Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
Inside: The smart chef’s move for a faster chicken pot pie with restaurant results? Store-bought puff pastry instead of a homemade crust.
When you’re craving chicken pot pie but don’t have time to make the crust, this easy chicken pot pie with puff pastry is the obvious choice. It swaps flaky store-bought puff pastry for the traditional topping, and the result is fabulous. A hearty chicken and vegetable filling topped with a buttery crust that looks impressive but couldn’t be simpler.
When you think of homey, comfort food, pot pie recipes are definitely on the list. How can you not love it? A creamy, rich stew, topped with flaky crust, like a present waiting to be opened.
But with life’s fast pace, who has time to make a homemade pie crust? So, skip it. Use store-bought puff pastry instead. It’s a time-saving trick that chefs have used for years, and it’s the one I use in this chicken pot pie recipe.
Frozen puff pastry is a convenience item I always have in my freezer. The brand doesn’t matter, whether Pepperidge Farm, all-butter DuFour’s or the off-brand label from the market, it’s a kitchen hack that jump-starts any number of recipes. I use it for this Savory Recipe for Palmiers and this Apricot Tart.
If you’re starting with cooked chicken (like from a leftover rotisserie chicken), the filling can be assembled in about 30 minutes, making a puff pastry chicken pot pie very doable, even on a weeknight.
Why you’ll love this chicken pot pie with puff pastry
- Homemade taste–from a combination of fresh and convenience items.
- Leftover win–if you’ve got a leftover rotisserie chicken in the fridge, this is a great way to use it.
- No kneading, resting and rolling–just ensure that you’ve defrosted the frozen pastry in the fridge the night before.
- It’s customizable. Use your favorite veggies (fresh or frozen) in the puff pastry pot pie.
- Make-ahead magic–You can make the filling in advance. Assemble when you’re ready.
Ingredients for Puff Pastry Pot Pie:
- Puff Pastry Sheets – you’ll need one sheet (there are typically two per box).
- Cooked Chicken cut into half-inch cubes (I’ll show you how to rotisserie chicken, use leftover store-bought rotisserie or use fresh poached chicken breasts).
- Mirepoix – a traditional blend of celery, carrots and onions.
- Mushrooms – you can use white button mushrooms, cremini or a mix of wild mushrooms.
- Yukon Gold Potato – or white potatoes.
- Extra Virgin Olive oil–Use your everyday olive oil; nothing fancy.
- Butter–for coating the flour to make a roux (the basis of the sauce).
- All Purpose Flour–acts as a thickener for the chicken-based sauce.
- Fresh Thyme–or you can use about half as much dried thyme.
- Dry Vermouth–a fortified wine that enriches the sauce and gives it depth. If you don’t have vermouth, substitute sherry.
- Chicken Stock from Rotisserie Chicken or low-sodium chicken broth.
- Frozen Peas–way easier than shelling them yourself.
- Salt and Pepper–to taste.
Step-by-step instructions:
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil, sliced mushrooms and a ¼ teaspoon of salt (to draw out the moisture). Sauté until the mushrooms are golden and have given up their liquid. Set aside.
2. Heat a large 10-12″ skillet over medium-high heat and add the chopped onion, celery, carrots and potato. Cook stirring, until the vegetables are tender and the onion and celery are slightly translucent (about 6-7 minutes).
3. Stir in and simmer the fresh thyme until fragrant, then sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Stir until there are no dry bits of flour left and it has formed a thin paste over the vegetables.
4. Add the vermouth and cook, stirring constantly until most of the liquid has evaporated, then add the chicken stock a little at a time, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan until the sauce is smooth. As the sauce heats to a low bubble, it will thicken. Simmer for one minute, stirring regularly until the sauce has a gravy-like consistency. Remove from the heat.
5. Add the diced chicken and sauteed mushrooms to the pot pie filling. Mix well.
6. Add frozen peas to the filling and stir. The residual heat from the sauce will thaw the peas.
7. Transfer the chicken pot pie filling to a 2-quart casserole dish. (I like to put the casserole on a aluminum foil or parchment-lined rimmed sheet pan (to catch drips and leaks – and prevent messes on the oven-floor).
8. Cover the casserole with a sheet of puff pastry. If it’s not quite large enough to cover, use a rolling pin to gently roll it to an inch or so longer/wider.
9. Trim away the excess pastry and make several slits in the top for steam venting. Brush it with an egg wash.
10. Bake the chicken pot pie with puff pastry at 400°F for 35-40 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling through the vents. Remove from the oven and rest the pot pie for about 10 minutes before serving.
Pro-Tips:
- When using fresh vegetables, sauté them first. Adding them raw means they won’t fully soften in the oven, and your chicken pot pie can end up with undercooked veggies instead of a tender, cohesive filling.
- I cook the vegetables in two stages, starting with the mushrooms. Browning them on their own lets them release their moisture and develop deep, savory flavor—without dulling the color of the sauce.
- Keep the puff pastry in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. Room-temperature or warm pastry won’t puff. If you need to roll it out in order to fit your casserole dish, put it back in the fridge to stay chilled. (BTW, mine started to heat because I was taking pictures, so learn from that and work quickly.
- If your skillet is ovenproof, you can top the chicken pot pie filling with the crust and bake it in the skillet. It saves on dishes.
Swaps and Variations:
- Substitute white wine or sherry for the vermouth, or keep it alcohol-free and skip it.
- Add frozen mixed vegetables (the one with corn, carrots, peas and green beans) instead of the frozen peas.
- Mix up the veg– you can use are: pearl onions, broccoli, butternut squash, and green beans. Avoid tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash or other vegetables that have naturally high water content.
- Use different seasonings–saute minced garlic with the mushrooms for more savory depth, add crushed red pepper flakes for a bit of spice, or add fresh chopped rosemary, oregano, marjoram or fresh parsley for contrast and a light herbal flavor.
- For individual pot pies–cut the crust into 6 squares and bake them separately on a sheet pan according to the package directions. Assemble the chicken pot pies by filling individual bowls with the filling (it doesn’t have to be baked; just ensure it’s heated through) and topping each with a square of golden puff pastry.
- Substitute ½ cup of heavy cream for the chicken stock for a richer sauce.
- Swap the chicken for leftover turkey or ham.
FAQ’s
No. Puff pastry will not puff on the bottom and will become gluey and gummy instead of flaky and crisp.
Blind-baking a regular short pastry crust, then adding the filling and topping it with another crust to bake again, can help prevent a soggy bottom. However, you can skip a bottom crust and only use a top one, as we do for this recipe.
Make ahead:
- You can make the chicken filling several days in advance and refrigerate.
- Let the filling sit out for 30 to 45 minutes (to take the chill off) before baking; it will take longer to heat through.
- Keep puff pastry and don’t top the casserole until you’re ready to bake.
Storage:
- Normally, I store leftovers in an airtight container, but that won’t do your crust any favors. Cover the casserole dish tightly with tin foil and refrigerate.
- Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge, though the crust won’t be as flaky.
Reheating:
- To reheat leftovers, remove the casserole from the refrigerator 30 minutes before reheating and warm it in a 350° oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the filling is hot.
- Heating in the microwave isn’t recommended, as the puff pastry will lose its flakiness.
Freezing:
- I don’t recommend freezing the casserole assembled; the crust will likely get soggy.
- Instead, freeze the filling and when you want to make it, defrost and assemble the dish to bake.
More stew and pot pie recipes:
- Beef Carbonnade (Carbonnade à la Flamande)
- Cheesy Baked Chicken Rigatoni
- The Dutch Oven Beef Stew With Red Wine You’ll Crave
- Turkey and Pepper-Biscuit Pot Pie
- German Goulash
- Meltingly Tender Wine Braised Lamb Shanks
- Homestyle Pot Roast In A Dutch Oven
Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- 1 2 to 2 1/2 quart oven safe baking dish
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded or diced (I used leftover rotisserie chicken)
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 3 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
- 6 ounces button mushrooms sliced
- 1 large Yukon gold potato or white or red potato, peeled and cut into ½" dice
- 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons fresh thyme or ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons dry vermouth (can substitute white wine or sherry) optional
- 2 ¼ cups chicken stock from rotisserie chicken or low-sodium broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 sheet puff pastry dough thawed in the refrigerator.
FOR THE EGG WASH:
- 1 large egg optional
- 1 tablespoon water
DIRECTIONS:
- Defrost 1 sheet puff pastry dough in the refrigerator overnight. With a rolling pin, gently roll the dough into a square or rectangle to cover your skillet or casserole dish. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lay the puff pastry on top of it. Transfer the pan to the freezer.
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil and swirl around the pan. Add 6 ounces button mushroomsand 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release some of their liquid and begin to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the 1 medium onion, 2 stalks celery, 3 medium carrots, 1 large Yukon gold potato and 1½ teaspoons fresh thyme—season with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Stir well, cover, and simmer for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the onions and celery are slightly translucent.
- Sprinkle the vegetables with 4 tablespoons flour and stir well until there are no dry bits left and the vegetable mixture looks pasty. Add 2 tablespoons dry vermouthiand cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add 2 ¼ cups chicken stock from rotisserie chicken , a little at a time, stirring constantly until it's evenly blended with the flour and vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan so they don't burn. Once the sauce starts to boil, cook for one additional minute until it thickens.
- Add 3 cups cooked chickenrn, sauteed mushrooms, and 1 cup frozen peas to the pot pie mixture, and stir to combine.
- Transfer the chicken pot pie mixture to a casserole dish. Lay the puff pastry over the casserole and trim any edges with a sharp knife (though the pastry should cover the entireity of the pot pie). Cut a few slits into the pastry for steam to escape.
- In a small bowl, whisk 1 large egg with 1 tablespoon water. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the top of the puff pastry (this will give the crust a glossy, golden finish.
- Place the chicken pot pie on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil (to catch drips). Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown and puffed.
- Let the pot pie rest for 8-10 minutes before serving, that way the interior isn't molten hot and the filling will thicken.
NOTES:
- You can make the chicken filling several days in advance and refrigerate.
- Let the pot pie filling sit out for 30 to 45 minutes (to take the chill off the filling) before baking; it will take longer to heat through.
- Keep puff pastry and don’t top the casserole until you’re ready to bake.
- Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge, though the crust won’t be as flaky.
- To reheat leftovers, take the pot pie out of the refrigerator 30 minutes ahead of time and heat in a 350° oven for 15-20 minutes or until the filling is hot.
- Heating in the microwave isn’t recommended, as the puff pastry will lose its flakiness.
- I don’t recommend freezing an assembled pot pie; the crust will likely get soggy.
- Instead, freeze the filling and when you want to make it, defrost and assemble the puff pastry chicken pot pie to bake.
NUTRITION:
“Pin It For Later!”
I agree with your notes on variations and would bake the puff pastry separately next time so that the center crust is more flaky. Really liked the flavors, and I just added a Tbsp of lemon juice & red pepper flakes for some background heat. It was a hit, so I will definitely be making it again.
I love this! Delicious and not too thin on the filling/gravy. I added 2 cloves crushed garlic before flour, broccoli, and half and half to replace some of the chicken stock. Thinking of making it with tarragon instead of thyme next time and garnish with fresh parsley before serving. Thoughts?
This was very good. I didn’t want to open a second can of chicken broth for 1/4 cup, but I saw your note about using the cream as a partial substitute for broth, so I used that. My daughter said it’s the best chicken pie recipe I’ve made so I will make your recipe from now on.
I made this recipe last night and it was absolutely delicious. A bit of prep work to come together, but worth it. I would definitely recommend making this. I originally planned to half the recipe but changed my mind. Now I have 2/3 of the pot pie left… leftovers for 2 days.
YUM