Chicken pot pie with roasted pumpkin, cauliflower, carrots and a touch of roasted garlic swimming in a rich creamy gravy and flaky crust! It’s definitely chicken pot pie time! Too much turkey leftover after a holiday meal? Make this pie with turkey!
Looking for a different twist on this epic comfort food? Take a look at Chicken and Mushroom Pie or Chicken and Leek Pie!
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This easy chicken pot pie recipe idea came to me late at night while I was already in bed. It got me so excited I should have given up on sleep right there and then. All I wanted to do was get up and fire up the oven!
But I resisted and it was the right call because great things shouldn’t be rushed.
This homemade chicken pot pie recipe has everything you could hope for. Tender chicken, creamy sauce filling with savoury roast vegetables and fragrant fresh herbs. Bake it all in a flaky pie crust and you have a winner for the whole family!
Chicken Pie or Chicken Pot Pie?
It depends on where you live. In the US chicken pot pie is a chicken pie that has only top crust as opposed to a pie encased in a double crust.
In the UK most meat pies have top crust only. Different terminology. Same delicious food.
It’s no surprise that there is variation in naming and recipes since chicken pies have been around for centuries. Of course they shift and change with the passing of time, but the basic thinking remains the same.
Originally made by Greeks with a bottom crust, it was the Romans who added one on top. They were a regular part of the diet in countries like the UK, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that they became as popular as they are in the US.
What changed? A few things likely are the reason, but the convenience of serving a small pot pie as part of a TV dinner cannot be ignored!
Ingredients
The classic filling for a chicken pot pie is cooked chicken mixed with carrots, peas and celery in a creamy gravy. All baked under a layer of flakey pie crust. It’s homey and comforting. It’s loved by many.
It could be a lot of work, but fortunately it doesn’t have to be. A lot of effort can be saved by using a good quality pre-made pie crust. No one will know!
I decided to change things up just a smidge by adding hearty roasted vegetables like pumpkin, cauliflower and carrots. I also added garlic for more flavour! You can roast them up to two days in advance to speed up the process.
Roast vegetables for pot pie
I know what you are thinking. Did I really HAVE to roast them? Couldn’t I just boil or steam them? The answer is a big, fat YES.
Roasting pumpkin, cauliflower, carrots, onions and garlic with a bit of olive oil and sage adds so much flavour. Without roasting the flavours in this chicken pie are very mild.
And the last thing I wanted was for you to come back to me and say, “BLAND“. I really try to avoid that!
So I roasted loads and loads of vegetables and used some of them in these pies and saved the rest for future meals. Oh yeah, I also blended the roasted pumpkin and tucked it away for a pie. Yum!
The vegetables I used for the creamy filling in this pie are variable of course. They depend on your personal preference and what you have in your fridge. I used what was in mine.
Besides carrots, pumpkin and cauliflower listed in this recipe, you can roast broccoli, butternut squash, parsnips, even potatoes!
It was definitely the right call to roast that pumpkin as it added a lovely natural sweetness to the chicken pot pie filling!
Recipe tips and notes
- I’m all for making things as easy as possible, and using a store-bought pie crust is a great way to do this. The flaky pie crust is important so get the best quality crust you can, and look for all-butter pie crust. Shortcrust is traditionally used for pot pie rather than puff pastry. If you insist on homemade pie crust, you can find a recipe with my Steak and Ale Pie. The pastry can be made a day in advance to keep preparation as easy as possible.
- Building off of that, why not make the creamy chicken or turkey pie filling in advance as well? It can be prepared as much as two days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to be used.
- I used the vegetables that I had available and which appealed to me. Other vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, butternut squash, parsnips, even potatoes can also be used in this pie.
- Don’t forget to cut slits into the top of the pie with a sharp knife after adding the top layer of pastry. The slits allow steam to escape when baking so the bottom crust doesn’t turn soggy. And remember the egg wash to give the top of the pie crust that lovely golden brown colour!
- I love this pie as a way to use up turkey or roast chicken leftovers, especially as a way to give turkey leftovers new life after Thanksgiving. Store-bought rotisserie chicken to make this
Serving suggestions
The result of this recipe is a pie that tastes like Thanksgiving dinner all rolled into one, which takes it close to the top as an ultimate comfort food. It wasn’t my intention, I simply used herbs and vegetables that made sense to me, but that is exactly what I got.
This recipe would also be ideal for using your turkey and vegetable leftovers after Thanksgiving and Christmas because everything tastes better in a pie form!
The pie is begging to be served with a tasty mash, which may well be available as leftovers anyway. If not, a classic Irish Champ or traditional Colcannon will do perfectly.
For something more than potatoes, give Sweet Potato and Swede Mash or Creamy Celeriac and Potato Mash a try!
A pour of gravy will also be welcome. Easy Homemade Gravy is always a winner, or take it to the next level with Red Onion Gravy.
Leftovers and storage
This classic chicken pot pie freezes wonderfully well! You can freeze an unbaked pie right after assembling. Or you can bake it first, then cool completely and freeze in freezer bags. They will keep well in a freezer for up to 2-3 months.
To reheat a baked pot pie, preheat the oven to 350F/180C, shield the pastry with some aluminum foil and reheat for for 15-20 minutes.
When refrigerated a cooked chicken pot pie will last for 2-3 days.
More leftover chicken or turkey recipes
Sage Chicken Pot Pie with Roasted Harvest Vegetables
Ingredients
- ½ small cauliflower
- 1 carrot
- ½ onion
- 5 garlic cloves unpeeled
- 2 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- ½ tsp sage dried
- ¼ small pumpkin or ½ of butternut squash
- salt and pepper
For the chicken pot pie filling
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 2 shallots or 1 onion chopped
- 4 sage leaves chopped
- 1-2 rosemary leaves chopped
- 250 g / 2 cups cooked chicken or turkey
- 2 cups/500ml chicken stock
- 2 tsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water
- 125 ml / ½ cup heavy/double cream
- 2 cubes / ½ cup frozen spinach
- salt and pepper to taste
- premade pie crust for 2 small/8 inch pies
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. Cut the cauliflower into florets, carrot into large pieces, pumpkin into 4 inch pieces, onion into quarters. Arrange on a baking sheet, season with salt and dried sage. Scatter unpeeled garlic cloves and drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Roast for 40 minutes. (You can do this step up to 2 days ahead)
- While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the filling. Cook the shallots in olive oil on low heat until soft for 5-7 minutes, add the herbs and cook for 1 minute longer, then add chicken and stock, turn the heat up and bring to a boil, then add cornstarch to thicken it, then add the cream and take it off the heat.
- When the vegetables are roasted and cooled, cut them into bite-sized pieces, peel the roasted garlic and mince it. Add the roasted vegetables to the chicken, mix and turn the heat on and bring the mixture to a boil, check for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Your liquid should have the consistency of a gravy. If it’s too runny, add more cornstarch to thicken it.
- Divide the chicken and roasted vegetable filling into two deep 8 inch pie plates and let it cool slightly. Then cover with a pie crust, press down with a fork into the rim of your pie plates to seal your pot pies. Brush with a beaten egg and cut little slits in the crust. Bake in a preheated oven at 375F/190C for 30 minutes or until golden and the filling is piping hot.
Diner aan huis Den Haag says
This looks incredible! Yum!
vikalinka says
Thank you!