From Taste of Home · · 3m
Butter Chicken Hot Dish
A Midwestern casserole that fuses creamy Indian butter chicken with crispy Tater Tots for an easy weeknight dinner.
In brief
A Midwestern casserole that fuses creamy Indian butter chicken with crispy Tater Tots for an easy weeknight dinner. Ground chicken in a spiced tomato cream sauce topped with frozen Tater Tots creates an unexpectedly delicious fusion that's ready in 85 minutes. Originally reported by Taste of Home.
Two classics meet in one dish
Butter chicken hot dish combines creamy, tomatoey butter chicken with Tater Tots baked on top. It's an unexpected fusion that works as an easy weeknight dinner.
Why hot dishes are Midwestern gold
These warm, comforting, filling casseroles are perfect for holiday potlucks, autumn's first days, or a blanketing snowstorm. Midwesterners have tested many filling iterations over decades.
Start with ground chicken
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat one tablespoon of ghee in a large skillet over medium heat, add two pounds of ground chicken, and cook until no longer pink. Drain and set aside.
What is ghee and why use it
Ghee is clarified butter traditionally used in Indian cooking. Find it in the international aisle or with the butter at the grocery store. Regular butter works fine as a substitute.
Build the spiced sauce base
Heat olive oil and ghee, cook chopped onion for three to four minutes, then add minced garlic and ginger for one minute. Add cumin, garam masala, and coriander, cooking another minute.
Peel ginger the easy way
The best way to peel ginger is with a regular spoon from your utensil drawer. It works perfectly and is easier than a knife or peeler.
Simmer the tomato sauce
Add one fourteen-point-five-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, one teaspoon chili powder, and one-and-a-quarter teaspoons salt. Scrape up brown bits and simmer five to seven minutes until deep red.
Finish with cream and chicken
Return the cooked chicken to the skillet with one cup heavy whipping cream, one tablespoon sugar, and optional fenugreek. Simmer five to eight minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Why heavy cream matters here
Heavy whipping cream has the perfect amount of richness to make a thick, creamy sauce. Don't substitute any other milk or cream for this recipe.
Top with frozen Tater Tots
Spoon the chicken mixture into a greased thirteen-by-nine-inch baking dish and spread evenly. Top with thirty-two ounces of frozen Tater Tots to cover the whole dish.
Bake until bubbly and golden
Bake for forty minutes at four hundred degrees until the casserole is bubbly. Drizzle with green chutney and yogurt, then garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.
Serve with bright sides
Pair the hot dish with a crunchy, vinegary side salad or cucumber salad to brighten the meal. Grilled garlic naan or crispy onion bhaji stretch it further.
Make it ahead for busy nights
Cook the butter chicken completely, spread it in the baking dish, cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, add Tater Tots and bake as directed.
Store leftovers up to four days
Cool leftover butter chicken hot dish completely, then cover the pan or transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to four days.
The takeaway
Ground chicken in a spiced tomato cream sauce topped with frozen Tater Tots creates an unexpectedly delicious fusion that's ready in 85 minutes.
