Awesome Chicken Pot Pie Recipe - Super Easy!

Chicken pot pie, in case you don’t know, describes a dish that has a pastry crust with a filling of chicken. There’s also some sort of gravy or thick sauce, and in many cases, vegetables are also added. Sometimes there’s a full top crust, but at others, a lattice top is made for the pie with strips of pastry. Here in the Deep South, most cooks don’t refer to a homemade version of this dish as chicken pot pie. We use that term for the little round frozen versions you buy at the supermarket. For a homemade version, most of us use the term “chicken pie.” Whatever you want to call it, it's a rib-sticking comfort food that's delicious any time.

There are lots of different chicken pot pie recipes floating around. The crust can be made from homemade pie crust, frozen pie crust, biscuit dough, or refrigerated crescent roll dough. I think I’ve tried them all. The best crust for chicken pie, in my opinion, is puff pastry.

Now, for the filling. Of course, cooked chicken is the main ingredient of the filling. It should be without bones or skin, and it can be diced or torn into larger pieces. You’ll also need some sort of sauce in the recipe. You can use a white sauce, chicken gravy, cream of mushroom soup, cream of celery soup, or cream of chicken soup. In my opinion, cream of chicken soup is the best choice.

Different chicken pot pie recipes include different vegetables. Some call for a can of mixed vegetables that includes carrots, potatoes, corn, lima beans, green beans, and peas. Some cooks like adding mushrooms to their pie. Personally, I like to use canned peas and carrots. Actually, you don’t have to add any vegetables at all, if you prefer not to. My mother rarely added any to her chicken pie, and it was great.

This is an easy chicken pot pie recipe I’m sharing with you today. Why is it so easy? For one thing, I use frozen puff pastry sheets, so I don’t have to bother with making a crust and rolling it out. One sheet of crust is almost the exact size I need for the baking dish I use.

Another reason this recipe is so easy is because I don’t have to make a sauce. I use cream of chicken soup for that. I don’t even have to cook the chicken. I’ve found that canned chicken works as an acceptable substitute for chicken I cook myself. Also, the amount of broth in the canned chicken is just the right amount I need in my recipe!

What are some good chicken seasonings for your dish? Well, that largely depends on your individual preferences. My mom always used just salt and black pepper, but I prefer my chicken pie to be a little more interesting. I usually add a little garlic powder, a little onion powder, a touch of rosemary, some dried parsley, and a pinch of poultry seasoning.

You might prefer adding sage, snipped chives, basil, mild paprika, celery salt, tarragon, lemon pepper, thyme, or curry powder. You might even want to add a splash of white wine or sherry to the sauce. For a hot and spicy version, you can add cayenne, chili powder, red curry powder, Tabasco sauce, or diced jalapenos.

Seasoning blends can also be used successfully. Depending on what flavors you prefer, think about using soul food seasoning blend, Creole seasoning blend, Cajun spices, or Old Bay.

Just use your imagination when it comes to adding seasonings! You know what flavors you like best for chicken, so try them in your chicken pot pie recipes. Oops – I mean chicken pie recipes. I don’t want to lose my membership to the Southern Cooks Club!