Loaded Mashed Potato Bowls
This Easy Loaded Mashed Potato Bowl Recipe is a perfect 30 minute weeknight meal that the entire family will love! These bowls are packed with cheese, crispy bacon, air fryer frozen chicken tenders, corn, green onions and sour cream over fluffy gluten free mashed potatoes. If you love the KFC Famous Bowl, you will love this copycat rendition!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Makes These Loaded Mashed Potato Bowls Great
If you’re a comfort food lover like myself and wondering what to eat with mashed potatoes, this gluten free loaded mashed potato bowl recipe is going to be your new favorite. It’s the perfect way to use up leftover mashed potatoes or make them fresh – either my gluten free mashed potatoes, cheesy mashed potatoes, or dairy free mashed potatoes! This recipe is also great for meal prep – you can make each part and form bowls for easy meals throughout the week. This recipe is gluten free and totally customizable. If you want to make the KFC Famous Bowl at home, now you can! The original KFC mashed potato bowls have mashed potatoes, fried chicken, corn, and gravy. For my version, I added bacon and green onions for extra flavor! Feel free to add some gravy to add to the yumminess, if desired.
Recipe Highlights
- One of the best easy gluten free meals
- Ready in just 30 minutes
- Kid-friendly
- KFC Perfect Bowl Copycat
- Great for gluten free meal prep
- Simple and easy to make
Ingredient Notes
Bacon: I like to get this from Butcher Box.
Mashed Potatoes: You can use any mashed potatoes you want for this recipe. I prefer my gluten free mashed potatoes! If you need to avoid dairy, you can use this recipe.
Gluten Free Chicken Tenders: Feel free to use regular chicken tenders if you don’t need to avoid gluten. I like to get the Simply Smart Perdue brand of frozen gluten free chicken tenders and cook them in the air fryer. They have great taste and texture! The Applegate gluten free chicken nuggets are also delicious.
Corn: Frozen or canned corn will work great.
Shredded cheese: Cheddar is one of my favorite mashed potatoes toppings. If you need to be dairy free you can omit this completely or use dairy free shreds.
Green onions: These make a great garnish and add lots of flavor.
Recipe Step-By-Step
- Make the mashed potatoes if you don’t already have them made.
- Make the frozen chicken tenders in the air fryer: Preheat to 400. Spray the basket with oil and add the chicken tenders. Cook for 6-8 minutes until crispy. Alternatively, you can bake the chicken tenders according to package directions.
- Chop the chicken into pieces.
- Make the bacon. I like to use my no-mess baked bacon method. Preheat the oven to 400 and bake for 12-15 minutes or until desired level of crispiness has been reached.
- Break the bacon into pieces.
- Heat up the corn while the chicken and bacon are cooking.
- Assemble your bowls: Add 1 cup of mashed potatoes and top with cheese, the cooked chicken tenders, bacon, green onions, corn, and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!
Mary’s Tips and Tricks
Prepping ahead: You can make the mashed potatoes and bacon ahead of time, so all you need to do is cook the chicken and assemble your bowls. This can get dinner on the table faster on busy nights!
Dairy Free: If you want to make this loaded mashed potato bowl recipe dairy free, simply make dairy free mashed potatoes, use dairy free cheddar shreds, and omit the sour cream (or use a vegan brand). Make sure your chicken doesn’t contain any dairy either.
Gluten Free Chicken Tenders: If you prefer not to use frozen chicken tenders, you can make your own using this air fryer chicken tenders recipe!
Storage: Store each component of the recipe in the refrigerator for up to 4 days then compile your bowls.
Reheating: Add all of your toppings on top of the mashed potatoes, then microwave for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
Freezing: You can freeze the mashed potatoes alone in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Do not freeze the loaded mashed potato bowls with the toppings. Thaw the potatoes and add them after.
Recipe FAQ’s
The answer is: everything in this recipe! Crispy chicken, cheese, sour cream, bacon, and green onions are all delicious options. Chili and gravy also work!
Yes, potatoes are naturally gluten free. Everything in this recipe is gluten free and Celiac-safe.
This comfort food bowl contains mashed potatoes, popcorn chicken, corn, cheese, and gravy.
Loaded Mashed Potato Bowls
Ingredients
- 4 cups gluten free mashed potatoes
- 12 gluten free frozen chicken tenders, I like the Perdue Simply Smart Gluten Free Chicken Breast Tenders, but any will work
- 8 pieces bacon
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 can corn, drained and heated
- ½ cup diced green onions
- ¼ cup sour cream
Equipment
Instructions
- Make your gluten free mashed potatoes if you don't already have them on hand.
- Meanwhile, make the frozen chicken tenders in the air fryer: Preheat to 400. Spray the basket with oil and add the chicken tenders. Cook for 6-8 minutes until crispy. Chop into pieces. Alternatively, you can bake the chicken tenders in the oven according to package directions.
- Cook your bacon. Preheat your oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil and lay the bacon out flat. Bake it for 12-15 minutes until crispy. Crumble it up into pieces.
- Assemble your loaded potato bowls: Spread a layer of 1 cup of mashed potatoes on the bottom of your bowl or plate. Add shredded cheese on top, then the chicken tender pieces. Add the corn, then the bacon and green onions. Add a dollop of sour cream, if desired. Enjoy!
