Classic Chicken Potpie

(644)

With a buttery pastry crust and a rich filling of chicken and vegetablesthis is a much-loved dinner.

Prep Time:
45 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 45 mins
Servings:
6

Chicken potpie is a cozyclassic dinner on a chilly night—it's a favorite comfort food for good reason. The perfect combination of buttery potpie crust over a rich filling of chicken and vegetables makes it ever so satisfying. This one-dish dinner has it all. 

There are many different takes on this classic dish. Other recipes use frozen puff pastry for their topperbut ours is a nostalgic and delicious traditional- potpie made with homemade all-butter pastry. It's filled with chickencarrotsonionand frozen peas in a soothing sauce made with chicken broth. It's a great way to use up any leftover rotisserie chickenchicken breastsor whatever chicken you have on hand. This dish can go a long way for a group of six—or save to indulge in leftovers the next day.

Classic Chicken Potpie
Credit:

Grant Webster

Make Ahead

Chicken potpie is a delicious dinner any night of the weekbut there isn't always time to make it on a weeknight. The good news is that you can make chicken potpie ahead of time. Here's how:

  1. Make the pastry and fillingand let the filling cool completely.
  2. Assemble the potpiebut do not bake.

Freeze the unbaked pie for up to four months. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 1/4 hours for a large pieand about 1 hour for small pies.

Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)plus more for work surface

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt

  • ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted buttercut into ½-inch pieces

  • 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water

For the Filling

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 medium yellow oniondiced small (1 ½ cups)

  • 4 medium carrotsdiced small (2 cups)

  • 2 garlic clovesminced

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 cup frozen peas

  • Coarse salt and ground pepper

  • 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (15 ounces)

  • cup fresh parsleychopped

Directions

Ingredients for Classic Chicken Potpie
Credit:

Grant Webster

  1. Make the crust:

    In a food processorpulse together floursugarand salt.

    Step 1 Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

  2. Add butter and pulse:

    Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse mealwith a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.

    Step 2a Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

    Step 2b Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

  3. Add ice water and pulse:

    Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessaryadd up to 2 tablespoons ice water); do not overmix.

    Step 3 Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

  4. Form dough:

    Form dough into a diskwrap tightly in plasticand refrigerate until firm1 hour or overnight (or freezeup to 1 month).

    Step 4 Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

  5. Preheat oven and cook carrots and onions for filling:

    Preheat oven to 375°F. Make the filling: In a large potmelt butter over medium-high. Add onion and carrots and cook until softened8 minutes.

    Step 5 Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

  6. Add garlic to filling:

    Add garlic and cook until fragrant30 seconds.

    Step 6 Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

  7. Add flour:

    Add flour and stir to coat vegetables.

    Step 7 Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

  8. Add broth slowly and simmer to thicken sauce:

    Slowly add brothwhisking constantly until sauce is smooth. Bring to a boilreduce heatand simmer until thickened5 to 7 minutes.

    Step 8 Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

  9. Stir in peaschickenand parsley:

    Stir in peas. Season with salt and pepperthen stir in chicken and parsley.

    Step 9a Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

    Step 9b Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

  10. Transfer filling to baking dish:

    Pour filling into a 2-quart baking dish.

    Step 10 Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

  11. Roll out dough:

    On a floured work surfaceroll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness.

    Step 11 Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

    Roll your dough a couple of inches larger than your dish so you can make a decorative edge: Folding it up and overpinching as you goforms a beautiful crust.

  12. Fit dough and crimp edge:

    Place dough over dish and fold overhang inward while pinching to crimp edge.

    Step 12 Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

  13. Make vents:

    Cut vents in dough.

    Step 13 Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

  14. Bake pie:

    Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling around the edge45 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

    Step 14 Classic Chicken Potpie
    Credit:

    Grant Webster

How to Store and Reheat Chicken Potpie

If you have leftover chicken potpiemake sure it has completely cooled before transferring the remaining portions to an airtight container. If there is more than half of the potpie leftyou can cover the remaining portion in the dish you baked it in and store it in the refrigerator. 

Reheating Leftovers

To reheat a potpie in the oven: The oven is the best method for reheating chicken potpie. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cover the pie dish with aluminum foil. If you are not using the original pie dishplace the portions of the potpie in a dish just large enough to hold them and cover them with foil. It will take about 20 minutes to warm the pie through.

To reheat a potpie in the microwave: If you are heating one or two portionsthe microwave is a quick and easy optionbut the crust will not be as delicious when the pie is heated in the microwave compared to heating the pie in the oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why is my chicken potpie so watery?

    Your chicken potpie is watery as a result of not cooking the filling for long enough or adding too much liquid to the filling. Another possible reason for the pie being watery is if you add watery vegetables like spinach or green beans to the filling rather than starchy vegetables like potatoes or carrotswhich soak up the liquid.


  • Can you reheat a chicken potpie more than once?

    Yesyou can reheat a chicken potpie more than oncebut the quality of the pie will suffer. Reheating a dish like a potpie several times will dry it out. If you don’t expect to use all the remaining potpiewe suggest you do not reheat all of it. Insteadcut the portions you will usereheat thoseand return any others to the refrigerator.


  • Is it possible to make chicken potpie vegetarian?

    Yesit is possible to make chicken potpie vegetarian. Omit the chicken and use a similar amount of sautéed mushroomstofuor any of your favorite hearty cooked vegetables. Be sure to use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.


  • Can I use frozen vegetables for the potpie filling?

    Yesyou can use frozen vegetables for the potpie filling. They are a great shortcut for prepping this recipe. Use frozen vegetables in the pie without waiting for them to thaw out. 

Other Potpie Recipes to Try

Originally appeared: Everyday FoodMarch 2012
Updated by
Victoria Spencer
Victoria Spencersenior food editorMarthaStewart.com
Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editorwriterand recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.