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Chicken and Mashed Potatoes

Snejana Andreeva - 1

By Snejana Andreeva

on Jun 28, 2021, Updated Aug 19, 2025

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My mom’s Chicken and Mashed Potatoes are an incredible meal that the whole family will enjoy. These cheesy and creamy mashed potato nests are topped with tender, juicy chicken and sautéed veggies 🧀🥔. The whole thing is sprinkled with mozzarella and baked to ooey gooey perfection. The best part about this recipe is that it is really versatile and will work with any ingredients or spices you have on hand.

  • Why You’ll Love Chicken and Mashed Potatoes
  • How to Prepare
  • Nonna’s Tip 👩‍🍳
  • Variations and Substitutions for Chicken and Mashed Potatoes
  • Similar Recipes
  • Best Served With
  • Tips for the Creamiest Mashed Potatoes
  • Chicken and Mashed Potatoes Recipe
  • Common Questions
a baking dish with a close up view of the chicken mashed potato nests, golden brown, with melted cheese on top and garnished with parsley. - 3

Why You’ll Love Chicken and Mashed Potatoes

This Chicken and Mashed Potatoes recipe combines the comforting flavors of creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes with a savory , flavorful chicken and vegetable filling 🍗. This dish not only looks impressive with its adorable potato “nests,” but it’s also incredibly versatile, allowing you to customize the filling with your favorite protein, veggies, and spices. It’s a perfect all-in-one meal that’s both hearty and satisfying, making it ideal for family dinners or entertaining guests 🍽️. This recipe delivers a delightful combination of textures and flavors that will please everyone at the table. And who could resist the melty cheese topping?

Great recipe. Love the ingredients, and they are fun to serve this way. Instead of a baking dish, I used a 6-count (large) muffin tin. It makes the same amount and no worry about the potatoes falling apart. – Susan Milne

How to Prepare

🥔 Peel the potatoes and then place them in a pot of boiling, salted water. Cook until fork tender.

💦 Drain and put the potatoes back into the pot and then use a potato masher to mash them.

🥛 Now, add the cheese, milk, salt, and pepper to taste and combine.

a flat lay of ingredients for the chicken mashed potato nests. Ingredients include potatoes, cheese, chicken breasts, a pepper, various spices and olive oil. - 4

🌀 Let cool slightly and then shape the mashed potatoes into 6 equal size balls. Lightly oil up a baking dish and place them inside.

🥄 With your hands or a spoon make an indent in each one and then set aside.

🔪 Use a knife to cut the chicken into little cubes. Add oil to a large pan and heat it up.

🔥 Once hot, sauté the chicken for 4-5 minutes on medium-high.

🥕 Add your veggies of choice and spices and stir for 2-3 minutes.

🍅 Add the tomato paste and stir and then take the pan off the heat.

A casserole dish with 6 mashed potato nests. - 5

♨️ Fill your potato nests with the chicken mixture and then top them with mozzarella and bake in a 425F (220C) oven for 15-20 minutes until melted and golden brown.

A close up of a mashed potato nest filled with a scoop of cooked chicken and vegetable mixture. - 6

Nonna’s Tip 👩‍🍳

If you’re having trouble forming the mashed potatoes into balls, add a touch of breadcrumbs to help bind them together.

A close up of a chicken mashed potato nest, golden brown, filled with the cooked chicken and vegetable mixture and topped with melted cheese. Garnish of chopped parsley on top and around the dish. - 7

Variations and Substitutions for Chicken and Mashed Potatoes

  1. You can also make these vegetarian if you leave out the chicken and just sauté a bunch of veggies instead 🍄.
  2. Use any protein you like here, such as ground turkey, beef, or even tofu for a vegetarian option 🥩. Adjust the cooking times as needed based on the protein used.
  3. Make these Chicken and Mashed Potatoes dairy-free by using your favorite non-dairy milk and cheeses.
  4. You can use any spices you like here: a ground spice blend, dried or fresh thyme leaves, flavored salt, chile powder, etc.

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Best Served With

  • Serve this dish with a light and fresh side salad such as my Simple Green Salad or Lemon Parmesan Salad 🥗.
  • Serve this with fresh No Knead Garlic Bread or dinner rolls 🥖.
  • Instead of mashed potatoes, go lighter and serve this on top of my Cauliflower Mash .

Tips for the Creamiest Mashed Potatoes

  • Start with waxy yellow potatoes (vs floury Russet potatoes), such as Yukon Gold, German Butterball, or Yellow Finn.
  • Peel the potatoes before boiling, which helps potatoes cook more uniformly.
  • Boil the potatoes just until a sharp knife slides through the potato without any resistance.
  • Mash the potatoes before adding the milk and other ingredients. This helps prevent the potatoes from getting overworked/over-mashed, which can lead to a gummy texture. You can also use a potato ricer instead of a masher.
  • Add the milk in increments, to make sure you don’t overwhelm the recipe with liquid.
  • Season with salt, then taste, then adjust if more is needed.
  • Add a little something extra to really bring out the flavor. Here I use grated parmigiano cheese, but a splash of heavy cream would also be great.

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Equipment

  • ▢ Nakiri Knife
  • ▢ Cutting Board
  • ▢ Measuring Cups + Spoons
  • ▢ Box Grater
  • ▢ Potato Masher
  • ▢ Large Sauté Pan
  • ▢ Peeler
  • ▢ Baking Dish
  • ▢ strainer

Ingredients

  • ▢ avocado oil , for greasing the baking dish

The Nests

  • ▢ 10 medium yellow potatoes
  • ▢ ⅓ cup grated parmigiano
  • ▢ 1 tablespoon milk
  • ▢ salt and pepper , to taste

The Chicken

  • ▢ 3 tablespoons avocado oil
  • ▢ 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts , cut into bite-size pieces
  • ▢ 1 onion , finely diced
  • ▢ 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • ▢ ½ bell pepper , diced
  • ▢ ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ▢ ½ teaspoon dry oregano
  • ▢ salt and pepper , to taste
  • ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ▢ ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • ▢ Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Lightly oil a baking dish .
  • ▢ Peel the potatoes and then boil them in salted water until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash them with a potato masher and then add the parmigiano, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
  • ▢ Let the mashed potatoes cool slightly and then shape the mashed potatoes into 6 equal size balls. Place the mashed potato balls snuggly inside the oiled baking dish. Using your hands or a spoon make an indent in each mashed potato ball to form a nest. Set aside.
  • ▢ Add the oil to a pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, paprika, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and there is no raw garlic smell.
  • ▢ Add the tomato paste to the chicken and vegetable mixture, stir, and remove the pan from the heat. Fill the mashed potato nests with the chicken mixture and then top them with shredded mozzarella. Bake for 15-20 minutes until melted and golden brown.

Nonna’s Notes

  • Nutritionally Balanced : What I love about this Chicken and Mashed Potatoes recipe is how each serving includes everything you need in a well-balanced meal: carbs from potatoes, protein from chicken, vitamins and fiber from bell peppers, and fat from cheese and avocado oil. Plus, tons of flavor from spices!
  • Kid-Friendly Meal : This is a great recipe for getting young kids involved in the kitchen. Have the kids help you shape the cooled mashed potatoes into little nests. They can use a spoon to place the chicken and vegetable mixture inside each nest.
  • Endless Customizations : There are so many ways to make this recipe according to your preferences, what you have on hand, or what your diet dictates. Mashed potatoes can be replaced with mashed cauliflower or sweet potatoes. Chicken can be replaced with any meat or plant-based meat alternative. You can use any vegetable instead of or in addition to bell pepper. And the world is your oyster when it comes to seasonings.
  • Leftovers : You can store leftover nests in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. These are easiest to reheat in the microwave.

My Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Common Questions

I like using yellow potatoes for the potato nests because they’re creamy and light. I don’t recommend using russet potatoes here.

If you add too much milk to the potatoes, they won’t hold their shape. You can add some breadcrumbs to the mixture to help it firm up.

Absolutely! You can make the mashed potato nests and store them covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before filling and baking. You can also freeze them; just thaw them before baking.

Yes, you can use ground turkey, beef, or even tofu for a vegetarian option. Adjust the cooking times as needed based on the protein used.

Yes, you can substitute the milk with a non-dairy alternative like almond or oat milk, and use a dairy-free cheese substitute for both the potato mixture and the topping.

Yes, your whole family will love this dish! Kids can customize how they fill their mashed potato nests, choosing their preferred protein, veggies, and/or spices. Plus, this dish is gluten-free and easily made vegetarian or dairy-free.

Chicken and Mashed Potatoes

Equipment

  • Nakiri Knife
  • Cutting Board
  • Measuring Cups + Spoons
  • Box Grater
  • Potato Masher
  • Large Sauté Pan
  • Peeler
  • Baking Dish
  • strainer

Ingredients

  • avocado oil for greasing the baking dish

The Nests

  • 10 medium yellow potatoes
  • ⅓ cup grated parmigiano
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • salt and pepper to taste

The Chicken

  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ bell pepper diced
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dry oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Lightly oil a baking dish .
  • Peel the potatoes and then boil them in salted water until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash them with a potato masher and then add the parmigiano, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
  • Let the mashed potatoes cool slightly and then shape the mashed potatoes into 6 equal size balls. Place the mashed potato balls snuggly inside the oiled baking dish. Using your hands or a spoon make an indent in each mashed potato ball to form a nest. Set aside.
  • Add the oil to a pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, paprika, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and there is no raw garlic smell.
  • Add the tomato paste to the chicken and vegetable mixture, stir, and remove the pan from the heat. Fill the mashed potato nests with the chicken mixture and then top them with shredded mozzarella. Bake for 15-20 minutes until melted and golden brown.

Notes

  • Nutritionally Balanced : What I love about this Chicken and Mashed Potatoes recipe is how each serving includes everything you need in a well-balanced meal: carbs from potatoes, protein from chicken, vitamins and fiber from bell peppers, and fat from cheese and avocado oil. Plus, tons of flavor from spices!
  • Kid-Friendly Meal : This is a great recipe for getting young kids involved in the kitchen. Have the kids help you shape the cooled mashed potatoes into little nests. They can use a spoon to place the chicken and vegetable mixture inside each nest.
  • Endless Customizations : There are so many ways to make this recipe according to your preferences, what you have on hand, or what your diet dictates. Mashed potatoes can be replaced with mashed cauliflower or sweet potatoes. Chicken can be replaced with any meat or plant-based meat alternative. You can use any vegetable instead of or in addition to bell pepper. And the world is your oyster when it comes to seasonings.
  • Leftovers : You can store leftover nests in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. These are easiest to reheat in the microwave.

Nutrition

Chicken and Mashed Potatoes https://themodernnonna.com/chicken-and-mashed-potatoes/ June 28, 2021