A Mashed Potato Bowl is a comforting and indulgent meal that combines creamy mashed potatoes, sweet corn, cheesy goodness, crispy chicken nuggets, and savory gravy. It’s an easy, ready-made recipe that is just like the famous dish at Kentucky Fried Chicken fast-food restaurants! It all starts with the perfect mashed potatoes, which you will want to have on hand for other recipes, too!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Mashed Potatoes: The mashed potatoes are the base of this recipe. If preferred, I also have skins-on mashed potatoes you will love. Or, to make this recipe a bit healthier, make the bowls with cauliflower mashed!
Corn: To keep this recipe simple, I used canned corn that has been drained. However, you could certainly use fresh corn if you have it on hand!
Cheese: I added both cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese. It is melted under the broiler (or in the air fryer) until hot and bubbly! But, feel free to mix and match different varieties of cheese that suit your taste buds!
Chicken Nuggets: Look for fully cooked frozen chicken nuggets to add to the bowls. Cook them according to the package instructions. Or, if feeling motivated, make air fryer chicken nuggets!
Gravy: Use your favorite gravy to drizzle over the tops of all the delicious ingredients in the bowls.
Can I Make Mashed Potato Bowls Ahead Of Time?
Sure! You can certainly get parts of this recipe made in advance. After making the mashed potatoes, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few days. You could also get the cheese shredded and stored in the refrigerator, as well as the gravy prepared and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Then, just warm the already-made parts of the mashed potato bowls when ready to assemble. I recommend cooking the chicken nuggets just before serving so they are hot and crispy.
Can I Make Mashed Potato Bowls Without Broiling Them?
Yes, you can make mashed potato bowls without broiling them. After assembling the bowls, you can serve them immediately. The cheese will still melt somewhat from the heat of the other ingredients, but it may not have the same browned and crispy appearance as it would if broiled. Or, if you want to add a bit of meltiness to the cheese, assemble the bowls in microwave-safe containers. Heat them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, or until the cheese is melted to your liking. Using an air fryer also works well. Air fry the assembled bowls for 4-6 minutes at 350°F.
How To Store Mashed Potato Bowls
To store mashed potato bowls, it’s best to store the components separately in airtight containers. They will last in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. When ready to assemble the bowls, simply heat up the leftovers and put together your delicious bowl!
Mashed Potato Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 cups (840 g) prepared mashed potatoes, warmed, divided
- 1 can (15.25 ounces) corn kernels, drained, warmed, divided
- ½ cup (56.5 g) mild cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
- ½ cup (56.5 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- 1 bag (32 ounces) chicken nuggets, cooked according to package instructions
- 1 cup (233 g) brown gravy, warmed
- parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare and heat all ingredients.
- Preheat oven to broil.* Arrange 4 large oven-safe bowls or crocks on a rimmed baking sheet.
- To each bowl, add 1 cup mashed potatoes. Top each bowl with ½ cup corn kernels, 2 tablespoons cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese, and chicken nuggets.
- Transfer the baking sheet with the assembled bowls to the broiler. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the chicken nuggets are crispy.
- Carefully remove the baking sheet with the bowls from the broiler. Drizzle warm brown gravy evenly over the tops of the crispy chicken and cheese.
- Serve warm, garnished with parsley.
Video
Notes
- Once the bowls have been assembled, place them into the basket of your air fryer. (Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to work in batches.)
- Air fry at 350°F for 4-6 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the chicken is crispy.
- Remove from the air fryer and drizzle with gravy.
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
There is a little restaurant down the road that serves something like this. I get it every time. It's like a bowl filled with all of my favorite comfort foods and I am here for it. I love every element of this and I am definitely not afraid to mix them together.
Elizabeth
Well, you can't go wrong with a combination of mashed potatoes, corn, cheese, chicken nuggets, and gravy. If you want a hearty and comforting meal, this is definitely it!
Bella
This is definitely comfort food. Chicken and mashed potatoes are one of my favorite pairings. The corn provides some sweetness to the rest of the dish! A good blend of savory and some sweetness!
Rachael
I love a mashed potato bowl! So so good. All the layers together are a perfect mixture of flavors. This is a go-to supper for me and it is so easy to make!
Annabelle
Seriously a great combination! This is a hearty dish, perfect for the upcoming chilly weather!
Hi, Amanda,
Just now ran across your site. I’m there any chance you do a recipe for Gyros Nachos? This seems to be trending this week ahead of the SuperBowl. I just keep hearing about it and am curious to make it .
Thanks!!
Chris
Can not wait to make this for dinner tomorrow night. Have some chicken breasts that I cooked this weekend that would be fantastic in this recipe. Thanks so much for posting – have had the one from the chicken franchise and that was over priced and over rated taste wise. I
Made this for supper today. It was way better than the ones you buy at the chicken franchise place. I used a couple packages of turkey gravy and everything else was so fresh and good the gravy was just fine. Thank you for another winner.