Nothing says comfort like this Chicken Pot Pie recipe. When you make it in individual containers, it’s perfection because you get more of the flaky crust all for yourself which happens to be my favorite part. It’s also a great way to use up leftover chicken and veggies in your fridge. I mean, what’s not to love?
Making Chicken Pot Pie seemed like a task. Maybe not the filling, but making the crust was a chore. It was definitely a “weekend cooking” type of meal. Then I discovered pre-made frozen phyllo dough (or puff pastry) and it was a complete game changer for weeknight cooking.
Frozen phyllo dough can be pricey not to mention highly processed so you’ll have to shop around to find the best one that fits your budget and overall needs. I discovered a really inexpensive one with few ingredients (that I could pronounce) at my local middle eastern specialty store. It was inexpensive for a 2″-thick package of pre-cut phyllo sheets so I was quite pleased with my find, I must admit.
If you can’t find or don’t like phyllo dough, you can also use frozen puff pastry dough (my favorite!) or regular pie crust so don’t be afraid to experiment. The only difference is you’ll need to brush the top of the crust with an egg wash before you place it in the oven. Cutting holes or slits for venting still apply for the puff pastry or pie crust.
I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart and Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food editor, Sarah Carey. I wanted a simple recipe that didn’t use any cream or milk but was still delicious and I liked that this accomplished both.
If you can, make your own broth since it elevates the flavor of your Chicken Pot Pie but, again, use what you have on hand and within your budget.
Now, if you don’t have individual ramekins, then you can absolutely use a baking dish and cover the puff pastry on top. It’s just not as fun. 😉
Since this is comfort food, I like to pack this recipe with a variety of vegetables, mostly green, for balance. This is a great way to use up what’s in your fridge that’s about to go bad. The go-tos are celery and carrot. Additionally, green beans work well plus kale, sugar snap peas, or spinach.
If you have leftover filling, make another serving or eat it with rice. You can also freeze it for later.
Chicken Pot Pie is pure comfort food. This one is packed with vegetables but don’t let that fool you because it’s incredibly delicious. Plus, it’s baked in individual ramekins so each person has their own generous serving of crust. What could be better? Using leftovers in your fridge and a pre-made crust will save you time and money so it’s an all-around winner!
Looking for a side dish to eat with your Chicken Pot Pie? Try our herb salad.
Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken, cooked shredded or cubed ($5.00)
- 1 onion diced ($0.50)
- 2 stalks celery, diced ($0.25)
- 2 carrots diced ($0.50)
- 1/3 cup broccoli cut in pieces as other vegetables ($0.25)
- 1/2 cup peas ($0.57)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter ($0.28)
- 6 tbsp flour, all-purpose ($0.06)
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups chicken broth ($1.25)
- 6-7 sheets (per ramekin) frozen phyllo dough thawed ($1.40)
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, ($0.00) (from our garden)
- salt and pepper to taste ($0.02)
- 4 Tbsp melted unsalted butter ($0.28)
Instructions
- Prepare all your ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Heat a large pan over medium heat and melt butter. Add celery, carrots, broccoli and onions and saute until vegetables are soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add flour and combine. Cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly add the broth up to 2 cups, constantly stirring to avoid lumps. If you find the liquid is too thick, gradually add last remaining broth until you reach desired thickness. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in peas, thyme and chicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide filling in four 8-ounce ramekins and place on top of baking sheet.
- If your phyllo sheets are not pre-cut, cut them to fit slightly larger than the opening of the ramekin. Using a pastry brush, carefully brush the top of each sheet with a little bit of melted butter and layer 6 buttered sheets on top of each other. Place 6 buttered layers of phyllo sheets on top of each ramekin. Using a sharp knife, cut small slivers in center for venting.
- Place baking sheet in center of the oven and bake until top is a nice golden color, about 30-40 minutes. Check it at 30-minutes to make sure it isn't browning too much. If so, you can tent it with foil for the remainder of the time. Remove from oven and wait 5 minutes to cool slightly. The ramekins will be extremely hot so use caution. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
* Note regarding pricing: The thyme used in this recipe is from our garden which is why there is no price listed. The price for the pantry items such as salt and pepper takes into account the cost of the amount used for the recipe and not the cost if you had to purchase the entire jar or bottle. ** All prices in US dollars.