The Art of Cooking Real Food: Chicken and Vegetable Shepherd's Pie (and a Vegetarian Version)

Okay, so this isn't a traditional Shepherd's Pie recipe, but I really don't know what else to call it. Rosemary and Garlic Infused Potato-Topped Creamy Chicken and Vegetables doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. And it skips the cheese. Traditionally, Shepherd's Pie is made with left over lamb or beef, mixed with gravy, topped with potatoes, and baked until the potatoes are browned and the filling is bubbly. This recipe does not contain lamb or beef; it contains chicken, or, for the vegetarian version, white beans. And cheese (because I love cheese).

Years ago, I adapted a favorite Chicken Pot Pie recipe that relied upon cream of something or another soup to forgo the pie crust in favor of mashed potatoes, and enhanced all the seasonings to accommodate our preferences. Then, I changed the seasonings once again to use Great Northern Beans in place of the chicken, and we've used that recipe for a long time. Tonight, I had some left over roasted chicken that needed to be used, so I made the chicken version to share with you. If you prefer to make it a meatless dish, simply substitute 1 1/2 c cooked Cannellini beans or Great Northern beans for the chicken.

While it is certainly not necessary, if you have the time to make the potatoes or precook the veggies ahead of time (each only really take from 8-15 minutes), it makes things go smoother at prep time since for about 15 minutes many things are cooking simultaneously, and it saves on pots to wash afterward. I usually don't do this, but I find myself thinking it would be a good idea while I'm washing things after I put the pie in the oven so I can have room to make the salad.

Chicken and Vegetable Shepherd's Pie
serves 8

2 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
6 cloves garlic, cracked and peeled
1/4 c milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 c carrots, diced
1 c frozen peas
1/2 c fresh green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces (or from a bag of frozen green beans)
1 1/2 c chopped cooked chicken or cooked white beans
1/3 c butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 c chopped onion
1 celery stalk, diced
4 oz roughly chopped cremini mushrooms
1/3 c flour
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 c chicken or vegetable broth
1 c milk
3 oz Swiss cheese, shredded
1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a pot, combine potatoes, rosemary sprigs and garlic. Add just enough water to cover.

Bring to a boil, lower the heat, partially cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender. Strain. Pull out the rosemary stems, adding any leaves back into the potatoes, and discard the stems. Place the potatoes, garlic and rosemary leaves back into the pot. Add 1/4 c milk. With a handheld mixer, whip the potatoes until smooth (about 1-2 minutes). Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, add carrots and fresh green beans (if using frozen green beans, don't add them now), and about 1/2 c water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in peas (add frozen green beans now), and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium high heat. Stir in garlic, onion, celery, and mushrooms. Saute 2-3 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Add sage, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium. Add flour and mix well; cook for about 30 seconds. Slowly add the broth and milk, stirring constantly (a wire whisk is handy here). Continue to stir over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and bubbly (the mixture will not splatter when dripped from the whisk back into the liquid).

Drain the the vegetables and place in a 2 qt baking dish. Stir in the chicken or beans (season with salt and pepper if desired).