This Chicken Pot Pie is made with tender leftover chicken or turkey and loads of veggies that are cooked in a succulent cream sauce. Buttery, flaky puff pastry encapsulates it all and leaves everyones bellies full of comfort and joy.
Prep Time25 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time55 minutesmins
Servings: 6
Ingredients
2tablespoonsolive oil
8oz.cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
1medium onionfinely chopped
3large garlic clovesminced (or 4 cloves, if small)
2cupscarrotsfrom about 3-4 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2celery stalksfinely chopped
1large yellow potatopeeled and finely chopped
1/4cupall-purpose flour
1tablespoonfresh thyme leavesfrom about 10 sprigs fresh thyme
1cupmilkany kind works, but preferably whole
2 1/2cupslow-sodium chicken brothhomemade or store-bought
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1cupgrated Parmesan,divided
3cupsshredded cooked chicken or turkey breast*see notes
1cupfrozen peas
1store bought puff pastrythawed overnight in the refrigerator and kept cold until ready to use
1egglightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
Place oven rack in lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 425° F.
Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add mushrooms and onion; cook until onion is soft and mushrooms have released their liquid, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in the carrots, celery, and potatoes and toss to combine. Reduce heat to medium and sprinkle the flour and thyme over all the vegetables and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute to get rid of the raw flour flavour, stirring often to avoid burning. The mixture will look very dry and clumpy, that's okay.
Pour in the milk slowly followed by the broth, and stir constantly until smooth. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until thickened.
Stir in 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese. Add the cooked chicken and frozen peas and stir until everything is well combined. Simmer a little longer if the filling needs to thicken. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. It should taste really good at this point. If it doesn't, add just a bit more salt.
Remove from heat and smooth the top of the filling, pressing down a little to make sure most of the ingredients are submerged in sauce. Allow to cool slightly if baking the chicken pot pie in the same skillet. Sprinkle remaining parmesan evenly over the top.
Roll out the cold puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 14" square or large enough to cover your pan with a bit of overhang. Working quickly so the puff pastry stays cold, drape the pastry over the skillet and snip off some of the excess making sure to leave at least 1" border all around. Fold the edges under and crimp to seal with your fingers or a fork.
Brush top of pastry with egg wash, and use a sharp knife to cut a few small slits in the center so steam can escape.
Bake the pot pie until filling is bubbly and crust is puffed and light golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
*Shredded chicken or turkey - I highly recommend taking a shortcut here by using a rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken or turkey. If you need to cook the chicken, poached some chicken breasts or bake some skin-on, bone-in chicken breast, or chicken thighs, which have more flavour and stay juicy.
Make Ahead. Prepare and cook the filling, holding back the parmesan cheese. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When ready to use, reheat gently in a large skillet, adding about 1/2 cup more broth to loosen. Once warm, add the 1/3 cup parmesan cheese to the filling and mix to combine. Allow to cool slightly then top with remaining cheese and crust. Bake as instructed.
To Store. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 300ºF oven until warmed through. The crust will not be as flaky but it will still be delicious.
Reheat. Leftover chicken pot pie can be reheated in a pie dish in a 350ºF oven until warmed through. The crust will not be as flaky but it will still be delicious.
To Freeze. You will have more success freezing an unbaked chicken pot pie than a baked one. To freeze, prepare the filling and allow to completely cool. transfer to a freezer-safe dish then top with crust. Wrap the entire dish tightly with foil and freeze for up to 2 months.
Bake from frozen. Preheat oven to 400˚F and bake for 30 minutes with the foil on top. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until filling is bubbling and crust has puffed and turned golden brown.