Cozy Chicken Cottage Pie

This Cozy Chicken Cottage Pie brings all the heart of a Sunday roasted chicken dinner to your weeknight—and then adds cheese. Cuddle up with a bowl of this goodness for under $20.

All nutrition facts are AI generated and approximate.

Ingredients

Rotisserie Chicken

• Rotisserie chicken, pulled and chopped

Sauce

• ½ cup butter
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1½ tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 white onion
• ½ cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 (12 oz) bag frozen peas and carrots

Potato Layer

• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp minced onion
• 2 cups instant potatoes
• 8 oz sliced provolone

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan.
2. Add onion and celery; sauté until onions are translucent.
3. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
4. Slowly stir in water and milk.
5. Constantly stirring, simmer on medium-low until thickened, about 3 minutes.
6. In a medium-sized bowl, add instant potatoes, salt, pepper, and minced onion. Stir in 2 cups boiling water. Mixture will be thick.
7. In a 9x13 glass dish, add chicken and pour sauce mixture over.
8. Dollop potatoes as another layer over chicken.
9. Top with provolone cheese slices.
10. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Rotisserie shortcut: A store rotisserie chicken keeps this fast and cheap; any leftover cooked chicken works just as well.
• Instant potatoes: The mash comes together in minutes and stays thick enough to dollop—keep it stiff so it sits on top rather than sinking in.
• Cheese swap: Provolone melts into a mild, gooey top, but sliced mozzarella or cheddar work if that’s what you have.
• Make-ahead: Assemble the whole dish, refrigerate, then bake—add a few extra minutes if it goes in cold.
• Storage: Leftovers keep in the fridge up to 3 days and reheat well, covered, in the oven or microwave.

Why This Works

• A butter-and-flour roux: Cooking the flour in the melted butter before adding liquid thickens the sauce smoothly and cooks off any raw-flour taste.
• Sautéed aromatics: Softening the onion and celery first builds a savory depth that carries the whole creamy filling.
• Layer then bake: Baking with the potatoes and provolone on top lets the cheese brown and the layers set into tidy, scoopable servings.
• A short rest: Ten minutes out of the oven lets the sauce firm up so each spoonful holds together instead of running.