so they sear in the butter rather than steaming in their own juices.
• Use a rimmed sheet pan: The hot sauce and chicken juices will run around a bit, and a flat cookie sheet will let the liquid drip onto the bottom of your oven.
• Chop the celery small: You want the celery to provide a little texture in every bite without being a giant, hard chunk that distracts from the tender chicken.
• Check your spice level: If you aren’t a fan of high heat, start with half a cup of hot sauce and taste the mixture before you pour the rest in.
• Grate your own cheese: Pre-shredded cheese in a bag is coated in potato starch to keep it from sticking, which means it won’t melt as smoothly as a block of pepper jack you grate yourself.
• Don’t crowd the tots: If the frozen potatoes are touching each other too much on the tray, they’ll trap steam and stay soft instead of getting that deep fried crunch.

What To Serve With Pioneer Woman Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

A big pile of cold carrot and celery sticks is the best thing to have on the side of this dish. The raw vegetables provide a watery, crisp break from the heavy cheese and spicy sauce.

If you need more on the table, a simple coleslaw with a vinegar-based dressing works wonders. The acidity in the slaw helps wash down the richness of the blue cheese ranch and the butter-laden chicken.

How To Store Pioneer Woman Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

• Fridge: Place any leftovers in a shallow container and cover it tightly with foil or a lid. It’ll stay good for up to 3 days, though the potatoes won’t be as crispy the next morning.
• Reheat: The best method is to put the leftovers back in a 200°C (400°F) oven for about ten minutes. This helps the tots regain some of their texture, whereas the microwave will turn the whole thing into a soft pile of mush.
• Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this once it’s fully assembled because the ranch dressing and the cooked potatoes don’t thaw well. If you must, freeze the cooked chicken mixture separately and just bake fresh tots when you’re ready to eat.

Pioneer Woman Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 of 6):

• Calories: 540 kcal
• Protein: 28g
• Fat: 36g
• Carbohydrates: 26g
• Sugar: 4g
• Sodium: 1850mg

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Pioneer Woman Chicken Parmesan Casserole
• Pioneer Woman Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
• Pioneer Woman Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
• Pioneer Woman Chicken Dorito Casserole
• Pioneer Woman King Ranch Chicken Casserole