A chicken tomato shepherd's pie recipe that is a delicious way to use up leftover chicken by combining it with vegetables in a unique tomato broth and topping it all with mashed potatoes and cheese. Serving the pie in individual ramekins make it super easy, but you can make this in a pie dish as well - it's up to you.
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I've made this recipe for a tomato based shepherd's pie for many years, though it seems to make it onto our menus just a few times a year. That's probably because in my mind I need leftover mashed potatoes for this which we don't often have because our family loves their mashed potatoes.
However, the filling is so good and easy to make with pantry and freezer ingredients I usually have on hand, that I've come up with a couple ways to make this recipe even easier so it makes the menu more often:
- I will sometimes make the recipe with just the cheese on top and skip the potatoes (I know -heresy?).
- I've come up with a quick mashed potato recipe that only adds 5 minutes to the cooking time since you're making them while the filling is simmering.
- Making them in individual ramekins makes them SO much easier to serve, eat, and store leftovers, although a pie plate or baking pan works, too.
What is it about ramekins that elevate a normal casserole to new heights?
The presentation is SO much nicer than a spoonful of glop, and they actually seem to taste better- I think because the topping doesn't get lost in the filling during baking or serving.
The filling also stays warmer for longer when baked in ramekins, which is great if you need to make them earlier or for family that's eating in shifts. It's why I like to make big crumb berry crisp in ramekins, too.
If you'd like to use ramekins, the 1-cup size (8 ounces) or larger works best for this recipe, which is what I use. Here is a good example in classic white and here is a colorful set of ramekins.
Making the filling with tomato sauce amps up the flavor, too- it's different than other "pot pie" recipes I've tried. And in a good way.
Chicken Tomato Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Ingredients:
- chicken, cooked or not (you can also use ground beef, turkey, pork, or sausage)
- onion
- green beans (this is a great place to use your frozen green beans - cauliflower, sliced carrots, mushrooms, and peas are also good)
- tomato sauce
- spices and garlic
- mashed potatoes, fresh or leftover
- cheese for topping, any kind you'd like
- butter and a dash of Worcestershire sauce
Directions
While it may seem complicated, this is a basic recipe where you sauté the onions (and meat if it needs to be cooked), and then simply add all the other ingredients - except for the mashed potato and cheese topping - and stir together.
If you're making mashed potatoes for this recipe, you'll want to start the potatoes boiling first, before mixing together the filling. Here is a quick mashed potato recipe that will make enough to top the filling (included in the printable recipe card, too):
Quick Mashed Potatoes
- 1 pound potatoes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1-2 tablespoons milk (to the consistency you like)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (optional)
- Peel and chop potatoes into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes.
- Cover with water, bring to a boil and lower heat to simmer 10 minutes or until tender. (While the potatoes are boiling, proceed with the shepherd's pie.)
- Drain potatoes and mash with butter, milk, salt, and pepper if using.
- Set aside while finishing shepherd's pie recipe.
Placing the filling into ramekins instead of a large casserole only adds a few minutes to the prep and it's totally worth it since the potatoes won't get lost in the filling like it often does when trying to spoon out a portion of the casserole.
However, you can also easily spoon the filling into an 8-inch pie plate, baking pan, or casserole dish and top with the potatoes and cheese.
And a healthy one-dish dinner that uses pantry and freezer ingredients - AND needs only 15-20 minutes hands-on time? That's a winner recipe that now will find it's way onto your menu again and again!
Can I make shepherd's pie in advance?
Yes, this keeps at room temperature for a couple hours and can be refrigerated 3-4 days and reheated, making it great for leftovers.
Can I freeze this recipe?
You can freeze the filling and mashed potatoes separately. When time to bake, thaw both overnight and proceed with the recipe. You might need to add more milk/liquid to the potatoes - stir them before topping the filling to see.
Individual Chicken Tomato Shepherd's Pie
Equipment
- 1 cup ramekins
- OR 8-inch pie plate or baking pan
Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 2 cups diced cooked chicken*
- 2 cups green beans great use for frozen beans
- 1 cup tomato sauce (8 ounce can)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 2 to 3 cups mashed potatoes leftover or use the recipe below**½
- 1/2 cup grated cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat butter or oil in a large frying pan, add onions and saute for a few minutes (if using uncooked meat, add also and cook until done).
- Add the remaining ingredients, except mashed potatoes, and mix well. Bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, grease six 8 ounce ramekins with oil or butter and place on a cookie sheet (or 8x8 casserole). If using leftover mashed potatoes, warm slightly (stovetop or microwave), adding more milk if needed.
- Divide filling evenly between ramekin or spread into prepared pan and then divide potatoes onto ramekins (or spread on top of filling in pan). Top with grated cheese (about 1 tablespoon for each ramekin)and place into a heated oven.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the sides are bubbling.
- Let sit about 10 minutes before serving to cool a bit.
Notes
- 1 pound potatoes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1-2 tablespoons milk (to the consistency you like)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (optional)
- Peel and chop potatoes into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes.
- Cover with water, bring to a boil and lower heat to simmer 10 minutes or until tender. (While the potatoes are boiling, proceed with the shepherd's pie.)
- Drain potatoes and mash with butter, milk, salt, and pepper if using.
- Set aside while finishing shepherd's pie recipe.
- Substitute meat for chicken to create Beef-Tomato, Pork-Tomato or Sausage-Tomato shepherd's pie.
- Make vegetarian by using garbanzo beans in place of the chicken.
- Replace green beans with sliced carrots, or cauliflower, or green peas.
Nutrition
Try more recipes with ramekins:
- Delicious Cheesy Crust Ham Pie (A Leftover Ham Recipe)
- Sausage, Bean and Greens Gratin Recipe (Skillet or Ramekins)
- Delicious Overnight Scrambled Eggs with Spinach
- Quick And Easy Chocolate Lava Cakes
This recipe has been updated - it was originally published in January of 2012.
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