Chicken Cottage Pie

This Chicken Cottage Pie is a quick, simple meal that the whole family will enjoy. It is packed with ground chicken mince and vegetables in a creamy, savoury sauce, topped with light as air mashed potato and baked until bubbling and golden. Satisfying and comforting, it is full of flavour and easy to make. It will be a great addition to your mid-week meal plans.

Course Main Course

Cuisine British

Prep Time 1 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 2

Servings people

Calories 890kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

Ingredients

For the Chicken Pie Filling:

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil - divided See Note 1
700 g (1.5 lb) ground chicken breast mince – remove from fridge 20 minutes before cooking and pat mince dry with paper towel.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large brown/yellow onion - finely chopped
1 large carrot - finely chopped
2 ribs celery - finely chopped
3 garlic cloves - finely chopped
2 tablespoon all-purpose/plain flour
500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
1 ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary - finely chopped
1 ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves - finely chopped
2 tablespoon flat leaf parsley - finely chopped
125 ml (½ cup) heavy whipping/thickened cream See Note 2
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
70 g (2 cups) baby spinach - firmly packed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste See Note 3

For the Mashed Potato Topping:

1 kg (2.2 lb) potatoes - peeled & cut into cubes about 2.5 cm (1 inch) – Desiree, King Edward, Coliban etc. See Note 4
3 garlic cloves - peeled
cold water - to cover the potatoes
1 teaspoon coarse cooking salt
80 g (⅓ cup) unsalted butter
80 ml (⅓ cup) milk
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste

Instructions

For the Chicken Pie Filling:

Over high heat, add the oil to a large, heavy based pan. Add the chicken mince to the pan.
Cook the chicken, breaking it up as you go - this will take about 5-7 minutes. Turn the mince into a bowl and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium and add the butter to melt. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
Add in the garlic and stir well, about 1-2 minutes, watching that the garlic doesn’t burn.
Add the chicken back to the pan and stir to combine. Add the flour, stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add the stock and stir to deglaze the pan as the mixture thickens.
Add in the herbs and mustard. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but not fully cooked. You want to make sure there is still some liquid left to form a nice gravy.
Add in the cream and spinach and simmer for a further 3 minutes.
Grease a ceramic dish with a little oil or butter.
Turn the chicken mixture into your greased dish and set aside to cool slightly.
I used a dish that measures about 30 x 18 cm (12 x 7 inch).

For the Mashed Potato Topping:

Add the potatoes and garlic to a medium size saucepan.
Add cold water to cover the potatoes and sprinkle in the salt.
Bring the water to the boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender. This will take 10-15 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, preheat your oven to 180 degrees C (355 F).
Once the potatoes are tender, drain well and then return the potatoes to the saucepan to dry out briefly for 1-2 minutes. (Ensure the heat is switched off.)
Mash the potato and the garlic. Add in the butter and mix to melt. Add the milk and mix to combine.
Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake the Chicken Cottage Pie:

Add the mashed potato to the top of the mince and gently spread out evenly.
Use a fork to scrape a pattern into the top.
Bake in your preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the dish is warmed through.
Stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each listed tablespoon.
Cream: for a creamy texture and best flavour, use full-fat cream. Thickened/heavy whipping cream should have a minimum 35% fat content.
Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour. Proper seasoning is essential for a delicious dish that is well flavoured.
Potatoes: I have used Desiree potatoes, which are a great all-rounder. Other varieties that work well for mash are King Edward, Coliban or Dutch Creams.
Servings: will serve 4-6 people, depending on what it is served with. For my family, it tends to be 4 serves!
Storage and reheating: store leftover Chicken Cottage Pie in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover the dish with foil and place into a preheated 180 degrees C (355 F) oven and heat for about 30 minutes. The time will vary depending on the amount of pie that you are reheating.
Freezing: store a prepared, uncooked Chicken Cottage Pie in the freezer wrapped well with cling wrap and then covered in foil for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking as per the recipe.

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