I have a picky eater in my house, he went back for thirds for this chicken shepherd’s pie. I consider that a pretty good success. Boom, one more recipe I know will score big. A cross between a chicken pot pie and a traditional shepherd’s pie. My Chicken Thigh Shepherd’s Pie is the best of both worlds.
This is a great chicken thigh recipe and is perfect for this shepherd’s pie recipe. They have great flavor, juicy, tender, and are about $1 cheaper per pound than chicken breasts. Shredded and mixed in this creamy sauce with loads of veggies, chicken thighs are a no-brainer for this recipe.
I use my recipe for creamy mashed potatoes as a topping for this chicken shepherd’s pie. They turn a great golden brown and become a little crispy in the oven. I have always preferred the potato topping of a shepherd’s pie to the crust on a chicken pot pie anyway, so it’s perfect.
Shepherd’s Pie With Chicken
Moist, and flavorful, chicken thighs are an excellent choice for this Shepherd’s Pie recipe.
Chicken Thigh Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs: Shredded in a creamy sauce is one of my favorite chicken thigh recipes. I poach the chicken thighs and carrots together before any of the other ingredients. The carrots take a little longer to cook than the other veggies and I need to shred the thigh meat.
- Veggies: The shepherd’s pie filling includes carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, and green beans. A simple medley of veggies is all the chicken shepherd’s pie requires.
- Seasonings: Shepherd’s pie filling needs only simple seasonings, salt, black pepper, and dry thyme.
- Sauce: The creamy white sauce takes no time at all to create. The sauce has only 4-ingredients, butter, all-purpose flour, chicken stock, and either milk or half & half.
- Mashed Potatoes: I use my recipe for Creamy Mashed Potatoes as the topping for this chicken shepherd’s pie. It is very smooth and creamy and spreads well over the fillings. The butter in the potatoes browns the mashed potato topping to a beautiful golden brown.
- Garnish: Optional garnish of flat-leaf parsley is a nice touch and a pretty presentation. But if your kids don’t want weird green stuff on their shepherd’s pie, you can easily omit the garnish.
This is my favorite Shepherd’s Pie recipe!
Here is my recipe for Chicken Thigh Shepherd’s Pie:
Chicken Thigh Shepherd's Pie
A cross between a chicken pot pie and a traditional shepherd’s pie. My Chicken Thigh Shepherd’s Pie is the best of both worlds.
Servings 6
Calories 543kcal
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 1/2 Pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 2 Cups Carrots 1/4-inch rounds
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Celery 1/4-inch dice
- 1 Cup Onions 1/4-inch dice
- 8 Ounces Cremini Mushrooms Sliced
- 1/3 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 3 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock
- 1/2 Cup Milk Or half & half
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Cup Green Beans 1-inch slices
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
Mashed Potatoes
- 4 Russet Potatoes Peeled, 2-inch dice
- 1/4 Cup Half & Half
- 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Garnish
- 1/4 Cup Flat Leaf Parsley Roughly chopped
Instructions
- Combine raw chicken thighs and carrots in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain, separate the carrots and chicken and shred the chicken.
- Add the potatoes to a pot with salted water, the water should have enough salt so it tastes like the sea. Bring to a boil until the potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Drain, add the butter, half & half, salt, and pepper. Mash until smooth and creamy.
- While potatoes are boiling, begin to saute the mushrooms, onions, and celery in butter and olive oil, in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Saute until the mushrooms have released all of the liquid and begin to brown.
- Add the flour to the onion mixture and stir to completely coat all the onions. Slowly add the chicken stock gently stirring to make a smooth sauce.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add all the ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Place the filling in an oven-proof casserole or skillet. A 12-inch castiron skillet is a perfect size.
- Add spoonfuls of mashed potatoes around the top of the filling and gently smooth it over the surface with the prongs of a fork to give it a nice texture.
- Place Shepherd's pie on a sheet tray to catch and drips, in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 minutes. Until the topping has some color.
- If you want more color on the topping you can place it under the broiler. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn.
- Serve with a sprinkling of chopped parsley
Nutrition
Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 983mg | Potassium: 1460mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 8188IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 4mg
You can use the broiler at the end of cooking to give the Chicken Shepherd’s Pie topping and nicely golden brown crust!
Thank you for visiting my Food Blog. I hope you enjoy my Chicken Thigh Shepherd’s Pie recipe. I love Shepherd’s pie with chicken!!! Please come back and visit again soon! Bon appetit, Steven
