Change how you make chicken pot pie
A bubbling pot of chicken and vegetables scented with aromatics and laced with cream is one of mealtime’s greatest pleasures. And this twist on the classic will change the way you make chicken pot pie.
One simple swap — light and flaky phyllo instead of weighty pastry — revitalizes and modernizes the comfort food. The phyllo pastry is crisp and feathery, making it the perfect partner for the rich filling. And it's far easier to work with than traditional pie crust.
Even better? No pie dish is required. The beauty of this recipe lies in its versatility. There’s no fussing with a pie crust or worrying about which baking dish to use to ensure the pastry snuggles every inch. Since we’re using scrunched-up phyllo dough, any baking dish works. If you want to minimize clean-up, use a pan you can take from the cooktop to the oven.
How to make chicken pot pie
Pot pies provide an excellent opportunity for cleaning out your refrigerator and freezer. Since this recipe calls for cooked chicken, leftover chicken from a previous meal is a great option. And that half-full bag of frozen veggies in your freezer just found a wonderful home. Pro tip: Pre-cooked deli chicken and rotisserie birds from the grocery store are a quick cook’s best friend, as are the pre-chopped vegetables from the produce section and salad bar.
You need 4 cups of cooked chicken for this recipe, which equates to about 2 large chicken breasts or 6 thighs. You can also use a combination of light and dark meat or even turkey or ham.
Even though this recipe calls for cooked chicken, you can start with raw. If you have raw chicken breasts, tenders or thighs, place them on a baking sheet and season with salt and black pepper. Roast at 400 degrees until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees. Timing will depend on the cut you’re using and whether the chicken is bone-in or boneless, but plan on about 15 minutes for tenders and 20 to 30 minutes for boneless and bone-in chicken breasts and thighs, with boneless cooking a little faster.
If you have leftover pot pie, cover the pan with foil and then plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. The delicate phyllo will crack when frozen, so the presentation won’t be as impressive the second time around. But the flavor will be fine.
Thaw the pot pie overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a 350-degree oven until hot all the way through (165 degrees on a meat thermometer).
Questions or comments? Email the culinary team at cooking@azcentral.com.
Chicken pot pie recipe
Chicken pot pie is basically a complete meal, featuring a healthy blend of meat, starch and vegetables. I suggest serving a mixed green salad on the side and calling it a day.
4 servings
Makes: Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter, preferably unsalted
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup sliced carrots
8 ounces sliced button or cremini mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
3⁄4 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
1
3⁄4
⁄2 cup heavy cream
1
4 cups cooked, shredded chicken breasts, tenders, thighs or a combination
⁄4 cup frozen peas, kept frozen until
3 ready to use
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
4-5 phyllo dough sheets, halved crosswise
2-3 tablespoons melted butter
cups chicken broth or chicken stock Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet or oven-safe pan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and releasing liquid. Add the thyme, ⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper and cook for 1 minute, until the thyme is fragrant. Add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Then add the chicken broth and cream and bring to a simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the liquid reaches a gravy-like consistency.
Fold in the cooked chicken, frozen peas and 2 tablespoons of the parsley. Remove the pan from the heat and
season to taste with salt and black pepper.
If you’re not using an oven-safe pan, transfer the chicken mixture to a baking dish (I prefer shallow baking dishes or pie plates so you can enjoy more of the phyllo topping).
Arrange the phyllo sheets on a flat surface. Working with one sheet at a time, brush the phyllo with a thin layer of melted butter (keep remaining phyllo sheets covered with a kitchen towel so
they don’t dry out). Using your hands, gently scrunch up the phyllo sheet from the middle and nestle it on top of the chicken mixture. Continue until the entire top is covered in phyllo. If necessary, use some of the leftover phyllo to fill in any gaps.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the phyllo is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Top with the remaining parsley and serve.