Easy Chicken Cottage Pie
This easy chicken cottage pie is a slightly healthier, vegetable-stuffed version of the original. The perfect, comforting weeknight dinner.
What is cottage pie?
Cottage pie is a meat pie traditionally made with beef topped with mashed potatoes. The meat (beef mince/ground beef) is cooked with aromatics like onion, carrot, celery and garlic with stock, wine or water.
How to make this healthyish version
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- I like using loads of vegetables to add flavor and goodness to this recipe. Brown the chicken mince/ground chicken in a large, oven-proof pan. Remove from the pan then add onion, carrot, celery and chopped mushrooms and cook until soft and fragrant. Add the garlic and herbs with the chopped tomatoes. Allow to cook for 5 minutes then pour in the wine and stock. Lower the heat and simmer until the sauce is reduced. Season to taste.
- To make the topping, boil peeled potatoes, peeled sweet potato and cauliflower together until soft. Drain then mash with a knob of butter. Season with salt and pepper before topping the chicken filling. Brush with a little melted butter (optional) and place in the oven. Allow to bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
What to serve with cottage pie
- Easy spicy garlic roasted broccoli
- Easy side salad with lemon dressing
- Cheese and herb Irish soda bread
- Garlic Parmesan cauliflower
Ground chicken recipes
Servings: 4
Calories: 370kcal
Ingredients
- 500 g (1lb) chicken mince / ground chicken
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and finely chopped
- 2 celery stick finely chopped
- 250 g (½lb) mushrooms finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp sage finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- pinch of chilli flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup red wine
- 400 g (14oz) chopped tomatoes
- 1½ cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
For the topping
- 3 large potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 tbsp cream (optional)
- 2 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large, oven-proof pan over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Brown the chicken then remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the onion, celery, carrot and mushroom then cook until soft and fragrant.
- Add the garlic, seasoning and herbs and fry for another minute.
- Add the chicken back to the pot and pour in the wine. Allow the wine to reduce.
- Pour in the tomatoes, soy sauce and stock. Lower the heat and cover with the lid ajar.
- Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has reduced.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
- TO make the topping, cook the potatoes and cauliflower in plenty of salted boiling water until tender.
- Drain then mash with the cream, butter, salt and pepper.
- Top the chicken with the mashed vegetables. Brush with melted butter (optional).
- Place in the oven and allow to bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and allow to stand for a few minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 852mg | Potassium: 1812mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 21244IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Lovely flavours and great meal. Added more spices like cumin and coriander. Also added in some frozen mixed veg in place of the celery and carrots. Made the topping with just caulifower and potatoes. Thanks
Love all the veggies in here, healthy and satisfying! Hubby super impressed with the meal as well! Having leftovers tonight 🤩 which he never likes!
What a fabulous cottage pie! The taste was amazing! It satisfies deep down like no other chicken cottage pie. Unfortunately I had no oregano, so I had to substitute using Italian herbs, which also contains oregano. WE loved it and I will definitely make it again. Thank you so much for a brilliant recipe!
Firstly, I am Diabetic 2. I continually look at recipes I think look great that I can aadjust to eliminate sugar/carbs, increase fibre, for my health. This looks great, ingredients all fine. I love the looks of this, but struggle with the topping. Pre – Diabetes I would gobble this up. I grew up meat and potatoes but having to limit potatoes. Cauliflower, no issue, sweet potato not bad, but white potato in as well takes it too far for me for my health, not my palate!
I hate when people change a creator’s recipes, but maybe I could throw some broccoli on top replacing white potato. I am so jealous of you that don’t have to deal with stuff – just be careful on sugar/carb intake.
Heavily modified this recepie as I just wanted to get rid of leftovers, but used the main ingredients and spices as a general base.
Black beans, corn and zucchini used as veges.
Sweet potato mixed only with sour cream, salt pepper and cheese ontop.
Everything else basically to this recepie.
10/10 delicious
I made it many times. It’s too amazing. Everyone like it.