Skip Pie Crust: Make Chicken Pot Pie 10x Easier With This Frozen Side

Chicken pot pie is one of those comfort foods that aren't just full of flavor but nostalgia, too. When you're a fan of the creamy pastry-coated pie, just the thought of it may warm your soul. If you're buying a pie from the freezer aisle to heat up at home, there are some hacks to make frozen pot pies even better. If you're planning to make one from scratch, it can be a little intimidating, but with a simple hack, you can tweak your dish to maximize flavor and get a beautifully chewy crunch on top. Try using a bag of frozen tater tots  in place of the pastry crust to make a chicken "tot" pie that requires much less work.

A classic chicken pot pie is certainly delicious, and it can be relatively easy to make using frozen puff pastry — but you still have to form the filling into the pastry and get the top just right. And, even then, the crust can burn easily, especially if you're an inexperienced baker. When you use tater tots as your crust (as it were), they're much more forgiving. The end result is more of a casserole than a pie, but the flavor and texture perks are undeniable. You can make your chicken pot pie filling with just a few ingredients you probably already have in the fridge, freezer, or pantry: a little canned soup, chicken, and frozen veggies. Then, add the tater tots to the top, and your pie will come out of the oven hot and sizzling, with the chicken and veggies blending beautifully with the crispy, crunchy topping that only taters can provide.

The most essential parts of your base are going to be the chicken and a creamy condensed soup. Rotisserie chicken is a great choice because it's ready to go and just needs to be shredded before mixing in, but cubed, cooked chicken breast will also work just fine. For the soup, cream of mushroom will give a bit more umami, while cream of celery is great for some peppery, herbaceous flavor. That said, there are plenty of other options, including cream of chicken, that you can use to get the exact taste profile you're going for. From there, almost any bag of frozen veggies will work, but for the classic chicken pot pie filling experience, you'll want something with peas and carrots.

For more aromatic flavor, you can sauté some diced onions and garlic. Adding shredded cheddar and using milk to reconstitute the condensed soup will give you a creamier, thicker casserole and more salty notes. Plus, a little sour cream doesn't hurt for a hit of tang. Once everything is mixed, you just need to pour it into a casserole dish, spread frozen tater tots across the top, and toss it in the oven. Depending on how quickly the tots brown, you're best leaving the dish uncovered in the oven for prime crunch, and it's easier to watch over than that finicky pastry crust. And, sure, if you're from the Upper Midwest, this may simply sound like a classic "hot dish" to you, and there are dozens of ways to tweak the recipe. But if you go with the classic chicken and veggie-based flavors, you're going to be right on target.