Comfort food: homemade chicken pot pie

Homemade chicken pot pie recipe

Since its humble beginnings as a means for thrifty cooks to stretch leftover meat and vegetables, the pot pie has become classic winter comfort food—rib sticking, soul warming and unpretentious.

Here, we present a hearty Chicken Pot Pie for a meal that feels not just homemade, but handmade. Made with chicken, diced potatoes, carrots and peas ladled into a prepared piecrust, this easy chicken pot pie recipe is sure to transport everyone right back to Grandma's kitchen table. We've also included 4 tasty twists with a variety of delicious pot pie fillings and toppings sure to please the whole family.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

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Ingredients

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ medium onion, diced
⅓ cup flour
About 2½ cups free-range chicken broth, warmed
1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules or stock starter
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¼ cup heavy cream
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 cup medium-diced potatoes, cooked in boiling salted water for 5 minutes
1 cup medium-diced carrots, cooked in boiling salted water for 5 minutes
1 cup frozen peas
¼ cup fresh parsley
1 prepared piecrust, thawed

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
  2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the onions over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  3. Whisk in the flour and continue to cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.
  4. Slowly add the warm chicken broth and bouillon. Simmer over low heat, stirring until thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  5. Add salt, pepper and heavy cream. Add cubed chicken, potatoes, carrots, peas and parsley. Mix well and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
  6. Pour into a buttered, ovenproof casserole dish and cover with a prepared piecrust. Cut two small slashes in the crust to allow excess steam to escape.
  7. Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
Tasty twists

• Gluten-free chicken pot pie with cheddar-herb almond crust
• Seafood pot pie with phyllo crust
• Spinach & mushroom pot pie with puff pastry crust
• Beef & sweet potato pot pie with biscuit topping

Tip: Each of these pot pie recipes calls for a 1½- to 2-quart casserole dish and makes 1 pie that feeds about 4 to 6 people. Feel free to make the fillings up 2 days ahead and refrigerate before topping with the crust and baking, but allow the filling to reach room temperature before you bake.

Jennifer is a Hallmark writer and culinary student who is always on the hunt for new, easy recipes for celebrating the holidays and seasons.