Shepherd’s Pie.  Chicken Pot Pie.  Which to make?

I had intended on tackling a GF Chicken Pot Pie, but I had all these potatoes that I needed to do something with so I thought, what if I did mashed potatoes on top instead of pastry, like Shepherd’s Pie style, but with the filling of a chicken pot pie.  And so that is exactly what I did.

This dish is super easy, and can be prepared a day in advance so all  you have to do is pop it in the oven!  My version is GF/DF, but you can make it the with traditional ingredients if you are not gluten-free or dairy-free.

Shepherd’s Style Chicken Pot Pie

5-6 medium sized potatoes (russets of golds), peeled and cut into 2″ chunks
1 5-ounce container DF plain yogurt substitute (or sour cream if you aren’t dairy-free
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thing 1-2” strips
salt and pepper
¼ teaspoon sage
½ teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 32-ounce container of chicken broth (divided into 1 cup, 2 cups, 1/2 cup)
1 cup of sliced carrots
1 cup of sliced celery
1 cup of frozen peas
2 tablespoons GF flour (or regular if you’re not gluten-free)

Prepare the mashed potatoes:
Boil the potatoes in a pot of salted water until fork tender; drain and return to the pot.  Using a potato masher, thoroughly mash the potatoes.  Mix in the dairy-free plain yogurt (or sour cream), salt, pepper, and garlic powder and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.  OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Potato Masher with Cushioned Handle   Fold in the green onions and set aside. (If the potatoes seem too thick, you can thin them with a couple tablespoons of reserved chicken broth)

Prepare the filling:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, and add the onions and sliced chicken pieces.  Season with salt, pepper, sage, thyme, and garlic powder.  Once the chicken is no longer pink, and one cup of the chicken broth and allow to simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, place the sliced carrots and celery in 2 cups of the chicken broth and simmer until tender when pierced with a fork but not mushy.  Remove from heat, stir in the frozen peas and set aside.

Put the flour and 1/2 cup of the chicken broth into a gravy shaker and shake well until thoroughly mixed.  Tupperware Quick Shaker  Move the chicken pieces off to the side of the pan and whisk the thickener into the broth.  Remove from heat.

Using a slotted spoon, scoop the veggies out of the broth and into the chicken mixture, adding some of the cooking broth if the mixture is too thick.  Gently stir, so the veggies and chicken are all coated in a nice gravy.

Assemble the dish:
Spread the chicken and veggie filling in a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Using a large spoon, drop the mashed potatoes on top of the filling in 1/2 cup (approximate) portions, then gently spread them out so none of the filling is visible.  Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes.

*Note:  The entire dish can be prepared a  day in advance, covered and placed in the refrigerator before baking.