Turn your leftover roast chicken into this delicious leftover chicken shepherd's pie. It's creamy, packed with vegetables and topped with a scrumptious potato and sweet potato mash. This is a great way to turn your leftover chicken into a delicious and easy family meal.
I'm well aware that shepherd's pie is made with lamb (after all, shepherds look after sheep!), but for want of a better description, I'm calling this dish leftover chicken shepherd's pie!
This is a delicious way to use up leftover chicken. The chicken is combined with sauteed leeks, carrots and mushrooms in a rich, creamy sauce and topped with a tasty layer of potato and sweet potato mash.
Despite the simple ingredients, this leftover chicken shepherd's pie delivers lots of flavour with minimal effort, making it perfect for an easy family dinner. If you have leftover mashed potatoes, you could use those, or just boil a few potatoes while you prepare the chicken filling.
From start to finish, this chicken shepherd's pie takes less than half an hour to assemble. Then, it's simply a matter of putting it in the oven for 20 minutes to allow the potatoes to develop the delicious golden brown crust.
It's so good that I often cook a larger roast chicken than I need just to have sufficient leftovers to make this yummy meal! I cut any leftover roast chicken into pieces and store it in the freezer, so it's always on hand when I need it.
The filling recipe is similar to the filling for chicken, leek and mushroom pie, but instead of covering the filling with puff pastry, it's topped with a layer potato and sweet potato mash. The combination of creamy chicken and slightly sweet mash is my idea of perfect comfort food.
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Ingredients
The recipe as written will make a chicken shepherd's pie sufficient for 4 people. However, you can easily adjust the ingredients to suit the amount of leftover chicken you have available.
- Leftover chicken - I had 3 cups of diced leftover chicken (both white and dark meat), which is about the equivalent of 2 large chicken breasts. The chicken should be shredded or cut into bite-sized pieces.,
- Carrots and leeks - these should be cleaned and diced/sliced. Make sure you rinse the leek well in cold water to remove any bits of grit or dirt.
- Mushrooms - you can use whatever variety of mushroom you prefer. I had some large chestnut mushrooms, which were coarsely chopped.
- Peas - not pictured and optional. At the last minute, I decided to throw in a handful of frozen peas (which is why they aren't in the picture). I love the combination of chicken and peas for some reason! There is no need to defrost the peas - they will defrost in the sauce.
- Potato and sweet potato - this is for the mash on top. If you have leftover mashed potatoes, you can use them instead. Another nice idea for the topping would be to use leftover mashed potatoes combined with leftover vegetables from your roast! I love to add different vegetables to my mashed potatoes. It makes for a tasty dish and helps get more vegetables into the family!
- Stock - I used chicken stock, which I made using a stock cube. You could use vegetable stock instead. I'd avoid beef stock as it might be too rich for the chicken dish. This dish is all about using up leftovers, so you could substitute the stock for leftover chicken gravy instead. Just thin it down with a little water if the gravy is quite thick.
- Mustard - for extra flavour, I've added a little mustard. I was going to use Dijon, but I'd run out, so I used wholegrain mustard instead. The sharpness of the mustard adds a delicious 'tang' to the chicken filling.
- Flour - used to thicken the filling.
- Oil - for frying the vegetables. I used rapeseed oil but you could use any neutral-flavoured cooking oil.
- Double (or heavy) cream - this is a creamy sauce, so I added some double cream. You could substitute this with single (or pouring) cream or even full-fat milk.
**You can find the exact ingredient quantities to make this chicken shepherd's pie on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**
Instructions
Step 1: Boil the potatoes and sweet potatoes in a pan of lightly salted water for about 10 minutes or until they are soft enough to mash. Drain them in a colander, then return them to the saucepan and mash them with a knob of butter and 2 tablespoons of milk. Set them aside until needed.
Step 2: Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the leeks and carrots over moderate heat for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute for another 3 to 4 minutes until they are almost cooked. They will finish cooking once they go into the oven.
Step 3: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour, taking care to get rid of any lumps.
Step 4: Return the pan to the heat and stir in the stock and mustard (if using). Bring to a boil and stir until thickened.
Step 5: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream (and frozen peas if using).
Step 6: Finally, stir in the diced chicken.
Step 7: Transfer the chicken sauce to a 10-inch x 7-inch casserole dish (25-cm x 17-cm).
Step 8: Place spoonfuls of mash on top of the chicken sauce.
Step 9: Use a fork to carefully spread the potato over the sauce, then run the fork lightly over the top of the potato to create ridges.
Step 10: Bake in a preheated oven (200C/400F) for 20 minutes or until the potato is starting to brown on top.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your chicken shepherd's pie turns out perfectly every time.
- Cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes into evenly sized pieces so that they all cook at the same time. If you want a richer potato topping, you could swap the milk for 2 tablespoons of single or double cream.
- Remove the pan from the heat when you stir in the flour, or you may find the flour forms lumps (which we don't want).
- Once the stock has been added, return the pan to the heat and stir over moderate heat to give the flour time to thicken the stock.
- When covering the chicken with mashed potatoes, I find it easiest to place spoonfuls of mash over the chicken and then use a fork to spread the potato into an even layer.
Serving suggestions
There are a lot of vegetables in this leftover chicken shepherd's pie, so you won't need much to serve with it.
I like to serve it with a fresh tomato and lettuce salad and if I'm feeling really hungry, with a slice of crusty bread.
Variations
I used a mixture of regular potatoes and sweet potatoes for the mash. However, you could mix any vegetables of your choice into the mash or simply use leftover mashed potatoes. The choice is yours!
When making the filling, I used leeks, carrots and mushrooms (plus a handful of peas). You can vary the vegetables in the filling to your own preference. Try adding a finely diced red pepper, or swap out the leeks for finely diced onions. Add some sliced green beans or cubed butternut squash. Add a handful of frozen sweetcorn instead of peas for pops of sweetness.
The beauty of this recipe is that you can modify it to suit whatever vegetables you happen to have available.
As long as you have the creamy chicken filling (with vegetables of your choosing) and the mashed potato topping, you'll be good to go!
And if you prefer to vary the topping, why not try sprinkling the potatoes with grated cheese or, for extra crunch, with a small packet of crushed potato crisps (or chips).
Equipment
To make this leftover chicken shepherd's pie you will need the following pieces of equipment:
- Saucepan, for boiling the potatoes and sweet potatoes to make the mash, and a colander to drain them.
- Large frying pan or saute pan to make the creamy chicken filling.
- Use a baking dish large enough to hold the filling and the potato topping. I used a 10" x 7" dish, but the actual size will depend on how many vegetables you add to the filling and how much leftover chicken you have.
Storage
Leftover chicken shepherd's pie can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days and reheated in the microwave. If you store the chicken shepherd's pie in the original baking dish (covered with tin foil), you can reheat it in the oven at 200C/400F for 10 minutes or until piping hot.
You can also prepare and assemble the dish in advance. Store it, covered, for up to three days in the refrigerator and bake according to the recipe instructions.
If you want to make this dish as part of your meal prep, I would recommend assembling it in disposable aluminium containers and freezing it for up to three months. When you are ready to eat it, place the frozen containers into the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes for the temperature given in the recipe until nicely browned on top and heated through.
Save for later
If you would like to make this shepherd's pie made with leftover chicken, why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click on the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
You can visit my chicken and poultry recipes page for other delicious chicken recipes. Here are some other recipes using leftovers you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Leftover chicken shepherd's pie
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Large frying pan or saute pan
- Baking dish approximagely 10" x 7"
Ingredients
- 3 cups leftover roast chicken diced or shredded
- 1 large carrot peeled and diced
- 1 large leek washed and sliced
- 1 cup mushrooms coarsely chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup / 240 ml double or heavy cream substitute with single cream or milk
- 1 cup / 240 ml chicken stock make with a stock cube if necessary
- 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard substitute with Dijon mustard
- 1½ tablespoons flour for thickening
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil for frying
Sweet potato mash
- 2 large potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons cream or milk
Instructions
Sweet potato mash
- Place the potatoes and sweet potatoes in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Add one teaspoon of salt (or to taste).2 large potatoes, 1 large sweet potato, 1 teaspoon salt
- Bring the pan to a boil and boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes, or until they are soft enough to mash.
- Drain through a colander, then return them to the saucepan and add the butter and cream. Mash the potatoes and set aside.1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons cream or milk
Chicken filling
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the leeks and carrots over moderate heat for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute for another 3 to 4 minutes until they are almost cooked. They will finish cooking once they go into the oven.1 large carrot, 1 large leek, 2 tablespoons sunflower oil, 1 cup mushrooms
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour, taking care to get rid of any lumps.1½ tablespoons flour
- Return the pan to the heat and stir in the stock and mustard (if using). Bring to a boil and stir until thickened.1 cup / 240 ml chicken stock, 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream (and frozen peas if using).1 cup frozen peas, 1 cup / 240 ml double or heavy cream
- Finally, stir in the diced chicken.3 cups leftover roast chicken
Assemble and bake
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F
- Transfer the chicken sauce to a 10-inch x 7-inch casserole dish (25-cm x 17-cm).
- Place spoonfuls of mash on top of the chicken sauce.
- Use a fork to carefully spread the potato over the sauce, then run the fork lightly over the top of the potato to create ridges.
- Bake in a preheated oven (200C/400F) for 20 minutes or until the potato is starting to brown on top.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- Cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes into evenly sized pieces so that they all cook at the same time. If you want a richer potato topping, you could swap the milk for 2 tablespoons of single or double cream.
- Remove the pan from the heat when you stir in the flour, or you may find the flour forms lumps (which we don't want).
- Once the stock has been added, return the pan to the heat and stir over moderate heat to give the flour time to thicken the stock.
- When covering the chicken with mashed potatoes, I find it easiest to place spoonfuls of mash over the chicken and then use a fork to spread the potato into an even layer.
- Use leftover mashed potatoes instead of sweet potato mash for the topping.
- You can vary the vegetables according to preference/availability. Try adding a finely diced red pepper or swap the leeks for finely diced onions. Add some sliced green beans or cubed butternut squash. Swap the peas for frozen sweetcorn.
- Sprinkle the potato mash with grated cheese and/or a packet of crushed potato crips for extra flavour.
- Leftover chicken shepherd's pie can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days and reheated in the microwave. If you store the chicken shepherd's pie in the original baking dish (covered with tin foil), you can reheat it in the oven at 200C/400F for 10 minutes or until piping hot.
- You can also prepare and assemble the dish in advance. Store it, covered, for up to three days in the refrigerator and bake according to the recipe instructions.
- If you want to make this dish as part of your meal prep, I would recommend assembling it in disposable aluminium containers and freezing it for up to three months. When you are ready to eat it, place the frozen containers into the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes for the temperature given in the recipe until nicely browned on top and heated through.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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