You may have noticed over the last little while that Handwritten Kitchen has been a bit quieter than normal. It all comes with good reason... I have been busy baking up something that isn't in my kitchen, but rather in the womb.
To say the first trimester was not kind to me would be an understatement and my family became very familiar with take-out and frozen dinners. It wasn't until recently that I had my mojo return, and I was able to handle the idea of returning to the kitchen. Honestly, I'm fairly certain my family is thankful to have Mom back to doing something she loves... cooking! As the say goes, there is nothing more heartwarming than a home cooked meal.
I have had to adjust my cook to suit my cravings and aversions. All I want right now is comfort and carbs.
Shepherd's Pie is just the meal to fulfill that craving.
A few years ago, Swiss Chalet featured a Chicken Shepherd's Pie on their menu. It was my go-to for the short time that it was available for order. After it's dismissal, I had to take to developing my own variation of this delicious Shepherd's Pie. A dish that you can prepare and tuck away in your freezer for a later date or prepare and enjoy in the same evening. Trust me - when I say that this is one dish you won't want to wait to bake!
Ingredients
Filling
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup cremini mushrooms, halved
2 cups frozen vegetables (I use frozen carrots, peas and corn)
1 tsp Club House Garlic Plus Seasoning (substitute with 1/2 tsp dehydrated garlic, 1/8 tsp onion powder, 1/8 tsp parsley and a pinch of sugar)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 tbsp margarine
1.5 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
Topping
5-6 white potates, peeled and quartered
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp margarine
2 cups of shredded old cheddar cheese
Directions
Topping
Place potatoes in a large pot. Fill put with water until potatoes are just covered. Place pot on stove and bring to boil. Boil potatoes for 15 minutes or until you are able to break them apart with a fork. Drain and return potatoes to pot.
Mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Add the egg yolk, margarine and cheese. Mix well. Set the potatoes aside until the filling is ready.
Filling
Preheat oven to 375F.
Melt margarine in a skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and mushrooms to the pan. Saute until onions become translucent. About 3 to 5 minutes.
Add flour to the pan, stir and cook for approximately 1 minute.
Pour broth into the pan. Stir. Add frozen vegetables. Cook, stirring often for approximately 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
Once the sauce has thickened, add chicken to the skillet. Stir and remove from heat.
Pour the filling into the bottom of a 9x9 casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes, spreading the potatoes evenly over the filling.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.
This recipe is an alteration of a recipe that was featured on Food Network.
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