This easy, classic chicken pot pie recipe hit the spot last night for warm, filling wintertime comfort food. My husband loves chicken pot pie, but we rarely buy the prepared, frozen ones anymore due to the high fat and sodium content. I wanted to make him something he really loves since he’s been working so hard at clearing land on our farm to build the greenhouse we’ve always dreamed about building. So I dug out his mother’s 1950s Betty Crocker Cook Book, rummaged in the pantry, and adapted the recipe to our diet.
The final dish came out perfect! The secret to the full, rich flavor was the home-canned turkey bone broth I made at Thanksgiving. (If you have never made your own broth, check out my instructions on how to make it in the slow cooker or Crock Pot. It is easy, and canning it is easy, too, if you have a pressure canner.)
Chicken Pot Pie: A Mealtime Favorite For Centuries
Pot pies, or meat pies, have been a staple cuisine in many cultures since ancient Greece. The history of chicken pot pie can be traced to Greece where an open-faced pastry or bread shell was filled with a rich, meaty stew. Throughout Europe, the pastry-filled meat pie has been filling family bellies with warm, creamy goodness throughout time. Whether stuffed with beef, goat, lamb, chicken, or pork and vegetables, meat pies or pot pies remain a dinnertime classic.
Rescuing Pie Crust Gone Wrong
When I shared the pictures on Facebook last night, I dubbed this pot pie “Pot Pie with Rescue Crust” because I tried to make the crust from scratch – and it required rescuing. Luckily, my husband is a whiz with pie crusts. He gently asked me if I needed help when he heard me muttering at the rolling pin and dough that refused to roll flat and hold together.
I made oil-based pie crust which was probably not a good idea. Instead, I should have used a shortening or lard-based crust for both flaky texture and holding ability. My husband was able to roll and pat the bottom crust into the deep-dish pie plate, then he used a spatula to lay sheets of crust over the filling. The result was fine for a pot pie. The crust flaked perfectly into the filling, adding that crunchy texture to the warm gooey vegetable and chicken mix.
My advice, however, is to use a storebought pie crust if you are not used to making pie crusts. We rarely make them anymore and so I do not have the chance to practice them.
Low Sodium Chicken Pot Pie
In keeping with our dietary preferences, I did not add salt to the pot pie filling or to the crust. The full flavor comes from the broth itself. This keeps the final chicken pot pie recipe in line with our low-sodium dietary guidelines. If you use a purchased pie crust, you will end up with a higher sodium recipe. The sodium increases, too, if you use regular canned chicken stock or broth. To keep the sodium low, look for no-salt broth, available at most supermarkets.
Easy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 450 F
- Clean and dice celery. Cube chicken breast. Place chicken and celery in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; drain and save celery and chicken.
- While chicken and celery are cooking, cook peas and carrots according to package directions.
- Remove onion skin and dice onion. Melt butter in saucepan and sautee onions until translucent.
- Remove onion solids from pan. Melt more butter, if necessary, then add flour and whisk to form a roux. Pour chicken (or turkey) stock into the flour roux, adding half a pint, then the other half pint, and whisking until thick. Add milk, whisk until thickened.
- Mix chicken, celery, peas, carrots, and onions together. Add mixture to pie crust. Pour sauce over. Add second crust, inverting and crimping ends. Pierce to release steam.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes, checking to make sure crust is browning and not burning. If starting to brown too quickly, cover top crust with foil to allow the rest of the pie to cook without burning.
- Remove from oven when cooked and allow 15 minutes to cool before serving.
[…] taste, beautiful golden brown color, and a wonderful smooth texture. Use it as the base for chicken pot pie, soup stock or enjoy on its own. Freeze leftovers and keep extra refrigerated until […]