Chef notes
I love the hotdish because I love anything covered with tots, obviously. I also love the combination of the tangy cream cheese, the sour hot sauce and the funky blue cheese all together. It's a Buffalo wing situation that you can eat with a spoon, so you don't need as many napkins!
Technique tip: This Buffalo chicken hotdish can be assembled in advance and kept in the fridge. Just bake in the oven to reheat when you're ready to eat it.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups 2% milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cups hot sauce, preferably Frank's RedHot, plus more for serving
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (from about 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or from store-bought rotisserie chicken)
- 8 ounces crumbled blue cheese, plus more for serving
- 2 pounds Tater Tots, seasoned with salt and pepper
- fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped for serving
- blue cheese dressing, for serving (optional)
Preparation
1.Preheat the oven to 425 F.
2.Heat a large (3½ quart) braiser over medium-high heat and melt the butter.
3.Add in the onion, celery, carrots and salt. Cook until soft, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add in flour and cook for an additional minute.
4.Gradually whisk in the milk and cook until the mixture thickens. Add in the cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Cook until melted. Stir in the hot sauce and add in the chicken and blue cheese.
5.Cover with Tater Tots and bake until the tots are golden brown. Be sure to check it at 20 minutes.
6.Garnish with remaining blue cheese, parsley and more hot sauce. Serve with blue cheese dressing on the side if desired.
