What happens if you mash up two of the most craved bar foods? You get cheesy, spicy Buffalo Tot-Chos made with potato tots and flavorful shredded chicken. What makes this version special is the pickled veggies, which add a bright acidic note that contrasts with the rich and creamy ranch dressing.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 55 min |
| Active: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 carrot, very thinly sliced on the bias
- 1 rib celery, very thinly sliced on the bias
- One 32-ounce bag frozen potato tots
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, diced
- 1/2 cup hot sauce, preferably Frank’s RedHot
- 2 chicken breasts from a rotisserie chicken, skin removed, shredded
- 1 1/4 cups shredded three-cheese Mexican blend
- 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Ranch dressing, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the sugar melts. Put the carrots and celery in a medium bowl, then pour the vinegar mixture over it. Allow the pickles to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the potato tots to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then add the hot sauce and whisk to combine. (You can also put the butter and hot sauce in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 15- to 20-second intervals until the butter is melted; whisk until smooth.) Put the chicken in a large bowl, then add the Buffalo sauce. Toss to coat, and set aside.
- Push the tots in a single layer toward the center of the baking sheet. Top with the chicken mixture and drizzle with any remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese blend. Bake until the cheese is melted and slightly golden, another 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, about 2 minutes. Top with the pickled vegetables, blue cheese, some black pepper and a drizzle of ranch dressing. Serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 323 |
| Total Fat | 17 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 23 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 19 g |
| Cholesterol | 86 mg |
| Sodium | 532 mg |
Reviews
Made for football game party 10/21/23. It was a big hit with all! I did reduce butter to 3/4 stick and used unsalted butter. It was not greasy as one of reviews noted. Left blue cheese off and served on side bc not everyone is a BC lover. The pickled veggies were delicious. Already thinking I will be pickling more this fall. Will make this appetizer again!! Thanks Katie!
Made these last night for a pot luck happy hour. Even the non spicy lovers liked them. Not an everyday item but great for a crowd.
My family loved this. Is it healthy? No. Was I under the impression that it would be healthy? Also, no. It’s football food. It’s crowd pleasing and tasty. Definitely pay attention to using unsalted butter and kosher salt. Regular table salt has more sodium. You don’t need to use ALL the sauce of you don’t want to, use your own judgement after the chicken is coated. I do like my ‘buffalo’ stuff a little more hot so I put plain Frank’s on top after it came out of the oven. Will be making again.
I loved the pickled vegetables.
I loved the pickled vegetables.
Another one of Katie Lee’s semi-homemade dishes!
GZ called these Pommes Dauphine, and Alex corrected him to say Pommes DARPHIN. GZ was actually right. Darphin is more like hash browns.
Love this! So good and easy!
Puddles of grease from the butter, cheese, potatoes..very unappetizing. Thankfully I didn’t prepare for guests.
My family LOVED this! We served a nice big spinach salad with it so we wouldn’t eat the whole platter!
This recipe (6-8 servings) has so many good components and should result in a delicious dish. However, the sodium content is through the roof and the saltiness overwhelmed the taste. The Franks Hot Sauce alone adds 4,560 mg. of sodium. Adding the amount of sodium in the cheeses and the tablespoon of kosher salt used in the vegetable marinate (I rinsed veggies after marinating) adds approximately 8,580 mg. This recipe gives new meaning to the phrase “to die for”. If you are taking a diuretic, go for it. Sorry Katie. Your recipes are usually great.
Made this for the Cowboy game tonight and it was amazing! I made mine in a porcelain lined cast iron skillet, which retained the heat as we made it part of our game day buffet. My family loved it and I have shared with many friends. Absolutely delicious and came together quickly. Thank you Katie!!