Easy Chicken Pot Pie
- PREP 15min
- COOK 45min
- TOTAL 1hrs
This easier skillet chicken pot pie with puff pastry has quickly become one of our favorite chicken recipes on the blog. It’s full of classic ingredients and flavors, but skips the more finicky double crust and pie dish in favor of a cast-iron skillet and store-bought puff pastry. It’s stunning, absolutely delicious, and easy to make whenever you have a craving.
You Will Need
5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 large rib celery, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 tablespoons (40 g) all-purpose flour
2 cups (470 ml) low-sodium chicken broth or homemade broth
1 cup (235 ml) whole milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 cup (135 g) frozen peas
4 cups shredded cooked or rotisserie chicken (about 1 pound / 450 g)
1 sheet store-bought puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Fine sea salt, to taste
Directions
1Heat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Set aside a large baking sheet.
2Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and brown slightly, about 6 minutes.
3Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to form a roux. Cook for 1 minute, then slowly pour in the chicken broth, stirring to prevent lumps. Stir in the milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the liquid thickens into a gravy.
4Stir in the sage, peas, and chicken. Season with the pepper and salt to taste. You may need 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, depending on the broth used. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
5Unfold the puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into an 11-inch square. Store-bought sheets are often rectangular, so you will likely need to roll one side more than the other.
6Lay the pastry over the skillet. Trim the edges so they overhang the skillet by about 1 inch. Build up a border by folding the overhanging dough under itself. Cut any trimmed excess dough into strips and press them firmly around the perimeter for a thicker edge.
7Cut four 2-inch vents in the center of the pie to allow steam to escape. Brush the top with the egg. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, turning the skillet halfway through, until the crust is puffed and golden brown. Place the skillet on the baking sheet in the oven to catch any overflow. Cover loosely with foil if the pastry browns too quickly.
8Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Pie dish instead of skillet: If you do not have a 10-inch cast-iron pan, make the filling in a regular skillet, then transfer it to a deep pie dish or 9-inch baking dish before topping with the pastry and baking. Smaller cast-iron pans are not large enough for the filling.
- Puff pastry: Store-bought puff pastry is sold in the freezer section. The most common is Pepperidge Farm and Dufour. Both work well, but if you have the choice, we love Dufour. You will need to remove a sheet from the package and leave it overnight in the fridge so it thaws. Keep it in the fridge until the pot pie filling is ready, then remove it and roll it out so it fits onto the skillet. The shape will likely be a rectangle, leaving you with one longer end. Trim the excess, and then cut into strips to build up the edges to create an edge of thicker dough around the skillet.
- Storing: Leftover pot pie keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Note: Cooked chicken is best consumed within 4 days total. Be sure to count from when the chicken was first cooked (or bought), not just from when you baked the pie. Cover the skillet with foil or transfer portions to airtight containers.
- Reheating: To keep the crust crisp, reheat in a 350°F oven until heated through (about 20 minutes). If you are in a rush, try this hybrid method: Remove the crust and toast it in the oven (or toaster oven) until crisp. Meanwhile, warm the filling in the microwave. Pop the crust back on top to serve.
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates.