Why You’ll Love This this Soul-Warming Chicken Pot Pie
This homemade chicken pot pie brings together tender, juicy chicken with hearty vegetables in a creamy, savory sauce that’ll make your kitchen smell like pure comfort.
The buttermilk biscuit topping is what really sets this apart from store-bought versions – it bakes up golden and fluffy, creating the perfect contrast to that rich, bubbling filling underneath.
I mean, who needs fancy restaurant food when you can pull this soul-warming masterpiece out of your own oven, complete with that satisfying “ahh” moment when you break through the biscuit crust to reveal all that deliciousness below.
Ingredients List
Let me break down everything you’ll need to create this comforting masterpiece that’ll have your family hovering around the kitchen like moths to a flame.
- 12 ounces fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cups water
- 2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup 2% low-fat milk
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 can sliced mushrooms (or fresh if you prefer)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
A few things worth noting about these ingredients:
- The 2% milk keeps things lighter than heavy cream while still giving you that creamy texture we’re all craving
- Fresh chicken breasts mean you control the sodium and quality, unlike rotisserie chicken that’s loaded with preservatives
- Those frozen mixed veggies are actually flash-frozen at peak nutrition, so don’t feel guilty about skipping fresh
- Buttermilk in the biscuits adds tang and helps create that tender, fluffy texture without needing loads of butter
- You can swap the canned mushrooms for fresh ones if you want to cut down on sodium, plus they’ll give you better texture
Step by Step Directions
Here’s how to make this soul-warming chicken pot pie from scratch, complete with fluffy buttermilk biscuits on top.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Combine chicken breasts and 3 cups water in a medium saucepan, bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken from pan and save the broth – you’ll need it for the vegetables.
- Shred the chicken once it’s cool enough to handle and set aside.
- Add potatoes, celery, and bouillon cube to the reserved chicken broth.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 12 minutes until vegetables are tender, then set aside.
- In a heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat.
- Add 2 tablespoons flour to the melted butter, stirring until smooth.
- Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly to eliminate the raw flour taste.
- Gradually add milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens into a creamy sauce.
- Remove from heat and stir in poultry seasoning.
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, frozen mixed vegetables, cream sauce, and mushrooms.
- Spoon this mixture into your prepared casserole dish.
- For the biscuit topping, combine 1 cup flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
- Cut in the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold butter with a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
- Stir in buttermilk until just mixed – don’t overmix or your biscuits will be tough.
- Drop spoonfuls of biscuit dough over the chicken mixture in rustic lumps.
- Bake for 1 hour or until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly.
- For consistently smooth cream sauces and perfectly mixed biscuit dough, a professional stand mixer can elevate your baking results to restaurant quality.
Substitutions and Variations
• Individual portions – Divide everything between ramekins or small baking dishes for personal pot pies.
Perfect for when you want to feel like you’re eating at a comfortable bistro instead of your kitchen table covered in mail.
• Gluten-free option – Use your favorite gluten-free flour blend in both the sauce and biscuit topping.
Just expect the texture to be slightly different, but still delicious.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
While this pot pie is pretty much a complete meal on its own, there are a few sides that pair beautifully and won’t leave you feeling like you need to unbutton your pants afterward.
- Simple green salad – Something light and crisp cuts through all that creamy, buttery goodness. I’m talking basic mixed greens with a tangy vinaigrette, nothing fancy that competes with your masterpiece.
- Roasted Brussels sprouts – Yeah, I know, Brussels sprouts used to be the villain of the vegetable world, but when you roast them until they’re crispy and caramelized, they become the perfect slightly bitter counterpoint to all that comfort food richness.
- Cranberry sauce – This might sound weird, but that tart-sweet combination works magic with chicken pot pie. Use the homemade stuff if you’re feeling ambitious, or honestly, the canned stuff works just fine.
- Steamed green beans – Keep them simple with just butter, salt, and maybe a squeeze of lemon. You want something that won’t fight for attention but adds a nice pop of color and crunch.
- Dinner rolls – Because sometimes you just want to embrace the carb-on-carb lifestyle, and warm, buttery rolls make everything better, even when you’re already eating biscuits on top of your pot pie.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
Look, I’m going to share the little tricks that turn a good pot pie into the kind that makes people ask for the recipe three times.
- Don’t skip the roux step – That butter and flour mixture might seem fussy, but it’s what keeps your filling from turning into chicken soup with biscuits floating on top, which is tragic and not what we’re going for here.
- Cold butter is your biscuit’s best friend – Room temperature butter makes dense, sad biscuits, and nobody has time for that kind of disappointment in their life.
- Pre-cook those potatoes until they’re just tender – Nobody wants to bite into a rock-hard potato cube hiding in their comfort food, trust me on this one.
- Let that chicken cool before shredding – Hot chicken turns into chicken mush faster than you can say “ouch,” and shredded chicken has so much better texture than chicken confetti.
- Taste your filling before it goes in the dish – This is your last chance to fix the seasoning, because once those biscuits go on top, you’re committed to whatever’s underneath.
- Don’t overmix the biscuit dough – Stir it just until it comes together, because overworked dough turns into hockey pucks, and those don’t taste nearly as good as they sound.
- Check for doneness with a knife – Stick it right into the center of the filling, and if it comes out hot, you’re golden and ready to eat.
Nutritional Facts
Based on the ingredients and cooking method, this chicken pot pie delivers comfort food satisfaction with some nutritional benefits.
- Calories: Approximately 385 per serving (serves 6)
- Protein: 28g from chicken breast and milk – excellent for muscle maintenance and satiety
- Carbohydrates: 42g primarily from potatoes, flour, and vegetables
- Fat: 12g mostly from butter and milk, with minimal saturated fat
- Fiber: 4g from mixed vegetables and potatoes supporting digestive health
- Sodium: 680mg largely from bouillon cube and baking powder
- Vitamin A: High content from carrots in the mixed vegetable blend
- Vitamin C: Good source from potatoes and frozen vegetables
- Calcium: 180mg from buttermilk and milk for bone health
- Iron: 2.5mg from chicken and enriched flour
- Potassium: 520mg from potatoes and chicken supporting heart health
- B Vitamins: Notable B6 and niacin from chicken breast
- Phosphorus: Good levels from chicken and dairy ingredients
Fun “Did You Know?”
Beyond its impressive nutritional profile, chicken pot pie carries fascinating stories that’ll make you appreciate this comfort classic even more. Did you know chicken pot pie dates back to ancient Rome? Romans created early versions using pastry crusts to preserve meat during long journeys.
The dish evolved through medieval Europe before colonists brought it to America. Here’s something surprising: the original “pies” were actually storage containers, not desserts!
Buttermilk biscuit topping became popular during the Great Depression when home cooks needed economical alternatives to traditional pastry.
Today’s comfort food actually represents centuries of culinary adaptation and resourcefulness across cultures.
