Reinvent your chicken leftovers with this hearty chicken cottage pie! Chunky veggies, rich white wine sauce and a cheesy mashed potato topping make this casserole a winner!
It’s that time of year when winter begins to loosen its grip and the earth churns to life, green and new and full of promise. A warm day here, a crocus there and suddenly I begin to think of St Patrick’s Day.
I’m one of those people that thinks in holidays. As silly as it sounds, I like to celebrate almost all of them. It’s about looking forward to something… anything that can break up the monotony of everyday life.
Four leaf clovers are nice, a bowl of guinness stew is delicious and who doesn’t dream of finding a pot of gold?
But for me the pull of St Paddy’s Day is about longing for a sense of place in the great chain of life. Once Valentines Day has passed, I begin to imagine what life across the pond was like for my Irish and English ancestors.
My maternal grandmother was a Higgins and my paternal grandmother was a Roper but besides my family tree, I have no links to those far off islands. But I can make a recipe to transport a part of myself to that world! In this case, a humble cottage pie.
I’m sure you’re familiar with shepherd’s pie which is traditionally made with lamb. Cottage pie is the name commonly given to a beef pie of the same variety.
Cottage pie hails from the time when potatoes were first being planted in rural areas of the British Isles. Historically, the casserole was made with leftover meat, so we’ve used that inspiration to create our chicken cottage pie recipe.
It’s an inexpensive recipe that in spite of it’s humble origins tastes like a like a million bucks! Or would that be a pot ‘o gold?
It’s a simple saute of carrots and leeks which become the base for our rich, white wine sauce with fresh thyme. It’s this gravy that keeps the leftover chicken moist… well that and a topping of mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese! Then this layered dish is baked to bubbly perfection!
It’s hearty, satisfying, buttery, and so very delicious!
Kevin and I love that is recipe reheats very well (bonus if there’s just two of you) but it’s also great for meal prep. You can layer the casserole then cover and refrigerate it for later. That’s why it’s a great main course recipe for family dinners or meal trains.
I’m sure you’re going to LOVE it! It’s a great reason to get into the St Patrick’s Day spirit, but there’s no reason you can’t eat a proper cottage pie any day of the year!
Chicken Cottage Pie
Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes
- 2.5 lbs potatoes , peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Filling
- 1 leek
- 4 large carrots , diced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup white wine , we used a rich chardonnay
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1.5 cups chicken stock
- 1.5 lbs cooked chicken, preferably dark meat , diced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
Topping
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese , grated
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
Mashed Potatoes
- Fill a large pot with water and put it on the stove to boil then preheat oven to 400F.
- Once the water is boiling, add the diced potatoes and cook until very tender, about 10 minutes.
- Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl then mash with cream, butter, salt and pepper.
Filling
- Slice the white part of the leek into quarters lengthwise, then slice into half inch pieces. Place the leeks in a bowl and cover with cold water to soak. Let stand at least 10 minutes to let sand and soil fall to the bottom. Scoop leeks from the top of the water and rinse again.
- Return the pot to the stove and melt butter over medium high heat.
- Add the leeks and carrots to the pot, sauteing until the vegetables soften a little, about 4-5 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with the wine, cooking until the alcohol smell burns off.
- Sprinkle the flour onto the vegetables while stirring constantly and then cook for one minute.
- Pour in the stock and cook the mixture until its bubbly and thick, stirring often.
- Stir in the chicken and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the filling to the bottom of a tall casserole dish roughly 8 by 12 inches in size.
Topping
- Spread potatoes on top of filling then sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Bake 25 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the top is browned.
- Let the cottage pie rest for 10-15 minutes then garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
- Our casserole dish which is 8x12 inches holds 3 quarts of liquid. You can use an oval dish or a standard 9x13 pan.
- We suggest using dark meat because it can stand up better to the double cooking time but you can use whatever leftover chicken you have on hand.
- This is a great dish to prep for weeknights or dinner parties. Layer the casserole then cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake. Keep in mind that it will take longer to bake when it's cold.
- Choose a full bodied white wine as it will enhance the flavor of the dish.
Nutrition
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Heather says
Oh wow definitely going to try this. What a great twist on Shepherd’s pie and love that it uses chicken. Putting this on the dinner menu for next week :)
Vintage Kitty says
Happy cooking!
Jenni LeBaron says
I love making cottage pie, but I’ve never added white wine to the mix. This sounds brilliant and I can’t wait to try this next time!
Vintage Kitty says
You’re going to love it! It adds so much flavor to the filling!
Carrie says
This looks like the ultimate in comfort food! Love that you’ve used chicken in this too – can’t wait to try it!
Vintage Kitty says
Very comforting. Trying to get in my last indulgent casseroles before swimsuit season!
Veena Azmanov says
I’m saving this for sure. Drooling over how moist and gorgeous this pie looks. Pie’s are something we bake often so I can guarantee we trying this one
Vintage Kitty says
Pie is the best whether savory or sweet!
Michelle says
What a great twist on the traditional cottage pie. I love the sound of that sauce too, I bet this would go down a treat!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Michelle!
Amy says
Somehow, our fridge always manages to have a ton of leftover chicken in it … somehow it manages to find its way back even when I’m sure we’ve eaten it all. ;) This recipe is genius & will surely help in our never-ending fight against chicken scraps! Thanks for sharing!
Vintage Kitty says
Ours too and have to admit that we don’t want to eat plain leftover chicken. The ONLY way to eat it is to reinvent it!
Marisa Franca Stewart says
What a wonderful way to use up chicken. We always have leftover chicken and this would be an ideal dish whether it’s a weeknight or a Sunday dinner. Would be great for a family get together. Plenty of satisfying food.
Vintage Kitty says
Yes this would be great for Sunday dinners! Very easy to double the recipe to make a big lasagna sized pan of cottage pie!
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli says
It looks like a tasty and comforting meal. That cheddar topping gives a nice color and some cheesy goodness.
Vintage Kitty says
Yes the cheese! This was my first time adding cheese to the top of a cottage pie but I saw a lot of “proper” English recipes used cheese. Have to admit that it makes the top prettier!
Tammy says
Oooh girl this looks amazing :D This is just the best meal to make for a cozy night in…pinning for later :D
Vintage Kitty says
Cozy nights in are life!
Jessica says
The hubs just asked me to make a chicken pot pie but I love the idea of topping it with mashed potatoes and cheese. This reminds me so much of shepherds pie, another one of his favorites! How can I share this Pinterest because it’s too good to pass up? None of the images pop up for me to pin?
Kitty says
Jessica,
Glad you think he’ll like it. I know that Kevin has been loving it as leftovers too. To pin it, the Pinterest icon on the left (desktop) or bottom (mobile) of the screen should get you there…that said, Kevin’s been doing a bunch of back-end site updates today so that he may have made it go sideways. Give it a try now and let me know if the share buttons don’t slide out for you.
Thanks,
Kitty
Julie says
Maybe this is because I was raised as a vegetarian for most of my childhood (I now eat meat as an adult), but I had no idea it was only shepherd’s pie if it contained lamb. I actually thought shepherd’s pie was beef based, though of course logically the name should have made me realize that it included lamb…
Vintage Kitty says
I learned that cottage pie is the older name and could include any leftover meat. In the 1800s Shepherds Pie became a thing. In the US shepherds pie is the universal name as not many people here use the term “cottage pie”…. but I’m a food anthropology nerd!
Natalie says
Wow, what a great recipe! This chicken pie looks absolutely amazing. Perfect family dinner if you ask me. I’m saving this and I will give it a try. My boys will love this I’m sure.
Vintage Kitty says
Yes your boys will!
Jay says
I love this recipe. I love making it . I love being in the kitchen. When it’s a cold evening this is great
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks for the comment Jay. This is a perfect winter recipe!
Elizabeth Hamby says
Can you freeze leftovers of the chicken cottage pie?
Vintage Kitty says
I haven’t tried it, but I can’t see why not. Let me know if you give it a try Elizabeth!
Dorothye says
Made this tonight and it was delicious!!!!
Ty says
I had a good amount of left-over roasted chicken and wanted to try something new. I substituted the carrots with brocolli, corn, garlic, green onion and baby bella mushrooms. I kept the leek in as I thought I might like it. I used a white blend wine and whole wheat flour. I added more butter than what was called for…I love butter. The dish turned out to be a winner. Will definitely make this again.
Vintage Kitty says
I’m with you on the butter! Happy you enjoyed the recipe Ty!
Pam/Chicago says
For those who prefer measurements, the final amount of diced potatoes was 6 cups and carrots were just under 3 cups. I baked at 350 degrees – because I hadn’t found the recommended 400 degree temperature-and it took a full hour for the top to brown, even though it hadn’t been refrigerated. So definitely go with 400 degrees to speed things up!
Babs says
This was so yummy and I am excited to have found a new menu item for when I have leftover chicken. I did have to add extra cream to get the potatoes to come together & I added some frozen peas with the chicken broth. Deeeelicious!
Vintage Kitty says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe Babs!
Barry says
Just Excellent! This took a little longer to prepare than published, but well worth it. Mashed potato portion recipe was terrific on its own and it would be my go to recipe for just making mashed potatoes.