Chicken Pot Pie

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There’s something so comforting about chicken pot pie—the flaky crust, creamy sauce, and hearty filling make it the perfect all-in-one meal. But between the chicken, the sauce, and the crust, making a traditional chicken pot pie recipe can easily take an entire day in the kitchen! For this version, I’ve streamlined the process without sacrificing flavor. Rotisserie chicken for the filling and good-quality store-bought puff pastry for the crust are game-changing shortcuts. I also tackled the usual problem with chicken pot pies: the bland, goopy white sauce. Thinning the sauce to a chowder-like consistency and adding a splash of Cognac bring these pot pies to the next level.

What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Pot Pie

• Frozen puff pastry: Provides the flaky, buttery topping. I recommend Dufour all-butter puff pastry if you can find it (it’s sold at Whole Foods), but Pepperidge Farm, which is readily available in the freezer section of most supermarkets, is very good too.
• Butter: For sautéing the vegetables and enriching the filling.
• Onion and garlic: These aromatics form the flavor foundation for the filling.
• Celery, pearl onions, carrots, and peas: These vegetables add texture, flavor, and nutrition to the filling.
• All-purpose flour: Thickens the sauce; also used for rolling the pastry.
• Chicken broth: Creates the savory base of the filling.
• Cognac: Enhances depth of flavor.
• Heavy cream: Contributes to the creamy texture of the filling.
• Fresh thyme: Provides aromatic herbal notes.
• Shredded cooked chicken: The main protein component; feel free to use leftover or rotisserie chicken.
• Egg: Beaten for an egg wash to give the pastry a golden finish.

Step-By-Step Instructions

To begin, dust a clean, dry work surface with flour and place the puff pastry over top.

Sprinkle the pastry with flour and roll to about 1/8-inch thick, smoothing the creases with the rolling pin at the same time. Using a sharp knife, kitchen shears, or a pizza cutter, cut out 4 circles about 2 inches larger than the circumference of your soup bowls. Place the dough rounds on a foil-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use.

Next, make the filling. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter, Add the yellow onion, garlic, celery, pearl onions, and carrots.

Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the carrots are just cooked.

Add the flour.

Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes.

Add the broth, cognac, salt, and white pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to incorporate the flour.

Simmer until thickened, a few minutes. Off the heat, stir in the heavy cream, herbs, chicken, and frozen peas.

Ladle the filling into oven-safe ramekins or soup bowls (be sure they are oven proof up to 425 degrees F). The filling should come up no more than three-quarters of the way to the top of the bowls. If you have extra, make another bowl.

Brush the outside edges of each bowl with an egg wash.

Place the cold dough rounds over the soup bowls, pressing firmly around the edges so that the dough adheres, and then brush the top of the dough with the egg wash. Using a sharp knife, make a 1/2-inch slit in the top of each pie. At this point, the assembled pot pies can be refrigerated for up to 1 day or frozen for longer storage.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is a rich golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then transfer the hot ramekins to serving plates. Sprinkle a few fresh thyme sprigs over top of the bowls and serve.

Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 4 to 6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

• 1 to 2 packages frozen puff pastry, best quality such as Dufour or Pepperidge Farm, thawed (see note)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 cup frozen pearl onions (no need to defrost)
• 3 carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch (6-mm) rounds
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling the pastry
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup Cognac or brandy (okay to replace with more chicken broth if avoiding alcohol)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or a combination of thyme, rosemary and sage), plus a few thyme sprigs for serving
• 3 to 4 cups shredded cooked chicken, from 1 rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup frozen peas (no need to defrost)
• 1 egg

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.

Dust a clean, dry work surface with flour and place the puff pastry over top. Sprinkle the pastry with flour and roll to about 1/8 inch (3-mm) thick, smoothing the creases with the rolling pin at the same time. (Depending on the brand of puff pastry you buy, you may not need to roll it out that much.) Using a sharp knife, kitchen shears, or a pizza cutter, cut out 4 circles about 2 in (5 cm) larger than the diameter of your soup bowls. (Alternatively, cut out 6 circles if making smaller portions.) Place the dough rounds on the foil-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and set an oven rack to the center position.

To make the filling: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the yellow onion, garlic, celery, pearl onions, and carrots. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are just cooked, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add the broth, cognac, salt, and white pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom and corners of the pan to incorporate the flour. Simmer until thickened, a few minutes. Off the heat, stir in the heavy cream, thyme, chicken, and peas. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. (Note that the broth will taste a little boozy at this point. That’s okay—the cognac will cook off in the oven.)

Ladle the filling into 4 large or 6 small oven-safe soup bowls. The filling should come up no more than three-quarters of the way to the top of the bowls. Do not overfill.

Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water.

Remove the pastry rounds from the refrigerator. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash.

Place the cold dough rounds over the bowls, pressing firmly around the edges so that the dough adheres. Transfer the bowls to the foil-lined baking sheet. Brush the dough with the egg wash. Using a sharp knife, make a 1/2-inch (13-mm) slit in the top of each pie. Place the bowls on the foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is a rich golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then use a wide spatula to carefully transfer the hot bowls to serving plates. Sprinkle a few fresh thyme sprigs over top of the bowls and serve.

Notes

For this recipe, you’ll need 4 to 6 oven-safe (to 425 degrees F/220 degrees C) soup bowls. For larger portions, use bowls with an 18 to 20-ounces (532 to 590-ml) capacity; for smaller portions, use bowls with a 12 to 14-ounces (355 to 415-ml) capacity.

If making 4 servings, one (14-ounces/397-grams) package of puff pastry will suffice. However, if making 6 servings, you’ll need another package.

Nutritional information calculated using 1 package of puff pastry and 3 1/2 cups (455 g) of chicken.

Make-Ahead Instructions: The pies may be assembled and refrigerated up to a day ahead of time. Brush the top of the dough with egg wash before baking.

Nutrition Information

Per serving (5 servings) Calories: 747kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 45g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 163mg, Sodium: 678mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g

Nutritional Data Disclaimer

This article was originally published on OnceUponaChef.com. Follow on Instagram

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