Of everything I make, I would say that I get the most requests for this Chicken Pot Pie. It’s something my family universally loves (immediate and extended!) and at this point it’s something I can make without really measuring or even thinking about it. That means it turns out a little different every time depending on what herbs and veggies I have on hand, but this recipe is the core version. With a delicious creamy gravy that’s helped out by a splash of white wine, it’s the thing I turn to pretty much every time we have leftover chicken in the fridge.

I always start with onions, carrots, garlic, and thyme that I cook down in butter. You could use oil, but I like the flavor of butter here much better. Some people might add celery here too, but it’s something I rarely have on hand, so I don’t plan around it. If you’re a celery person, just slice a rib or two and add it with the carrots.

The next step is to stir in flour and let it cook just a minute until the raw flour taste is gone. This is your thickener, and you only need four tablespoons (a quarter cup) to make a nice gravy. The liquids are white wine and chicken broth and a bit of half and half (or heavy cream).

The white wine and chicken broth go in now and once things have thickened up, you’ll remove it from the heat and stir in the chicken, peas, and cream. It’s just enough cream to make the gravy silky without taking it into full cream sauce territory and the white wine adds a bright balance. It’s kind of my secret ingredient; don’t skip it.

You want to the sauce to cool a bit before you ladle it into your pie crust but the time it takes to actually roll out the pie crust is usually just long enough.

Full disclosure: I usually only make this with a top crust. A double crust is for special occasions. You want about a twelve-inch circle if you’re using a nine-inch pie pan — don’t worry about the overhang.

Ladle the filling in and then top it with a smaller circle of pie dough, about ten inches this time.

And again, you don’t really need to worry about the overhang unless it’s super egregious. An inch or even a touch more is fine. You want to fold under all that excess pie crust so you have layers at the edge.

Tuck the crust under all the way around.

And brush it with a little egg wash. Use a sharp knife or some scissors to make a few steam vents.

And then bake.

It’ll take about thirty minutes and you’re going to end up with a robust crusty border, but that’s just how I like it.

It supports the filling in a sturdy, yet still irresistibly flaky, way.

The gravy will be much thinner while it’s hot so give this at least fifteen minutes to rest after it gets out of the oven. It’s a hard wait, but it’s an important one.

While sometimes I use leeks, potatoes, and even turnips, the combination of carrots, onion, and peas is what I turn to the most. I love the sweet pop of the peas in the savory gravy. In fact, I keep peas stocked in my freezer just so I can make Chicken Pot Pie on a whim at any given time. To me, pot pie without peas isn’t worth having.

But with a buttery, flaky crust and a hearty filling that’s full of rustic but fresh flavor, this is SO worth having.

Need the perfect pie crust to go with this? Try our All Butter Pie Crust recipe.

Pot pies were a staple in our household growing up, so we always think back to those days when we make it. Now, sometimes we use store-bought dough (or puff pastry!), but every once in awhile we like to roll up our sleeves and do the whole thing ourselves, from start to finish. Our dough comes together quickly and easily, and then it’s just about whipping up the deliciously thick and creamy filling, stuffed to the gills with chicken and tasty veggies. Whether or not you’ve got memories associated with this dish, it’s hearty and delicious and just the right thing to pick us up on a cold day…plus, if you don’t eat it all in one sitting, it makes for great leftovers later in the week!

Classic Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 2/3 cup cold buttermilk
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

• 3 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrot, chopped
• 1/2 cup green beans (or peas), chopped
• 1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh or canned)
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour and salt, then add in cubed butter and pulse until mixture is coarse and crumbly.
2. Turn mixture out into a bowl and pour in cold buttermilk.
3. Use two forks to mix everything together until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic.
4. Divide dough into two balls, flatten into discs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
5. Refrigerate 1-2 hours, or until ready to use.
6. When ready to prepare, preheat oven to 375º F.
7. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt butter and sauté onions, carrots and green beans for 10 minutes, or until softened.
8. Add chicken and corn and cook for another 3-4 minutes, then sprinkle flour over everything and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
9. Pour in chicken broth and season with salt, pepper, thyme, garlic powder and turmeric, and bring to a boil.
10. Cook for 10 minutes, or until thickened, then stir in heavy cream and cook for another 5 minutes.
11. Remove one dough disc from refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to 13-inch circle. Transfer it to 9 or 10-inch pie dish, then top with chicken and veggie filling.
12. Roll out second dough disc to the same size and gently place over the filling. Crimp and seal the edge of the dough and trim off excess.
13. Lightly beat your egg with 2 tablespoons water and brush mixture over the top crust, then use a small paring knife to cut vents in the crust.
14. Place pot pie in oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until crust is golden, then cover and bake for another 15 minutes.
15. Remove from oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from12 Tomatoes