Mashed Potato Casserole with Crispy Chicken
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Tyson Foods, Inc. The opinions and text are all mine.
This mouth-watering mashed potato casserole is topped with Corn, Cheddar Cheese, Tyson® Chicken Strips, and a drizzle of brown gravy! It’s easy to make ahead of time and bake later for a quick family dinner!
Sunday meal prep has been my jam lately, and I’m so thrilled to be growing my collection of casseroles that are easy to throw together and can assembled a few days ahead of time.
Not to mention, if you find yourself with some leftover mashed potatoes, then this dinner is a no-brainer.
I always have Tyson Chicken Strips on hand because my daughter is obsessed with them. But I really like to find different ways to incorporate them into new recipes, like this mashed potato casserole right here, which my family loves.
I’ve also used Tyson® Chicken Nuggets and Tyson® Any’tizers® Chicken Fries in this recipe before, they’re in the frozen section at Price Rite and are super affordable and definitely convenient for back to school season.
The chicken is raised with no antibiotics ever, which has always been a big plus for me, along with the fact that it’s protein-packed. My daughter just loves this chicken for the crave-worthy flavor.
If you plan on making a big batch of homemade mashed potatoes for this recipe, I highly recommend that you scan through the set of tips that I have for you below. I bet you’ll learn something!
How to Make the Best Mashed Potatoes
Use a Starchy Potato:
- Russets or Yukon Golds are perfect for mashing.
- Using waxy potatoes such as red or new potatoes can cause your mashed potatoes to have a gluey consistency as opposed to being nice and creamy.
Leave the Skins on for Boiling:
- This gives them more flavor.
- They absorb less water this way.
- They will be able to absorb the dairy better.
Use COLD Water:
- Add the potatoes to cold and salted water before boiling.
- Using hot/warm water will cause the outside of the potato to heat up before the middle does, which will cause uneven cooking.
Don’t Add Cold Ingredients to Warm Potatoes:
- Make sure your butter is completely softened.
- Make sure that your milk/half and half is warmed up slightly before being added.
- The potatoes will absorb them better this way and they will end up much creamier.
Add the Butter Before the Dairy:
- The butter helps to coat the starch and gives you a silkier consistency.
Don’t Over-Mash:
- Potatoes release starch every time they’re handled/mashed.
- The consistency will become gluey instead of creamy if they are handled too much.
Vegetable Variations:
- Frozen peas, carrots, corn, and green beans make excellent vegetable options in this casserole!
Make-Ahead Method:
- To make this casserole ahead of time, I suggest simply preparing some homemade potatoes and storing them for a few days in an airtight container.
- You can also grate the cheese ahead of time and keep it in a small storage bag in the fridge. (I always suggest grating your own cheese as the taste is superior and it melts better.)
- When you’re ready to bake the casserole, heat up the potatoes (this can be done right in the microwave), then simply top with frozen corn, cheese, and chicken.
- Bake for 15 minutes and you’re done!
Storing Leftovers
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and are best if used within 3 days.
- You can reheat in the microwave or in an oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- You can also freeze leftovers in an airtight container, it’s best if used within 3 months.
Try These Casseroles Next!
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This mouth-watering mashed potato casserole is topped with Corn, Cheddar Cheese, Tyson® Chicken Strips, and a drizzle of brown gravy! It’s easy to make ahead of time and bake later for a quick family dinner!
- 6 Russet Potatoes of equal size
- 1 stick butter softened
- 1 cup half and half warmed
- Salt/pepper
- 5 cups mashed potatoes
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup cheddar cheese freshly grated
- 6 Tyson Chicken Strips
- .87 oz. packet Brown Gravy Mix
- Rinse the potatoes thoroughly and pat them dry. Leave the skins on.
Add the potatoes to a large pot of COLD and salted water, enough water to submerge them by 1 inch. Use 1 heaping teaspoon for each quart of water.
- Bring the potatoes to a gentle boil and maintain this boil until they are fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes. Hold them with a pot holder and peel off the skins. Return them to the pot.
- Add the completely softened butter and mash them to desired consistency.
- Warm the half and half in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir it into the mashed potatoes.
- Season with additional salt/pepper if desired.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Take out your chicken strips and let them sit at room temp for about 5 minutes if you prefer to slice them first.
- Spread the potatoes on the bottom of a casserole dish. (Mine was 13.25 x 9 but variations are fine.)
Note: If your mashed potatoes are cold, warm them first.
- Top with corn and cheese.
- Carefully slice the chicken strips into pieces of desired size and top the casserole dish with them.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the gravy on the stove top according to package instructions while the casserole finishes baking.
- Drizzle your desired amount of gravy over the casserole dish and serve!
• Milk may be used instead of half and half. You can also use cream for ultimate decadence.
• If you prefer a creamier consistency, additional milk or half and half may be added to the mashed potatoes until your desired consistency is reached.
• For quicker mashed potatoes, you can peel them and slice them into thirds of equal size so that they finish boiling more quickly.
Ah… just like KFC’s “Sadness” Bowl (if you don’t get that reference Google comedian Patton Oswalt’s skit about it – it’s hilarious. 😀
Personally, if you’re going to take the shortcut of using frozen chicken strips (which I understand this post was sponsored by Tyson, so they had to be in there), why not make it super-easy on yourself and just use instant mashed potatoes too?
And, forget messing with a brown gravy packet? Just buy a jar (or can) of gravy. This recipe would then take zero cooking skills to make.
Just a thought!
Hey Kim! No I totally get what you’re saying! I just wanted to have “more” i information instead of less so I fcured if someone does want to make their own mashed potatoes then they have all the info! I personally (really) dislike instant mashed potatoes do I’d never use those but that’s a personal preference! Same with gravy, I am partial to the pockets but if someone wants to use a jar instead, that’s easy enough! Totally easy to customize. I’ll have to check out that comedy clip you mentioned! Have a great rest of your weekend! -Stephanie
Can you use boneless chicken breast? I don’t usually have chicken strips on hand.
You could! It won’t be quite the same and you could buy some Tyson Chciken Strips and keep them in the freezer for whenever you want to make this, but if you use boneless I would sear strips of chicken in a skillet and then dice them and top the casserole with it! 🙌🏻 -ENJOY! It’s sooo good!! -Stephanie