This Chicken Shepherd’s Pie has just the right bit of sage, rosemary and thyme to coax new flavors out of the chicken and mashed potatoes …. eating this, you’ll feel like you just took a bite of HOME.
For me, nothing tastes more like soothing comfort in a meal than a warm, steaming plate of meat and mashed potatoes. Especially a whipped blanket of potatoes atop seasoned chicken and vegetables with the welcome surprise of savory gravy. Every bite is a velvety rich, savory forkful of the flavors of home and hearth.
This chicken shepherd’s pie could not encapsulate that flavor and feeling more. Here, the cooked, seasoned chicken melds with the gravy which melds with the flavors of potatoes, cream, and butter making this all feel and eat like your favorite blanket on a plate.
The genius of this recipe is the use of the dried herbs at the beginning, so the steam created by that butter and sautéed onions, releases a flavorful aroma of sage, rosemary, and thyme. You end up with a skillet full of flavor to infuse that chicken, broth, and veggies with all its deliciousness.
Why Your Family Will Adore Chicken Shepherd’s Pie
There’s nothing not to love about the shepherd’s pie eating experience! Your fork descends through a creamy blanket of flavorful mashed potatoes to the seasoned chicken, gravy, peas, corn, and carrots, making every bite so perfectly perfect. That hint of Worcestershire helps create a savory gravy that trumps that of KFC, even, and that’s saying a lot coming from me ’cause I kind of have a KFC mashed potato thingy going.
Kids adore a shepherd’s pie because it’s soft, dreamy, whipped comfort in a bowl. Adults love it because they know from experience that classic dishes like these are classic for a reason. The flavors and textures in it just work.
Chicken shepherd’s pie is a versatile dish you can serve with sides, bread, salad, or crackers and eat it like a stew. You can serve it aside some biscuits and let everyone just soak up all those thick gravies or serve it right in a bowl and eat it like a rich, savory stew, plopped on the couch with your favorite book or show on. Either way, you’ll have a plate – and a belly – full of warm, satisfying foods that are healthy and oh-so-delicious.
How to Make Ahead and Store
Those mashed potatoes really protect meat in the refrigerator, so you can keep leftovers of chicken shepherd’s pie refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days – not that you’ll have them that long.
If you’d like to freeze a made-ahead casserole, bake it right in its freezer-safe glass casserole dish, and dot it with butter that can melt over it in a layer as it cooks. Then let it cool to room temperature. It will freeze and reheat well for up to 60 days.
Serving Suggestions
Ohhh, this chicken shepherd’s pie is just begging for the complement of some robustly colored and flavored vegetables. I love to serve this with this very kid-approved Cheesy Asparagus and a beautiful Tomato, Blueberry, and Watermelon Salad for a whole table full of appetizing color that makes you want to just dive right into everything. For dessert? Oh, yes. This amazing Turtle Texas Sheet Cake should be just the right ending to this gourmet feast.
Chicken Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cooked and shredded
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 small yellow onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables peas, carrots, corn
- 4 cups mashed potatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté until soft.
- Stir in flour, thyme, rosemary, and sage. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Gradually add chicken broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer and let thicken.
- Add milk and Worcestershire sauce, continue to stir until mixture is smooth.
- Mix in shredded chicken and frozen vegetables. Cook until vegetables are heated through.
- Transfer the chicken mixture to a baking dish.
- Spread mashed potatoes evenly over the chicken mixture.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown.
- Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
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