Chicken pot pie is a comfort food classic, and this one, made with chunks of white chicken and lots of veggies in a lush, savory gravy made with cream cheese and wrapped in the flakiest all-butter pie crust, is the BEST.
There are just certain comfort food dishes everyone should know how to make. Timeless classics like a whole roasted chicken, spaghetti and meat sauce, and mac and cheese (to name just a few). Well friends, add this chicken pot pie to your list, because there is nothing like a scratch-made, bubbling chicken pot pie to warm your heart and your stomach.
I modeled the majority of this recipe on my leftover turkey curry pot pie which is a huge fave to make post-Thanksgiving. The filling is loaded with chunks of chicken breast, onion, celery, carrot, potato, and peas, all in a creamy, savory chicken pot pie sauce with cream cheese and celery seed. This classic chicken pot pie is topped—and bottomed—with my easy-to-make, all butter, no-fail butter crust. It’s a true keeper, and I dare you not to go back for seconds.
What’s In This Chicken Pot Pie
One of my favorite things about this pie is that it’s packed to the brim with a rich, savory, saucy, hearty filling. I use a combo of onion, carrot, celery, potato, and peas in my chicken pot pie.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this chicken pot pie recipe:
- Butter
- Yellow onion
- Celery
- Carrots
- Russet potato
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh thyme
- Garlic
- Celery seed (I love the flavor this adds, but you could leave it out)
- Chicken breast—baked from this recipe, poached, or store-bought rotisserie chicken
- All-purpose flour
- White wine, for deglazing your veggies (nothing fancy but one that you’d drink). Alternatively, you could use sherry cooking wine.
- Cream cheese (this adds a creamy tang and richness to the sauce)
- Chicken stock (from Better than Bouillon Chicken Base, or homemade chicken stock)
- Frozen peas (no need to defrost, they’ll cook quickly once you add them to the filling)
- 1 double crust, pie dough—homemade, or store-bought (you could also use puff pastry like in this recipe)
- Egg and half and half or milk, for your egg wash
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie
Before you get started, here are some important steps that will help your homemade pot pie process go as smooth as your saucy filling.
Have your double-crust pie dough ready. First, make sure your dough is made and chilled for at least 30 minutes or make it the day before.
If time is short, this recipe can be made with:
- Good quality store-bought crust or even puff pastry.
- Use a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Cook and chop your chicken ahead of time, even a few days before.
Set up your mise en place. Have your veggies and thyme chopped and ready to go before cooking so it goes quicker.
Chicken Pot Pie Filling With Cream Cheese
Sauté your veggies until tender. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom skillet, then add all of your veggies. You want them to be tender, but don’t overcook them or they’ll become mushy. Remember, they’ll cook a bit more in the oven. This should take about 25-30 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally so the vegetables don’t brown.
Add the white wine and cook for about 1 minute so the alcohol burns off.
Stir in the chicken and flour. Stir and cook for a few minutes until the flour taste has been cooked out. The flour helps create a thick sauce.
Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened and stir in the cream cheese. If the sauce is too thick, thin with more chicken stock.
Allow the chicken pot pie filling to cool slightly before adding to the crust. Otherwise, hot-from-the-stove filling will melt the crust before going into the oven to bake.
Chicken Pot Pie Crust
For the most consistently bronzed crust, use a 9-inch glass baking dish to monitor the browning of the crust. Not as picture pretty, but who cares what your dish looks like when the pie itself steals the show?
Prepare the pie dough. If making a homemade crust, make and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out. This allows the flour to moisten and the gluten to settle. Make the pie crust dough up to 3 days ahead of time.
If the dough feels tough to roll, let it rest at room temperature for 5 minutes or so before trying again.
Brush pie with egg wash and cut vents into the pot pie crust. This gives your pot pie that irresistibly glossy, shiny, golden brown top.
Bake at 400°F for about 45-50 minutes or until the pie is golden brown and bubbling.
How to Keep the Bottom Crust of Chicken Pot Pie From Getting Soggy
Don’t stress, you should not get a soggy bottom with this pot pie recipe. Nothing should be runny (a liquidy pie filling would lead to a soggy bottom). Reducing your wine and chicken stock and adding the flour and cream cheese are all things that will ensure your sauce cooks up nice and thick.
Is the Chicken in Pot Pies Already Cooked?
Yes. You can cook your own chicken breasts as I do, or you could easily use a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
Can I Freeze Chicken Pot Pie?
Yes, you can assemble this chicken pot pie ahead of time and freeze up to 3 months. To freeze this pot pie, assemble the pie, but DO NOT BAKE IT.
Wrap the assembled, unbaked pot pie in plastic wrap (including the pie plate itself), then wrap in aluminum foil before freezing it.
How Long to Bake a Frozen Chicken Pot Pie
Bake a frozen chicken pot pie straight from frozen (do not thaw) at 400°F for 60-65 minutes.
How to Reheat Chicken Pot Pie Leftovers
Here’s my go-to method for reheating chicken pot pie leftovers, to ensure your leftovers taste just as delicious as the first day you made your pie:
- Microwave your slice for about 1 minute, just to take the chill off.
- Wrap your slice in foil and place in a 325°F oven for about 10 or 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil from the top of the pie so it’s exposed, and heat for another 5 minutes.
More Pot Pie Recipes
- Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie with Asparagus and Mushrooms
- Chicken Pot Pie Pizza
- Curry Turkey Pot Pie
- Turkey Pot Pie Soup
More Comforting Chicken Dinners You’ll Love
- Easy Chicken Piccata
- Lemon Chicken Stew
- The Best Easy Chicken Marsala
- One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo (or Stovetop)
- THE BEST Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
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