The Cozy Cookbook is here! 
This mouth-watering mashed potato casserole is loaded with creamy mashed potatoes and topped with Crispy Chicken Tenders, corn, cheddar cheese, and a drizzle of brown gravy! It’s easy to make ahead of time and bake later for a quick family dinner!
Love casserole recipes? Be sure to try my Twice Baked Potato Casserole recipe next!
Mashed Potato Casserole
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 made ahead of time.
Not to mention, if you find yourself with some leftover mashed potatoes, then this dinner is a no-brainer.
Ingredients
- Mashed Potatoes- My homemade recipe is portioned perfectly for this recipe.
- Corn– Frozen or drained from a can
- Cheddar Cheese– Shredded from a block at home for best results
- Chicken Tenders- It’s GREAT with my homemade chicken tenders but you can also use frozen. My popcorn chicken is perfect as well!
- Brown Gravy- My homemade brown gravy is SO easy and takes 10 minutes! (But a packet works too.)
Make it from Scratch!
- Homemade Mashed Potatoes
- Fried Chicken Tenders
- Easy Brown Gravy
How to Make the Best Mashed Potatoes
Everything from the type of potato you use, how you boil the potatoes, and even to how you mash them up is important. Be sure to check out my mashed potato recipe for all the info!
Vegetable Variations:
- Frozen peas, carrots, corn, and green beans make excellent vegetable options in this casserole!
Make-Ahead Method:
Prep Work:
- Prepare homemade potatoes, chicken tenders, and brown gravy. Store each in a separate airtight container for 1-2 days ahead.
- Grate the cheese ahead of time and keep it in a small storage bag in the fridge.
When Ready to Bake:
- Heat up the potatoes. (On stove top or in the microwave)
- Top with frozen corn, cheese, and chicken.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Reheat the gravy in the microwave or stove top.
- Drizzle the gravy over the casserole and serve!
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°.
- You can also freeze leftovers in an airtight container, it’s best if used within 3 months.
Try These Next!
-
- Creamy Chicken Pasta
-
- Ranch Pork Chops
-
- Beef and Broccoli Ramen
-
- White Cheddar Chicken Pasta
-
- Fried Shrimp
-
- Lemon Pepper Chicken
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Mashed Potato Casserole with Crispy Chicken
Ingredients
For Casserole:
- 5-6 cups mashed potatoes, my homemade version is portioned for this recipe
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 8 Chicken Tenders, I prefer my homemade recipe but frozen may be used
- Brown Gravy, you can also use a packet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If using frozen chicken tenders, let them sit at room temp for about 5 minutes if you prefer to slice them first, this allows them to soften.
- Spread the potatoes on the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
- 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 uncovered for 20 minutes if using frozen chicken tenders and 15 minutes for homemade.
- Prepare the gravy on the stove top while the casserole finishes baking.
- Drizzle desired amount of gravy over the casserole dish and serve!
I bought steam and mash potatoes which are so much easier! Used Tyson fried chicken strips and after I put it back in the oven for a bit after adding gravy. My family devoured this and talked about it for 2 days!
Tyson fried chicken is yummy! I love saving even more time by using frozen or leftover chicken. Happy to hear your family loved this one so much. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!😍
We make this with bbq sauce instead of gravy!
That sounds great Sarah!!! Thanks for the idea! 🙂
Im going to try this this week sometime… making it low carb though. I have some frozen grilled chicken strips…do you think it will work well? Im gonna make mashed cauliflower, and use a fat free cheese… frozen corn… precooked grilled chicken. 🤔🤔
Hi Amber! Frozen grilled chicken strips should work just fine with this!! Enjoy!!
When you ask my kids what their favorite meal is that I make, this is always top of the list. (To my 14yo and my 7yo, it is their ABSOLUTE favorite) it’s requested quite often and they have no idea how easy it is!
We’ve since went to KFC and had their “famous” bowls, everyone has voted that this version is much much better. Thank you so much!!!
I’m so happy your kids are enjoying this one so much! I know my daughter loves it too!😋 I really like the bowl from KFC but if I’m being honest I think this one is a little better too!😊 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review Meg!
We love this!!! I use popcorn chicken its perfect size pieces I also use cheddar jack cheese we prefer the taste better
Popcorn Chicken really is the perfect size! I’m so happy you’re enjoying this one. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!❤️
I can’t wait to try this using your mashed potatoes, chicken tenders and brown gravy recipes!!!
I’m so happy you’re going to try it with all 3 recipes!❤️ That’s how I always do it and it’s so yummy! Even my picky daughter loves this one. Enjoy!!!
Lol this will be such a stupid question but, do I bake my tenders first? Are you sure they will cook through if I throw them on the casserole unlocked?
Hey Chelsea! It’s not a stupid question at all! Take a peek at the package instructions to see how it compares to the baking instructions in this recipe (400 degrees for 20 minutes), if the package has a longer cooking time, you may want to bake them for a little bit first, and then top the casserole with them and finish baking!
This is a new staple in my house! Love this recipe!
I’m so glad you all love it! It’s a staple in our house too! Thanks so much for the review!😃
This is great. I love mashed potato and this recipe looks really really good. It’s creamy and it is making me hungry. Thank you so much for sharing this!
You’re very welcome!!!😀 I love mashed potatoes too!
I never leave reviews but I wanted to come back and leave one. I made this the other day. I used your recipe for the mashed potatoes (I added some garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste). I also used your fried chicken recipe, as well as the gravy recipe. Everyone LOVED it! The chicken and the gravy were sooooo good! I would imagine for it to be quicker, using the chicken tenders in a bag would be okay but definitely not comparable to this. Thank you!
Thanks so much Jenn, you’re the best! ❤️ I really enjoy making this one too since everyone likes it including my picky daughter. I haven’t tried with pre made chicken tenders yet but I agree It would be quicker, but I love making the chicken fresh!