The ultimate comfort food family meal: Homemade Chicken Pot Pie!
I do things a bit differently than traditional recipes – it’s made entirely from scratch (NO condensed cream soups!), with way less butter and using milk instead of cream.
The result is a super tasty pot pie that doesn’t make you feel like you’ve just eaten a brick of concrete! Plus it’s full of healthy vegetables and a great way to stretch chicken breast to feed more for a budget friendly dinner – YES PLEASE!
So… I know I’ve been MIA the last week or so. The reason for this is that very sadly, our grandma passed away.
The night before my mum told me she had been admitted to the hospital, my husband Brani and I were planning our upcoming holidays, including a trip to England so the kids could see one of their great-grans (yes, there are several… twisted family history).
Once I talked to an aunt on the phone who didn’t sound so positive, we immediately booked flights but sadly missed grandma by a day. We spent the last weekend spending time with my parents, visiting grandma’s house (where I may or may not have nicked her stack of handwritten recipes… Keep your eyes peeled, some of them are going to start appearing on this blog soon. Cough cough, summer pudding, lemon chicken, fish cakes, Viola’s Cake (that’s my sister ❤️).)
Now we’re spending a few days in the sweetest English countryside cottage for a much needed break, but… I can never stay away from work for too long, so I’m here to share my favourite homemade chicken pot pie with you today.
Savoury pies are definitely something I was introduced to by the British side of the family, and any and all kinds are a must during winter for us. Steak and ale, beef and mushroom, shepherd’s pie (a reader favourite!)… I even have a chicken and mushroom pot pie on on the blog already right here!
I really don’t love food with a ton of butter and cream in it (I mean, I like both of these things very much, but a cup of butter and a cup of cream in a pie? No thank you). So for the longest time, I wasn’t even a fan of creamy-type savoury pies.
So I decided to be all savage-like (lol, kitchen savage, so very naughty) and change things up. Use less flour and butter, no cream but whole milk for the creaminess (I’m sure you could use low fat too, but why would you?? 😉 ) and loads of chopped up vegetables. Now THAT’S the kind of chicken pot pie I could eat all day, every day!
A few essential tips to make a foolproof homemade chicken pot pie:
- Pre-cook the chicken and vegetables: The chicken and vegetables are cooked separately so they hold their shape and don’t disintegrate into the creamy base of the filling. Make sure to cook until the carrots are tender, otherwise they may end up still too crunchy.
- Don’t brown the roux: The base of butter and flour of the creamy sauce is called a roux. There are two ways to make a roux: With browning (think brown gravy for Swedish Meatballs) and without browning. Since this is a chicken pot pie with a light cream sauce, this roux is made WITHOUT browning. Keep heat moderate and watch it closely so it doesn’t catch any color for the lightest and mildest filling.
- About the crust: I always make my own pie crust, but I fully understand it’s not something everyone has the nerve for. I have made it so many times, I can throw it together in five minutes now – it’s definitely worth it to learn how to make this pastry. I added my way of making it to the notes in the recipe below, but you can easily make your own favourite recipe or use a store-bough double crust.
- Chill the crust: No matter which crust you decide to use, it’s important to follow the chilling instructions in the recipe. This is the best way to prevent the pie from shrinking back or turning out doughy and pasty!
- Chill the filling: A very important step to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom is to chill the filling completely before adding it to the prepared crust.
- Rest there before slicing: A 10 minute rest after baking helps the pie to hold up its shape much better once it’s sliced. But I know how hard it is to keep yourself form digging in, so that’s the one thing you can dismiss without suffering dreadful consequences ?
I honestly don’t know if our grandma ever made chicken pie, or any savoury pie for that matter – somehow all of my pie memories with her are overshadowed by apple pie and custard. The best.
Either way, if you’re looking for a comfort food classic made with a lighter twist, this is definitely your kind of recipe.
If you end up trying it, please leave me a comment and star rating below – I’m always thrilled to hear what you think!
Get the printable recipe for this homemade chicken pot pie below:
Ingredients
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 large stalk celery, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 large chicken breast, cubed
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1 pie pastry, store-bought OR homemade
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
Make the filling:
- Cook vegetables and chicken: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt and boil the diced potato, carrot, celery and chicken until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Make the roux: In the meantime, melt the butter in a deep, wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened WITHOUT browning. Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute, whisking constantly. Pour in the chicken stock and milk, whisking carefully so no lumps can form.
- Cook the filling: Season the filling with salt, thyme and black pepper. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Finish the filling: Stir the potato mixture, chicken breast, peas and corn into the filling. Set aside to cool completely before adding to the pie crust.
Assemble the pie:
- In the meantime, prepare the pastry: Use half of the pastry to fill a 9-inch pie plate. trim the edges and set the pie plate into the refrigerator to chill. Roll the remaining pastry into an about 10-inch circle. Place on parchment paper and cover with cling film or a clean kitchen towel. Chill in the fridge as well until the filling is ready.
- Finish the pie: Preheat the oven to 420°F. Place the cold filling into the pastry-lined pie dish. Place the pastry lid on top. Trim, seal and flute the edge. Cut slits into the top as air vents. Brush with beaten egg. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Allowed to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup butter
- 4 to 6 tablespoons cold water
Nutrition (this is an estimate)