Mama's Way or Your Way? Chicken Pot Pie

Mary Allen Perry
Updated
Come in from the cold and rediscover an old-fashioned favorite chicken pot pie baked with a rich puff-pastry crust, or stir together a deliciously quick stovetop twist.

Recipes:

There’s nothing quite like the comfort of a homemade chicken pot pie. Both of these versatile recipes are a favorite with our Food staff. The Stovetop Chicken Pie comes together in a snap – perfect for busy weeknights. Mama’s Double-Crust Chicken Pot Pie takes a little more time, but it’s definitely worth the wait.

Try This Chicken Pot Pie Crust
Make Mama’s Double-Crust Chicken Pot Pie with refrigerated piecrusts instead of puff pastry. The filling is prepared in exactly the same way as the original recipe, but the method for assembling the crust is different. Here’s how:

Double-Crust Chicken Pot Pie With Refrigerated Piecrust
Makes: 6 to 8 servings
hands-on time: 35 min. total time: 1 hr., 45 min.

1/2 cup butter
2 medium leeks, sliced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 (14.5-oz.) can chicken broth
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups frozen cubed hash browns with onions and peppers
1 cup matchstick carrots
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
Vegetable cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375˚. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add leeks, and sauté 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over leeks, and cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth, and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; stir in chicken and next 5 ingredients.

2. Fit 1 piecrust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate; spoon chicken mixture into piecrust. Place remaining piecrust over filling; fold edges under, sealing to bottom crust, and crimp. Cut 4 to 5 slits in top of pie for steam to escape. Place pie on a jelly-roll pan.

3. Bake at 375° on lower oven rack 50 minutes. Coat top of pie with cooking spray, and bake 5 minutes or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Remove from oven, and let stand 15 minutes.

Gourmet Twists for Easy Stovetop Chicken Pie Recipe
Skip the biscuits, and serve Stovetop Chicken Pie over something a bit more unpredictable.
Cornbread Waffles: Prepare cornbread mix according to package directions; cook batter in batches, in a hot, oiled waffle iron until done.
Hot Cooked Pasta: Choose a sturdy penne, fusilli, or bow-tie pasta. Toss with a drizzle of oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Baked Potatoes: Prepare frozen seasoned potato wedges according to package directions; toss with chopped fresh parsley.
Pecan Wild Rice: Stir chopped fresh parsley, sweetened dried cranberries, and toasted pecans into hot cooked long grain and wild rice mix.

It's Easy to Cook Your Own Chicken for Chicken Pot Pie
Rotisserie chicken is a terrific timesaver when you need chopped, cooked chicken for a recipe, but it’s also super-easy to cook your own – and much less expensive. Test Kitchens Professional Angela Sellers cooks her chicken on the stovetop. Seared to a golden brown, then simmered in a Dutch oven, the meat is extra-juicy and fork-tender – perfect for potpies – plus you get the added bonus of a delicious broth.
Recipe: Angela's Stovetop Chicken

Or try Test Kitchens Professional Marian Cooper Cairns’ hands-off method for roasting two chickens at once.
Recipe: Marian’s Easy Roast Chicken

Homemade Convenience
Depending on the size, one chicken yields 3 to 4 cups of chopped, cooked meat – the perfect amount for these pot pie recipes. Remove the meat from the bones when still warm, and freeze up to 1 month in a zip-top plastic freezer bag. If you have extra pan juices, drizzle them over the meat for additional moistness. To preserve the fresh flavor and texture, allow 24 hours for the chicken to thaw in the refrigerator before using.