BUFFALO CHICKEN TOTCHOS

Buffalo Chicken Totchos image

Provided by Ree Drummond : Food Network

Time 1h5m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 pound frozen potato tots
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ribs celery, sliced thin, leaves reserved
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced thin
1 1/2 cups cayenne hot sauce, such as Frank's RedHot
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack
Blue Cheese Ranch, recipe follows
2 cups ranch dressing
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Toss the tots with the chili powder and cumin in a large mixing bowl until evenly coated. Arrange the seasoned tots on a baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, about 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the skillet and add the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add the celery, garlic and half of the green onions. Continue to cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through, another 2 minutes. Add the hot sauce and allow to simmer and thicken slightly, 1 additional minute.
When the tots are crisp, remove from the oven and set the oven to broil. Top the tots with half of the cheese. Spoon the chicken over the tots. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the chicken. Place the baking sheet under the broiler and broil until the cheese has melted and begun to brown, about 3 minutes.
Carefully remove the pan from the broiler. Drizzle over the Blue Cheese Ranch and any remaining sauce from the skillet. Garnish with the celery leaves and remaining green onions. Serve on the baking sheet.
Add the ranch dressing and blue cheese crumbles to a bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper and stir until combined.