We love a heaping pile of nachos as much as the next person — but if you’re looking to up your meal planning game and get adventurous in the kitchen, make this mouth-watering crispy Buffalo chicken– and tater tot-friendly version from The Pioneer Woman herself.
One pound of potato tots and chunks of boneless chicken breasts are are seasoned and crisped. Although it might take a little longer than a traditional nacho platter, you’ll still savour every last bite of this comfort food mash-up you’ll want to make on repeat.
Related: Ree Drummond’s 30-Minute Vegetarian Pasta Makes Peppers the Star
The Pioneer Woman’s Buffalo Chicken Totchos
Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Yields: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
1 lb frozen potato tots
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp salted butter
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ribs celery, sliced thin, leaves reserved
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced thin
1 1/2 cups cayenne hot sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack
Blue Cheese Ranch, recipe follows
Blue Cheese Ranch:
2 cups ranch dressing
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Related: Your New Favourite Fish Dish: The Pioneer Woman’s Crispy Cerveza Battered Cod
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Toss the tots with the chili powder and cumin in a large mixing bowl until evenly coated. Arrange the seasoned tots on a baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, about 35 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the skillet and add the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add the celery, garlic and half of the green onions. Continue to cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through, another 2 minutes. Add the hot sauce and allow to simmer and thicken slightly, 1 additional minute.
4. When the tots are crisp, remove from the oven and set the oven to broil. Top the tots with half of the cheese. Spoon the chicken over the tots. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the chicken. Place the baking sheet under the broiler and broil until the cheese has melted and begun to brown, about 3 minutes.
5. Carefully remove the pan from the broiler. Drizzle over the Blue Cheese Ranch and any remaining sauce from the skillet. Garnish with the celery leaves and remaining green onions. Serve on the baking sheet.
6. Add the ranch dressing and blue cheese crumbles to a bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper and stir until combined.
For more inspiration, check out The Pioneer Woman’s 16-minute dinners.
Watch the how-to video here.
ingredients
Buffalo Chicken Totchos
Blue Cheese Ranch
directions
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Toss the tots with the chili powder and cumin in a large mixing bowl until evenly coated. Arrange the seasoned tots on a baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, about 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the skillet and add the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add the celery, garlic and half of the green onions. Continue to cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through, another 2 minutes. Add the hot sauce and allow to simmer and thicken slightly, 1 additional minute.
When the tots are crisp, remove from the oven and set the oven to broil. Top the tots with half of the cheese. Spoon the chicken over the tots. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the chicken. Place the baking sheet under the broiler and broil until the cheese has melted and begun to brown, about 3 minutes.
Carefully remove the pan from the broiler. Drizzle over the blue cheese ranch and any remaining sauce from the skillet. Garnish with the celery leaves and remaining green onions. Serve on the baking sheet.
Add the ranch dressing and blue cheese crumbles to a bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper and stir until combined.
