Nothing screams comfort more than a hearty shepherd’s pie recipe! This chicken shepherd’s pie puts a delicious twist on the traditional casserole dish, using shredded chicken instead of ground beef, making for a healthier alternative.
Shepherd’s Pie with Chicken
This shepherd’s pie recipe is made with chicken for a little twist on a traditional dish. If you like chicken pot pie, then you’ll absolutely love this!
Chicken goes so well with mixed vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes, and tasty cheese on top. Finally, it’s baked up to perfection in the oven!
Why You’ll Love this Shepherd’s Pie Recipe:
- One Pan Recipe: Say goodbye to washing piles of dishes! This chicken shepherd’s pie can be cooked all in one pan for your convenience.
- Make it Your Own: Prefer different vegetables? No problem! Add your favorites. Prefer different meat? Use ground lamb or turkey! You can even substitute the potatoes with sweet potatoes.
This chicken shepherd’s pie recipe is a great way to switch up your meal rotation with something comforting and delicious!
How to Make Shepherd’s Pie with Chicken
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Preheat the oven, then melt the butter and cook the onion, celery, and garlic on the stove top.
- Add in thyme, rosemary, chicken bouillon, and flour, and continue cooking.
- Then whisk in Worcestershire sauce, broth, and heavy cream and stir until thickened.
- Stir in vegetables and chicken, then add spoons of mashed potatoes on top and spread.
- Sprinkle with cheese and place in the oven, and bake.
- Remove and sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: The base for cooking the vegetables.
- Onion: Use white or yellow.
- Celery Ribs: Adds a savory crunch.
- Minced Garlic: Adds delicious garlic flavor.
- Rosemary and Thyme: Add fresh, herbal flavor – use fresh or dried.
- Chicken Bouillon: I prefer Better Than Bouillon, but any is fine.
- All-purpose Flour: Thickens the filling.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a savory, umami flavor.
- Chicken Broth: Forms the base of the filling.
- Heavy Cream: Adds creaminess to the filling.
- Mixed Vegetables: Frozen is best, but canned is fine.
- Chicken: I prefer rotisserie, or cook your own.
- Cheese: I prefer cheddar, but any cheese is fine.
- Mashed Potatoes: You can make fresh mashed potatoes with a bit of milk and butter, or use leftover mashed potatoes. You can also grab some pre-made ones from the store.
- Parsley: Adds a bit of color and freshness to the finished dish.
Shepherd’s pie is a savory casserole, traditionally made with cooked minced meat and topped with mashed potatoes.
Traditionally, a shepherd’s pie is made with lamb, while a cottage pie is made with beef. Nowadays, the two names are often used interchangeably, and you can use whatever meat you like!
I love to use rotisserie chicken in a pinch, but this recipe is great because you can use whatever leftover chicken you have on hand!
Yes! You can use mashed sweet potatoes instead for an even healthier twist!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- To stop the mash from melting and sinking into the filling, allow the chicken to cool before topping it with the mashed potatoes.
- To prevent your chicken shepherd’s pie from being runny, make sure you’ve simmered the gravy long enough to thicken.
- You can also add in more flour to do this. A runny casserole can also be due to not draining the potatoes thoroughly enough.
Make Ahead Instructions
This chicken shepherd’s pie can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator or in the freezer.
- Refrigerator: Assemble the filling and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat the filling in a large saucepan the stovetop or cover and bake it in a casserole dish at 350°F for 20 minutes, then top with mashed potatoes and bake for 30 minutes.
- Freezer: Assemble the filling and store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, topping, and baking.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover chicken shepherd’s pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze chicken shepherd’s pie in an airtight container whole or in individual portions for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating and baking.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken shepherd’s pie makes for a hearty meal all on its own, but it’s also great served with a side salad, freshly-baked dinner rolls or biscuits, or a side of roasted vegetables!
Tips for the Best Chicken Shepherd’s Pie
- You can make this even better by adding ½ cup white wine in place of ½ cup chicken broth.
- Feel free to omit the cheese topping if you’re not a fan!
- For a healthier twist, try mashed sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes.
- In a time crunch? Try instant mashed potatoes!
- Feel free to add your favorite vegetables, such as mushrooms, broccoli, green beans, peas, corn, or spinach.
- Make sure the mashed potatoes are not too thick so they will spread easily. Warm them some before adding to also help with spreading.
- For a fancier look, you can pipe the potatoes on top using a decorative piping tip, or rake the potatoes with the tines of a fork.
- This casserole can be baked in a large cast-iron skillet or a 9×13-inch baking pan. I like to cook everything in the same pan I plan to bake it in.
I hope you enjoy this delicious chicken shepherd’s pie recipe! It’s a great healthy alternative to the traditional recipe, and its something that the whole family can find comfort in.
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Chicken Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ stick
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 cloves
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon 1 cube
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth store-bought or homemade
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 5 cups cooked mashed potatoes store-bought or homemade
- ⅓ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon minced parsley
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- In a large frying pan or cast-iron pan, melt the butter and cook the onion, celery, and garlic for 2 minutes, then add the thyme, rosemary, chicken bouillon, and flour and stir until combined.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup finely chopped onion, 2 ribs celery, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon, 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Whisk in the worcestershire sauce, broth, and heavy cream, and stir until it starts to thicken, about 1-2 minutes.1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, ½ cup heavy cream
- Stir in the vegetables and chicken.2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- Add spoons of the mashed potatoes around the pan and spread out.5 cups cooked mashed potatoes
- Sprinkle it with cheese and place in the oven.⅓ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove and sprinkle with parsley before serving.1 teaspoon minced parsley
Notes
- You can make this even better by adding ½ cup white wine in place of ½ cup chicken broth.
- Feel free to omit the cheese topping if you’re not a fan!
- For a healthier twist, try mashed sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes.
- In a time crunch? Try instant mashed potatoes!
- Feel free to add your favorite vegetables, such as mushrooms, broccoli, green beans, peas, corn, or spinach.
- Make sure the mashed potatoes are not too thick so they will spread easily. Warm them some before adding to also help with spreading.
- For a fancier look, you can pipe the potatoes on top using a decorative piping tip, or rake the potatoes with the tines of a fork.
- This casserole can be baked in a large cast-iron skillet or a 9×13-inch baking pan. I like to cook everything in the same pan I plan to bake it in.
John Parkinson says
Just brilliant everyone can do this
Becky Hardin says
Thanks so much for stopping by, John!
Bob says
You don’t make Shepherd’s Pie with chicken… ever! Lamb is the only thing you ever make Shepherd’s Pie with.
Becky Hardin says
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe, Bob! This site is dedicated to chicken recipes, and we like to give people the option to enjoy great foods with chicken instead of beef or lamb. I hope you’ll give it a try!