Me and chicken pot pie go wayyyy back.
I’ve mentioned this recently but when my parents first split up and mom moved (literally right down the street – they’re still friends), dad was left behind with an entire kitchen that he had no idea how to use. What does a single man’s fridge look like you ask? Waters, sports drinks, occasional beers, condiments, and maybe a pack of grapes but that could be stretching it. The freezer? Chicken pot pies boxed away in that distinctive yellow box. I will never forget it.
It’s easy to say this is one of my dad’s favorite meals so when the weather gets right, you best believe I make this often. I never posted the recipe because there are SO many pot pie recipes on the internet and I didn’t want mine to get lost. After so many times making this dish, I’ve realized you can make a creamy dreamy pan of pot pie without all the butter and cream – and hopefully that’ll set mine apart. Let’s break this ish down.
The Chicken
You could stop at the grocery store and buy a rotisserie chicken and puff pastry shells and you’re seriously half way done. That is one of the many reasons why I love making this. If you do want to take an extra few steps in the kitchen, roast your own chicken! I find bone-in / skin-on chicken breasts with the ribs attached get the job done. Add a few thighs in here for dark meat! This only takes a few extra steps and allows you to create pan-juices and roasted garlic that’ll take your pot pie from a 10 to a 100.
It’s important to buy the chicken with the skin and bone attached because that’ll help keep it juicy and flavorful when roasting. Season each side (over and under the skin) with a blend of herbs de Provence, garlic sea salt, and black pepper. Herbs de Provence can be found at Home Goods! Add it to a roasting pan with thinly sliced onions and a four or five cloves of garlic. Add a splash of chicken broth and you’re ready for the oven!
The chicken is roasted at 350 for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. It’ll be so juicy that shredding the chicken will take no effort at all. In fact, I just tore it all apart with my hands. Actually my friend’s hands’. Can I just say how HAPPY that the last few recipes I’ve posted I had friends helping me in the kitchen? Thanks Rach!
Once your chicken is ready, set it aside along with all the pan drippings / onions / garlic. You’ll need that later. Now it’s time for the best part.
The Filling
The vegetables in pot pie are nothing more than celery, onion, carrots, and peas. Other optional add-ins are pearl onions, mushrooms, and leeks! The onions, carrots, and celery (AKA mirepoix AKA meer-pwauh), are sautéed in two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of olive oil. YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT and no Paula Deen I am not starting off my pot pie with 12 sticks of butter. Four tablespoons of fat (half healthy at that), is all that’s really necessary.
You’ll see in the recipe that I do not give measurements to the seasonings. Here I used black pepper, garlic sea salt, and a little poultry seasoning. Have all your seasonings out from the start and taste / season your dish from start to finish. This is how you’ll make your pot pie truly your own.
After the onions are translucent and the veggies are soft, add the shredded chicken and peas. This all gets a heavy sprinkle of flour before being tossed together. It’s not going to feel right but I promise it is.
Once the flour cooks off for a minute stock is added. Bring it to a simmer while occasionally stirring and watch as your pot pie turns into the creamy filling you’re familiar with. Now is a good time to add in the pan juices, onions, and the roasted garlic. Taste once more and adjust the seasonings. You can also stir in another 2 tablespoons of butter but that’s optional!
My recipe yields enough for a 12″ cast iron skillet OR a 10″ skillet with some left over for three ramekins. I LOVE the ramekins and if I had enough, I’d make all the pot pies in them. The only thing we’re missing now is the crust.
The Crust
OK scratch what I said before, THIS is the best part. You can use pie crust (any homemade or store bought buttery pie crust works great), but my all time favorite is puff pastry. I mean you can’t go wrong with a flaky, puffy, buttery crust. Buy a few boxes (I bought two and any extra went back into the freezer), cover the surface of your pot pie vessel, fold over the sides, poke a couple holes, brush with egg wash, and bake for about 15 minutes.
This recipe serves up to 8 people with probably some left over. This paired with a salad and you have yourself a winning dinner. Winning because you just made an abundance of amazing-tasting pot pie with only half a stick of butter (insert praising hands emoji).
Go make this and see why chicken pot pie has won my heart. Enjoy!
10/1/016 UPDATE: to make this even easier, cut up a can of biscuits to top instead of pie crust or puff pastry. Bake until biscuits are golden brown and fully cooked, about 20 minutes.
- 3 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts (preferably with ribs attached for more flavor)
- 2 tablespoons herbs de Provence
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic sea salt
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- olive oil as needed
- 4 tablespoons of butter, reserve 2 tablespoons aside
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup peas, defrosted if frozen
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups chicken stock
- Black pepper as needed
- Garlic sea salt as needed
- Poultry seasoning as needed (optional)
- Fresh parsley as needed
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3 sheets puff pastry, thawed
- Preheat the oven to 350
- Mix together the herbs de provence, sea salt, and pepper. Drizzle the breasts with olive oil, then sprinkle the seasonings over the surface of each chicken breast making sure to get under the skin. Lay in a baking/roasting pan big enough to comfortably fit each breast.
- Scatter over the onion slices and garlic. Pour in the broth and place in the oven. Roast for 35 minutes or until juices run clear. Once cool, shred the meat off the bone and set aside until needed. RESERVE the juices, onion, and garlic in the pan!
- Increase the oven to 425
- In a large pot or dutch oven heat the olive oil and two tablespoons of butter over medium high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning if using (see notes below). If the vegetables are looking dry, drizzle over another tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the peas and reserved shredded chicken and mix to incorporate.
- Sprinkle over the flour and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes allowing to cook off some of the raw flour taste.
- Pour in the chicken broth and increase the heat to medium high. Allow the mix to come to a simmer, occasionally stirring. This will thicken after 5-6 minutes at a simmer, be patient!
- Pour in the juice from the roasted chicken, onions, and squeeze in the garlic. Taste for seasonings. Tear parsley off the stem and add. Taste once more. Other optional add ins are fresh thyme and rosemary!
- Stir in the other two tablespoons of butter, then transfer to individual ramekins, a pie pan, or large cast iron skillet. Cover your vessel with puff pastry dough. Poke or cut holes in the center, and brush with eggwash.
- Bake 10-12 minutes or until the crust is puffy and golden brown (refer to pastry's label instructions for exact time).
- ENJOY!
- You can skip the roasted chicken part and buy a Rotisserie chicken. Just shred the meat from the bones! Should yield about 3 cups of meat.
- Keep your seasonings out at all times, tasting and flavoring the dish as you go. Use your taste buds to help season!
- You can simmer your stock for 30 minutes with bay leaf, fresh herbs like parsley, rosemary, or thyme, and black peppercorns to add more flavor. If doing so, use 6 cups of stock to make up for any lost to simmering 🙂
This looks sooooo yummy!! I love scrolling through my Instagram feed and looking at your photos, they’re always gorgeous and tantilizing. Great job! 💜
thanks so much 🙂