Fun with left-overs and barely anything left in the package!

I know its hump day and you have that mid week slump. You open the fridge and freezer door to see what you have to make for supper. 

Left over baked or grilled chicken from 3 nights ago, but not enough for the family right?

Oooh, there's a bag of tater-tots in the freezer that are about get freezer burn...oh wait, again not enough to serve everyone.

I see a half of a brick of cheese, half a bag of shredded mozzarella. Both on the verge of growing a winter coat.  

The wheels are turning in the direction of ordering take out right? You make one last pass in the pantry as you briefly think, "Hmm...maybe soup?" and you see 2 cans of Cream of something soup and they are about to expire.

Take all those ingredients and set them on the counter, have I got a dish for you!

Chicken & tater-tot casserole!

I know, your probably saying, "...but there isn't enough to feed my monster and the kids!"

Trust me this makes A LOT!

Here is what you will need to gather up:

Left over chicken (thighs and breasts) that are pre-cooked

That bag of icy tater-tots

Both the cheese brick and the bag of shredded cheese

And those two cans of cream of something soup.

You will also need for seasoning the following:

Onion (dried)

Garlic powder

First thing:

Bake the tater-tots as directed until they are super crispy. This helps when you add the soup and mix it all together. 

Chop the chicken up into 1" cubes, and place in a bowl of warm to hot-ish water. This helps bring the chicken up to a warmer temperature and re moistens and keeps it from drying out.  You could use chicken stock to help add flavor, if you have any of that lurking in the fridge.

Next:

Empty both cans of soup into a small-ish mixing bowl and had about a 1/4 cup of water to help thin it out. (This helps it go farther in the recipe)

Add the dried onions, and garlic power and mix well. 

After the tater-tots are done, lay them in the casserole dish of choice, that you have sprayed with a non stick spray. 

Drain the chicken and toss that in with the tots. 

Chop up that brick of cheese in small cubes. Toss that in as well.

Now, empty out the bowl of soup on to the left-over party and gently toss it so you dont break the tots and also coat everything.

Level it out so it cooks evenly, and sprinkle with the mozzarella.

Bake it at 350F for about 15 minutes, or until its heated through then turn on the broiler and brown that mozzarella. But don't burn it!

It should come out looking like this:

Ignore the mess around the dish, I'm better then that but your not eating out of that.

Let it rest about 5 minutes or so and then scoop out and enjoy!

Literally the easiest dish I have EVER made, other then a bowl of rice krispies. 

Chew with your mouth closed!

Heather