Mom’s Amazing Chicken Pot Pie
Remember when Mom baked her amazing chicken pot pie. This recipe is made with a savory pie filling of chicken, onions, carrots, and peas in a creamy sauce in a flaky, buttery crust.
Pot Pie Variation
- Pie Crust: I love using my homemade pie crust recipe for my chicken pot pie. Store-bought pie crust or even puff pastry also work!
- Meat: Pot pies may be made with a variety of fillings including turkey, beef, and seafood instead of chicken.
- Vegetables: Try adding corn (frozen or fresh) when you add the peas. Another idea is to add 1 diced Yukon gold potato– cook until soft with the onion and butter. You can also throw in a cup of sliced mushrooms– add them when you cook the onion and butter. I wouldn’t add all of these veggies though as there isn’t enough gravy for it all. Stick to 2 cups of veggies + 1 potato or less. (Onion doesn’t count!)
- Spice: Taste and season this pot pie how you like! Try adding fresh chopped parsley, a pinch of celery seed, or even a little rosemary (my favorite).
Mom’s Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST
- 3 cup all-purpose flour plus more for surface
- 1 cup butter cut into ½" pieces
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup ice water or more, if needed
FOR THE FILLING
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts shredded
- ½ cup butter plus more for baking dish
- black pepper
- 2 large carrots peeled and diced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup peas
- 2 tbsp parsley freshly chopped
- 2 tsp thyme leaves freshly chopped
- egg wash
Instructions
Make Dough
- Place flour and butter into the freezer for 30 minutes before starting the crust process. In a large food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until pea-sized and some slightly larger pieces form. With the machine running, add ice water into the feed tube, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just come together and is moist but not wet and sticky (test by squeezing some with your fingers).
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, form into 2 balls, and flatten into 2 discs (making sure there are no/minimal cracks). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Cook Chicken
- Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a large baking dish with butter and grease one side of a large piece of parchment with butter. Season chicken all over with pepper then place in baking dish. Place buttered side of parchment paper over chicken, so that chicken is completely covered. Bake until chicken is cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting into cubes.
- Meanwhile, start filling: In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and carrots and cook until vegetables are beginning to soften for about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, then stir in flour and cook until the flour mixture is golden and beginning to bubble. Gradually whisk in chicken broth. Bring mixture to a boil and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, cubed chicken, peas, parsley, and thyme. Season mixture with pepper.
Assemble Pie
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough into a large round, about ¼” thick. Place in a shallow pie dish then add the filling. Roll out the second disc of dough into a large round, about ¼” thick and place on top of filling. Trim and crimp edges, then use a paring knife to create slits on top. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
- Reduce heat to 375° and bake pie until crust is golden about 45 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Origin of the Pot Pie
Pot pies are said to have originated in the Neolithic Age around 9500 B.C. by discoveries made by archaeologists. The Greeks cooked meats mixed with other ingredients in open pastry shells, and these were called artocreas and were then spread to the Romans. In the times of the Roman Empire, these pastries were served at banquets and were prepared with various meats, oysters, mussels, lampreys, and fish and included a crust made of a flour and oil mixture. The royalty nicknamed them “coffins”. Pot pies spread across medieval Europe during the Crusades. In the 16th century, the English gentry revived the custom of serving pot pies and the tradition soon swept the country. A British food commenter once described them as, “which they bake in pasties, and this venison pasty is a dainty rarely found in any other kingdom.” The British in that era called the pot pies meat pies and would include various meats such as pork, lamb, birds, and game. During the reign of Elizabeth I, English cooks made pot pies using “chicken peepers,” which consisted of chicks stuffed with gooseberries. The obsession with pot pies spread to the New World soon after it spread across Europe when the first American settlers took their pot pie recipes with them when they moved westward.
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