Get ready for a week of great chicken recipes that use cooked chicken - think rotisserie chicken - to bring fantastic and creative dinners to your table. Whether it's classic comfort food, like this time around, or twists on family favorites we're here to help you get dinner ready.
Cottage pie is what happens when you take the bottom bits (fillings) of a pot pie and the top bits (topping) of a shepherd's pie and put them together in a solid cast iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof pan and bake it all together until it's hot and bubbling. It's a favorite of mine and especially handy if anyone dining with you has a gluten allergy. Watch for hidden gluten in ingredients you use, but the recipe below is delightfully naturally gluten free!
Can you tweak this recipe? Yup! The choices of vegetables can shift according to your tastes and the contents of you vegetable crisper - although I do try to make sure I choose a variety of colors to keep things healthier (eat the rainbow) and prettier (look at rainbows). You can cook and chop/shred chicken if you do not have leftovers on hand. This will, of course, mean things will take a bit longer to make, but it will be delicious either way. Don't have rosemary or aren't a fan of sage? Skip them or add other dried herbs you love. As is often the case, make it yours!
I like to have a fresh salad - green or fruit or chopped vegetable - with a dish like this. They are quick and easy to make and offer a strong bit of textural variety to your plate. Consider a hard cider or even a mug of your favorite herbal tea to add to the coziness factor of this lovely meal that leans hard in the comfort food direction. Enjoy!
Chicken Cottage Pie
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ small yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon EACH: onion powder, mustard powder, dried thyme, dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon EACH: ground sage, black pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
- 2 lbs. shredded or chopped leftover chicken - I used rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup sliced green beans
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced sweet peppers
- 4 cups warm mashed potatoes - leftovers are great here
Preheat the oven to 450° F.
Melt the butter in a 10-12 inch cast iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté them for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and seasonings. Toss to coat and cook for 1 more minute.
Reduce heat to low. Add the chicken broth and half and half. Add the Worcestershire sauce and then the cornstarch slurry; stir constantly until the liquid thickens to gravy consistency. Add the shredded or chopped chicken, green beans, carrots, and sweet peppers; stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
Let the filling cool slightly, then carefully place scoops of warm potatoes on the top. Try to add several scoops that are all almost touching each other to eliminate the amount of spreading you’ll need to do. Use a silicone spatula to gently spread the warm potatoes in an even and smooth layer over the filling. Don't push down hard to ensure the potatoes stay on the top. If desired, use a fork or frosting tool to “rake” a design on the top.
Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. I sprinkled mine with a crushed red pepper and onion seasoning after removing it from the oven, but fresh herbs are also nice if you want to add something to the top of the skillet before serving.
- Yields: 6 servings
- Preparation Time: 45 minutes