I’ve never really been a fan of shepherd’s pie in the past. Not sure if it was the traditional spicing or the fact that I have never really liked anything involving ground beef. Whatever it was, it was never my favourite dinner. Until now that is. My version turns the traditional on its head. Using ground chicken instead of beef and thanksgiving esque flavours to redefine tradition.
If you want to take redefining one step further I suggest using a parsnip or cauliflower mash instead of the traditional potato. For the sake of not wanting to freak out my family too much I embraced the potato. After all, I do have some Irish in me 🙂
Chicken Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs of potatoes
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 4 Tbsp butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- 1/4 white onion, diced
- 2 tsp rosemary
- 1 tsp sage
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 4 medium carrots, diced
Instructions
Potato Layer
- Peel and cube potatoes and add then a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes depending on the size of the cubes.
- Drain potatoes and place them back into the pot. Mash slightly and then add the almond milk, 3 Tbsp of butter, and salt and pepper. Continue to mash until they are nice and creamy.
- Set aside until its time to assemble.
Meat Layer
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet heats up add the ground chicken and onions and cook for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to break up the chicken.
- Season with salt and pepper. Add in all of the spices and stir to combine. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl whisk the stock and arrowroot to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the skillet and stir until slightly thickened.
- Add all the veg and stir to combine.
- Cook for another 5 minutes before transferring to an oven safe baking dish.
- Top the meat with the prepared potatoes and dollop with the remaining tbsp of butter.
- Bake for 20 minutes and then broil on low for 5 to brown the potatoes.
xx,
Deanna
Simple Fresh Wellness 