Chicken Shepherd’s Pie

Ever wonder what to do with leftover roast chicken? Well the next time you’re in that situation and don’t want to make boring chicken soup or chicken salad sandwiches, try this Chicken Shepherd’s Pie recipe! Yes it’s a little more effort than slapping together a sandwich but trust me this one will surly give you more satisfaction and impress your family.

Like many Costco aficionados, my husband and I can never pass up their giant $5 roast chicken!!! But like many things, leftover chicken the next day can be dull to eat again and rather dry after all the dark meat has been picked the day before. So I always find myself thinking of new ways to re-purpose leftover chicken and came up with this dish you can whip up in 20 min!

This dish was actually inspired by my mom who use to make chicken pot pie with leftover roast chicken when we were little kids. I loved that stuff! She would freeze a bunch for my brother and I to enjoy during the week when we came home for lunch from school. This recipe is very similar except that I swapped out the pastry crust for mashed potatoes as it’s a little easier to make than homemade pastry!

Chicken Shepherd’s Pie

Prep time: 20 min     
Cook time: 20 min     
Total time: 40 min     
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup of cooked chicken chopped
• 1 carrot
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 tbsp flour
• 4 yellow potatoes
• 3 tbsp butter + more for potatoes
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large frying pan, bring to medium heat and melt 3 tbsp of butter.
2. Add in chopped onions, carrot, celery, and garlic then fry until translucent for about 3-5 min.
3. Add flour and mix in thoroughly then gradually add in the milk while stirring to create a thick and creamy sauce. Make sure to stir in any lumps to create a smooth consistency.
4. Mix in chopped chicken and dried thyme then add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf and set mixture aside to cool slightly.
5. Bring a pot of water to boil, add in skinned and diced potatoes. Cook for 10 min or until soft.
6. Drain potatoes and add in 2-3 tbsp of butter and salt to taste. Mash the potato until smooth with a potato masher or ricer.
7. In a heat proof dish, layer the chicken mixture on the bottom and top with the mashed potatoes.
8. Bake in the oven at 400°F for 15-20 min until top is golden brown.
9. Serve hot. Enjoy!