Chicken Pot Pie

Written By Samantha Engler
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Chicken Pot Pie is one of the first “projects” I experimented with in the kitchen, so it only fits that it would be my first recipe here. It is peak American comfort food: thick creamy gravy mixed with chicken and vegetables, all wrapped in flaky pie crust. As much as I love it, I have two problems with most chicken pot pies:

  1. They are often really bland. If you add a bland gravy to a bunch of unseasoned vegetables and chicken, then - spoiler - you’re going to get a bland pot pie. 

  2. Two Words: Single. Crust. I don’t know about you, but when I want pie, I want crust. If I just want chicken soup, I’ll make chicken soup. This is pie. And pie deserves a bottom crust. 

The beauty of pot pie is how flexible it is. I’ll give a default recipe below but I’ll also follow it with additional tips and some examples for alternate fillings/personalization ideas/etc.

The Recipe

Fillings

  • 1 medium yukon gold potato, diced into ½ inch cubes

  • 2 tsp vegetable oil

  • 1 medium carrot, diced

  • 8 oz baby bella or button mushrooms, chopped

  • 1 lb cooked chicken (see notes for recommendations)

  • ½ cup frozen peas

Gravy

  • ½ cup salted butter

  • ½ cup diced yellow onion

  • ½ cup all purpose flour

  • 3 cups chicken stock

  • ½ cup milk

  • 1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt (recommend Diamond Crystal Kosher)

  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper 

  • ⅛ tsp chili powder (optional)

  • ⅛ tsp ground turmeric (optional)

  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, strip leaves

  • ⅓ cup fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped

Other

  • 2 sheets of store-bought or homemade Pie Crust (see notes for recommendations)

  • 1 egg yolk

Equipment

  • 9” x 13” Casserole dish or 10-inch deep dish pie pan


How-To

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F

  2. Prep Your Fillings

    1. Bring a small sauce pot of water to boil. Boil the cubed potato until fork tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

    2. Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add chopped carrots and mushrooms and sautee until they begin to go golden brown, about 8 minutes.

    3. Shred the chicken and set aside. 

    4. The frozen peas do not need any prep - just add them to the gravy as-is with the rest of the fillings.

  3. Make Your Gravy

    1. In a dutch oven or high sided saute pan over medium heat, melt stick of butter. 

    2. Add ½ cup of chopped onion. Cook until translucent, 5-8 minutes.

    3. Add ½ cup of flour and stir to get rid of clumps. Let your roux cook for a few minutes until it turns a light brown.

    4. Add 3 cups of chicken broth and ½ cup of milk. Stir until smooth. 

    5. Season with salt, black pepper, chili powder, turmeric. The chili powder and turmeric will not make your gravy spicy, they will add a comforting warmth. (Note: Gravy should be very flavorful (nearly *over* seasoned) as your fillings are largely unseasoned at this point!)

  4. Make Your Pie

    1. Add the fillings (chicken and vegetables) and fresh herbs to the pan with your gravy. Stir together and taste for seasoning. 

    2. Make an egg wash by whisking your egg yolk with a splash of water.

    3. Lay the first sheet of dough in your casserole dish. Tuck it into the corners and leave a bit of an overhang around the edges (don’t worry if it doesn’t have much of an overhang around all sides - some casserole dishes will allow for a cleaner “pie” than others.)

    4. Pour the filling into the dish. Top with the second sheet of pie dough. Brush with egg wash and cut a few vent holes into the top.

    5. Place your dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown.

    6. Remove your pie and let sit for at least 10 minutes.

  5. Enjoy!

Notes

Chicken 

  • I recommend using the chicken from a store-bought rotisserie chicken. This gives you a variety of both dark and white meat. Plus, you can simmer the bones with your chicken broth for some bonus flavor. 

  • You could also use:

    • Roasted chicken thighs, breasts, or a whole chicken

    • Simple sauteed or poached boneless tenders/breast/thighs

    • Leftover Thanksgiving turkey

  • As long as you end with about 16 oz of shredded poultry, you’re on the right track.

Vegetables

  • I think any vegetable can work in a pot pie. This recipe is just a starting recommendation, I’d recommend experimenting with different fillings until you find your favorites. Here are a selection of ideas, broken up by preparation type:

    • Dice and boil until tender

      • Any Potato

      • Turnip

      • Parsnip

      • Broccoli

      • Green Beans

    • Chop and sautee in a bit of oil until golden brown

      • Carrots

      • Mushrooms

      • Leeks

      • Celery

      • Brussel Sprouts

    • Add directly to gravy before baking

      • Frozen Peas

      • Frozen or canned corn

Pie Crust

  • I am not a skilled enough pastry cook to give you my own pie crust at this time, so use whatever crust you like. Here are a couple I’ve tried and know work really well:

Samantha Engler
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