Arts & Entertainment

Easier Chicken Pot Pie

Doesn't Take Hours and a Whole Kitchen Of Pots And Pans

Making Chicken Pot Pie is a great way to use leftover cooked chicken and vegetables – but most cooks breathe a heavy sigh and move on to another recipe because as good as it is, it does take a lot of time to prepare.

I set out to shorten the preparation time, decrease the amount of pots and pans to wash – but keep the appeal and flavor of this comfort food.

The first thing I did to cut down on a major amount of work is to use already cooked chicken from a previous meal or buy a rotisserie chicken at the store. You’ll need 2 ½ cups of chicken for this recipe.

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The next thing I did to shorten the time is to add a can of peas and carrots (you could also add the same amount of frozen peas and carrots). Washing, peeling, slicing, and cooking two or three carrots for this recipe just didn’t seem worth the time and effort. Most recipes already call for frozen peas – so why not kill two birds with one stone and add ¾ cup of frozen peas and carrots or a can of the same.

I also added a can of whole white potatoes that I cut into bite-size pieces. Chefs all over the country are most likely fainting at this point.

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Using packaged puff pasty also cuts down on the time involved in making the crust.

What I did not skimp on is the chicken stock that you will transform into a delicious gravy. I used my own homemade stock and added some fresh herbs that I had on-hand. I slowly simmered it to reduce it to a very flavorful base for the potpie.

The ultimate taste tester (my husband) gave this recipe two “forks” up!

Easier Chicken Pot Pie

  • 1 T butter
  • 1 onion, diced
  • ½ tsp. minced garlic
  • 3 cups homemade chicken stock or high quality reduced-sodium stock
  • kosher salt, freshly ground pepper to taste
  • herbs: your choice to add flavor to the stock. I added rosemary, thyme, and parsley
  • 3 T flour
  • 4 T water
  • 2 ½ cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 can (14.5 oz.) peas and carrots, drained, or ¾ cup frozen peas and carrots
  • 1 can (14.5 oz.) whole white potatoes, drained, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 puff pastry sheet, thawed (thawing takes about 45 minutes)

Remember to thaw the puff pastry before you begin making this recipe.

In a large pot, melt the butter on low heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring. Do not let the garlic brown. Add the stock, salt and pepper and herbs, and let simmer, uncovered, until the onion is very soft and the stock is reduced slightly, about 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour and water together so there are no lumps.  Add this slowly to the stock whisking constantly. Stir and cook until the stock thickens. Let simmer 5 minutes.

Add the chicken and vegetables to the pot and stir well.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Transfer the chicken mixture to an oven-safe 2 qt. casserole dish.  Place the puff pastry sheet on top, allowing any excess to hang over the sides of the dish. Cut several vent holes into the top of the pastry.

Place the casserole dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the top is golden brown and looks crisp, about 40 - 45 minutes. Enjoy!


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