The Best Chicken Pot Pie Recipe Ever!

Ingredients:

  • Pillsbury Pie Crust (at room temperature, take it out of the fridge about 15 minutes before baking)
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 Large sweet onion — finely chopped
  • 2 Large carrots — peeled and finely diced
  • 2-3 Celery stalks — diced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (plus more according to taste)
  • 2-3 Cloves garlic — minced
  • 1/4 Cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 Cups whole or 2% milk 
  • 1 Tablespoon chicken flavored Better Than Bouillon
  • 2-3 Cups cooked shredded chicken (store-bought rotisserie chicken works great. Mix of White & dark meat preferred)
  • 3/4 Cups frozen green peas
  • 3/4 Cups frozen corn
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley — roughly chopped
  • 1/2 Teaspoon fresh or dried chopped thyme 

Directions:

  1. Make the filling: Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large sauté pan (with high, straight sides) over low to medium heat. Add the onion and let it cook down for about 10 minutes, stirring to prevent it from burning. Add the carrot, celery, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, then cook for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally and lowering the heat as needed, until the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and stir-fry for about 1 minute until fragrant. With the heat now at medium to medium-low, add the remaining tablespoon butter and mix. Once it’s completely melted, add the flour and stir-fry for 1 minute to get rid of the raw flour taste. Add a splash (figure ¼ cup or so) of milk (I like to warm the milk up in the microwave for a minute, so it isn’t cold when you add it in. This will prevent the milk from separating). Stir until smooth (it will be very thick and pasty at that point—that’s okay). Add another, slightly larger splash and stir. Repeat this until you’ve added all the milk. Stir in the chicken bouillon.

    Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring slowly but constantly, for about 5 minutes, or until thick enough that dragging a spoon along the bottom of the pot leaves a trail; toward the end of this time, it should reach a gentle simmer. When the gravy is thick, stir in the chicken, corn, and frozen peas. Cook another few minutes, stirring occasionally, to thaw and cook the corn and peas. Cut the heat, then stir in the herbs. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and chicken bouillon as needed.

  2. Let the chicken pot pie filling cool, uncovered, until barely warm, then put it in the fridge, in an airtight container, to cool completely. Adding a chilled filling to the pie encourages a flaky, crispy, browned crust. The filling will keep in the fridge for a few days.

  3. Heat the oven to 425°F. Take the pie dough out of the fridge and let it sit for about 15 minutes then unwrap. Roll out one of the discs into a 12-inch circle and set it into a 9-inch glass pie pan. You want a larger disc for the bottom of the pan. Use your fingers to gently press the dough into the corners of the pan, so it’s as snug as can be. Roll out the next disc into a 10- to 11-inch circle. Fill the dough-lined pie pan with the cold chicken pot pie filling and use a spoon to smooth out to fill the pan completely. If it's a little too thick you can add a little bit of chicken broth and stir it in before adding it to the pie pan. Top with the smaller round of pie dough. Trim any excess so you have an even ¾-inch overhang. Use your fingers to squeeze the two layers together, then fold the overhang under itself, so the edge is tucked into the pie pan and a ridge is formed. Use your fingers to reinforce this ridge, so it’s distinctly shaped, then crimp the edge of the pie crust into ruffles. The easiest way to crimp is by creating a guide with the thumb and pointer finger of your left hand, then pushing the dough outward with the pointer finger of your right hand. (If you’re a lefty, flip accordingly.) Use a paring knife to cut four slits in the center of the top crust. Place the pie pan on a rimmed sheet pan (this makes getting in and out of the oven a lot easier).

  4. Bake for 65 to 70 minutes (rotating halfway through), until the crust is deeply golden brown. If the edges start to burn, take the pie out of the oven and wrap the edges in aluminum foil then put it back in the oven. This will prevent them from burning. Let sit on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes—the filling will still be very warm, but not too liquidy.

  5. Cut into big wedges and serve warm.

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