Chicken Pot Pie made from a homemade crust and filled with chicken, peas and carrots, then wrapped in a delicious white sauce is just plain old comfort food. Everyone in my family begs me to make this. It is the perfect cold winter or any night family dinner.
You can always purchase a pie crust from the grocery store, but the crust recipe below is made with butter and cream cheese. It is so flaky and light you will never go back. Have you bought a roasted chicken but did not use all the chicken? This recipe is the perfect way to use it up. I like to over stuff my pie dish with the filling to make each piece hearty and full of goodness.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie
1. Make the crust. Grate the butter on a large box grater. Put the butter shavings in a bowl. Cut the the cream cheese into eight smaller pieces. Put this in the bowl with the butter. Add the flour and salt. Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter and cream cheese into the flour. Keep cutting until the butter and cream cheese are about the size of a green peas.
2. Put some ice cubes in a glass and add water. Use this very cold water when making the crust. Add four Tablespoons of cold water to the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon. Keep mixing until the dough really holds together. Use your hands and push everything into a large ball. You want the dough to be nice and tight. Do not be afraid to really push everything together until the flour is incorporated. Once it is mixed together, separate it into two pieces. One for the top crust and one for the bottom. Pat each piece into a round disc and slip into a plastic bag. Seal and put in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
3. If you have cooked and shredded chicken move to step 4.
I love to buy whole chickens and cook them in the oven. I debone the chicken, and pack all the meat into plastic bags. Then I keep it in my refrigerator to use during the week on Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Taco Bake or Chicken Divan. If you want more instructions, click on my Roasted Chicken recipe.
If you have purchased boneless, skinless chicken breasts, follow the instructions below to get the perfect chicken. Put 1 cup of water in a four quart saucepan. Place chicken breasts on top of each other and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. of salt. I know two tablespoons is a lot of salt, but salt is a chicken tenderizer. Your chicken will be tender and juicy if you do this. It also infuses flavor into the chicken. Chicken breast can be really bland without the salt.
Put the lid on the pot and bring it to a boil. Once the steam is coming out of the lid, turn the heat down and simmer for 30 minutes. Every ten minutes, rotate the chicken inside the pan. The bottom chicken breasts on top and the middle ones on the bottom, etc. Once the timer goes off, leave the lid on and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. Now the chicken is ready to be shredded or chopped.
4. Cut the onion into small pieces and sauté in butter in a deep saucepan. Using a food processor is my secret weapon when chopping onions. I cut off the top and bottom of the onion and peel off the outer layers until you get to the tender inside layers. Cut the onion in half and then cut each half into eight smaller pieces. Place these in your food processor and pulse until you get the desired size you want. You can also chop with a knife on a cutting board. I really like these flexible cutting boards.
5. Melt the butter in the saucepan and add the onions.* You might feel there is too much butter, but you are making a béchamel sauce for the filling. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. When making a béchamel sauce you need to cook the flour until it has a nutty flavor and loses its raw flour taste.
Pour the milk into the flour, butter and onion mixture. Continue to stir on medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens. Now you are ready to add the shredded chicken and frozen peas and carrots. Put the lid on the pan and turn the heat to low. Continue to cook until the carrots are tender.
*If you do not want to make a béchamel sauce, use 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, undiluted.
6. Preheat the oven to 400°.
7. Roll out one piece of pie dough and place it in a pie dish. I have a deep dish pie plate that I love to use for this recipe. I have added this link for one on Amazon. Pour the filling on top of the first crust. Then roll out the second piece of pie dough for the top. Remember to cut three slits in the top to release the steam while the Chicken Pot Pie is baking. Place the second pie dough on top of the filling.
Trim the crust to 1 inch from the edge of the pie dish. Push the two crusts together and then roll underneath. Place two fingers on the crust and then use your thumb from the other hand to push up while your two fingers push down. Continue around the edge of the pie to seal. Not sure what I am talking about? Click on the link to see my Insta video.
8. Make the egg wash. Crack an egg in a small dish and add the water. Beat with a fork until well mixed. Brush the egg wash on the top crust and the edge with a pastry brush.
9. Place the Chicken Pot Pie in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Take the Chicken Pot Pie out and cool for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.
When I need to take dinner to someone who is ill or just had a baby, this is my go to dinner of choice. I cut up carrots and celery and place them in a cute paper container with a side of ranch dressing. Applesauce always seems like another perfect side for Chicken Pot Pie, so include a large bottle. This dinner is a huge hit every time I deliver it.
Let me know on Instagram or Pinterest if you make this.
Post a picture and tag me @dinasdiner. I want to know how it turns out.
Chicken Pot Pie
Crust
1 Cup Butter
4 oz. Cream Cheese
2 1/4 Cups Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
4 Tbsp. Cold Water
Filling
1 Onion
1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Flour
3 Cups Milk
3 - 4 Cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken
14 oz. Frozen Peas and Carrots
Egg Wash
1 Egg
1 tsp. Water
1. Make the crust. Divide it into two equal pieces. Pat into two discs then place in separate plastic bags. Put these in the refrigerator while making the filling.
2. Sauté chopped onions in butter. *Add flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add milk and bring to a boil on medium heat.
*If you do not want to make a béchamel sauce use 2 cans of cream of chicken soup.
3. Add chopped chicken and frozen peas and carrots. Heat through. Place the lid on the pan and turn the heat to simmer while rolling out pie dough.
4. Preheat oven to 400°.
5. Roll out bottom crust and place in a deep dish pie plate. Set aside.
6. Roll out the top layer and cut holes for steam.
7. Place filling in the bottom crust and then lay the top crust over the filling.
8. Trim the edge and roll under and seal.
9. Make the egg wash and brush on top crust.
10. Bake for 35 minutes until crust is golden brown.
11. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
