I'm always trying to find things that my 3-year-old daughter will agree to eat for dinner. There are a few things I know:
1. She loves stuff in sauce.
2. She loves things her size.
3. She LOVES purple.
4. She thinks tater tots came from heaven.
Last night, I created the holy grail: Tater Tot Topped Chicken Pot Pie. Side note: I LOVE making pot pies, you can throw any leftovers you want in them. Got some extra roast chicken? Maybe you did it yourself, maybe you got it from Costco. Shred it up and put it in! Vegetables, herbs, anything works!
This may not be a great recipe if you live somewhere in the Bay where it's currently 1000 degrees but on the coast, where it's always 62 and party cloudy, this worked like a charm and my daughter LOVED having her own special purple ramekin!
Final note: Make sure you season to your taste. It's important to add salt and pepper as you go and really make it your own. Need a little extra sherry at the end? I'm not mad at you! Enjoy!
Tater Tot Topped Chicken Pot Pie
INGREDIENTS:
4c Chicken Broth
1/2c (one stick) of butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 rib celery, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp chopped chives
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2c flour
1/4c whole milk
3 tbsp dry sherry
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded or cubed. More if desired.
1c frozen peas
1 bag frozen tater tots
DIRECTIONS:
1. Pre-heat oven to 425
2. Warm chicken broth in a sauce pan until hot.
3. In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, chives and garlic, and saute until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add thyme. Add the flour and stir together until it becomes pasty and lump-free, about 2 minutes. Stir in the hot broth, whole milk, sherry, chicken and frozen peas. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Let it simmer for 10-15 mins until it thickens. If it doesn't get thick the way you like it, add 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a couple tablespoons of cold water and dump that in.
4. I poured my mixture into individual buttered ramekins and put them on a baking sheet (make sure you lay down foil in case they bubble over. You can use a buttered casserole dish. Top with tater tots and put on the middle rack in the oven for 18-20 minutes. Keep an eye on the tater tots toward the end, they should be crispy but not burnt.