Chicken Veggie Pot Pie

Chicken Veggie Pot Pie is a classic comfort food, made simple yet from scratch.  It’s loaded with tons of  healthy veggies and chicken in a creamy sauce and topped with a flakey pie crust!  This recipe makes 2 smaller casserole pans of pot pie, each one serving 2 to 3 adults so you can freeze the extra depending on your family size!

Why We Love It!

• Chicken Veggie Pot Pie, a classic comfort food!  I love it, it’s such a treat.  I’ve edited this recipe over the years to make it simpler.  It takes love as the secret ingredient, and a little extra time and care, but geez is it worth it!
• It’s loaded with Veggies! – I added “veggie” to the title because chicken is not the only star here.  You’ll find a generous amount of your standards – carrot, celery, and onion, but also sweet potato and peas or corn.  That should make up for all the butter right?
• The richness is in balance here, I only put a crust on the top, not the bottom, because you just don’t need it.  This is a rich dish as it is, no need to go overboard!  I always serve it with a big green salad with a light vinaigrette to balance the richness.  If you really want to make life easier, a store-bought pie crust is just fine, but the homemade recipe is really pretty quick!
• Meal Prep an extra pot pie for the freezer! – Yes!  Depending on your family size, this recipe might make two dinners worth.  And though it takes a bit to get put together, this recipe makes 2 small pot pies (or 1 larger one), so your efforts can last a meal or two, depending on how many you are feeding.  Each pot pie fed our family of 2 adults and 2 little kids, so I would say each one serves 2 to 3 adults.  So if you’re feeding just a small family, pop one in the freezer for later!  If not, bake them both or combine them into one bigger baking dish.

Ingredients

For the Filling

• Butter – It may seem like too much butter at the beginning but don’t skip it!  The butter will combine with the flour after the veggies are sauteed to form a roux which will be the thickener for the chicken stock and milk.
• Sweet Potato – All the veggies!  I like packing in the veggies here to balance out the richness of this meal!
• Onion
• Carrot
• Celery
• Salt and Pepper
• Italian Seasoning
• Garlic
• Frozen Peas
• Flour 
• Chicken Stock
• Milk
• Cooked Chicken – Any leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken will work, chopped or shredded.

For the Crust

• Flour
• Salt
• Butter – Keep it cold!
• Cold Water
• Egg Wash

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 – Make the Filling – In a large pot or dutch oven, melt butter and saute sweet potato, onion, carrots, and celery, season with salt and pepper, about 15 minutes.  Add garlic, Italian seasoning, peas, and flour and stir well to combine for another minute.  Add stock, milk, chicken and season with salt. Allow the filling to thicken over medium low heat, stirring occasionally about 15 to 20 more minutes.

Step 2 – Transfer to Casserole Pans – When thickened, transfer filling into casserole pans, it will fill about 2 medium pans or 1 larger one, but you can put it in any sizes or shapes you have, just divide the crust accordingly.

Step 3 – Make the Crust – In a large bowl combine flour and salt, then work in butter with a pastry cutter and add water a little at a time until it comes together to form a pie dough. Work quickly to keep dough cold, cut into 2 equal portions and roll out on a floured surface with a rolling pin. Top casserole pans with the crust, crimping the edges or leaving them rustic, and cut a few slits in the top to vent. Whisk one egg and brush onto the crusts.

Step 4 – Bake It or Store It – At this point the pies can be baked 45-60 minutes to eat, or stored in the fridge for a day or 2, or covered, refrigerated first and then frozen. If freezing, thaw in fridge a day or two and bake uncovered at 375° for 45-60 minutes, top should be crusty and filling hot and bubbly. 

Meal Prep and Serving Portions

This recipe can make 1 larger or 2 smaller pot pies in casserole dishes.  Depending on the pans you have and the amount of people you are serving, do what works for your family.  The amount of filling is proportionate to the amount of crust.  So, you can fill two smaller pans dividing the crust in half first, or fill one bigger pan and rolling the dough out bigger.  Each small pan pictured above feeds my family of 2 adults and 2 little kids, served with a big side salad, so I freeze the extra one for an easy meal down the road.

It seems the trend is to put them in individual ramekins, each person getting their own.  That is definitely an option if that’s what you like, but I think it throws off the proportions of topping to filling – too much crust.  I like the balance from the casserole pans.  I only put a crust on the top, not the bottom…it’s rich enough as it is.  This method gives your plate a nice hearty amount of the filling with a light crusty piece of the topping, the perfect balance!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Freeze Chicken Pot Pie?

To freeze, just assemble the casserole pans with the raw pie crust, don’t bake it, wrap it in tinfoil and then tie it up in a plastic bag (a like to reuse a produce or bread bun bag).  Cool in the refrigerator first, and then store in the freezer for 3 to 6 months.  To use, thaw in the fridge a day or two, and then bake the full hour.

Can I Make This Pot Pie Vegetarian?

Yes!  This is already a creamy vegetable pie, loaded with way more veggies that your usual pot pie, so leaving out the chicken is a great vegetarian option!  Just sub vegetable stock for the chicken stock and feel free to add in any extra veggies that you like!  Leeks, mushrooms, or a chopped green beans would be great additions!

More Favorite Comfort Foods!