Does Chicken Need to Be Cooked Before Making Chicken Pot Pie

Easy Chicken Pot Pie – This quick-prep, easy & savory chicken pot pie filling uses only 5 ingredients that you toss into a bowl, give a quick stir, and pour into your pie crusts. It can be made ahead and it's freezer friendly too!

Life is real, and that's why we need easy recipes in our lives. This 5 ingredient chicken pot pie is a for-reals dinnertime hero: just rotisserie chicken, frozen potatoes, veggies, savory gravy and store-bought pie crusts.

And in fact, after you make it I bet you'll never want to buy a chicken pot pie from the store again. It's that good.

Okay, I'm just gonna go ahead and say it.

This is the best chicken pot pie recipe in the world. Perfect for beginners and easy enough for people who hate to cook. It's great for individuals, college kids, empty nesters, seniors and families of all sizes too.

I mean, it's loaded with healthy vegetables, which I love for the kids. It's filling and basically the best comfort food ever, which the husband loves. And it's a no-prep, EASY meal that tastes like you cooked all day, which is what I love the most.

HOW TO MAKE A CHICKEN POT PIE – THE EASY WAY

Here's what you're gonna do.

Chop up some Rotisserie chicken, add it to a large bowl. Add in frozen diced hash-brown potatoes, frozen mixed peas & carrots, a little bit of diced onion and two jars of store-bought chicken gravy. Then give it all a nice big stir.

Unroll the package of store-bought pie crusts, add the bottom crusts to your pie plates. Add chicken pot pie filling into pie crusts.

Add top pie crusts on top, seal the pie edges and poke some holes on top. Then you can choose to bake it right away, place it in the refrigerator to bake later or freeze it.

Done! This super easy chicken pot pie with pie crust only takes 15 minutes to prep, and another 40-45 minutes to bake. Dinner done in an hour!

LET'S TALK ABOUT ABOUT PIE CRUST

• I love buying pre-made pie crusts from the stores, as they are flaky, tasty and just so much easier than making from scratch. My favorite is the Pillsbury brand (2-packs) found in the refrigerated section. I don't like the frozen crusts in pie tins as much (even though they do work) because you'll need to flip over one of them for your top crust, thaw it and roll it out a bit to get it to work.
• You could make your chicken pot pie crust from scratch! I'd recommend Crazy For Crust's all-butter pie crust as it has turned out perfectly for me every time. The Gracious Pantry has a whole wheat pie crust recipe and What The Fork's Gluten-free Pie Crust is amazing as well.
• If you prefer a biscuit dough crust you could take 1 cup of my homemade Bisquick copycat recipe, add 1/2 cup of milk and one egg, mix that together and spread it over one 9-inch pie. Using my filling recipe below you'd bake it at 400°F for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
• Puff Pastry works for an easy pie crust too! Thaw it first, then either cut it into strips, weave it or simply place it on the top. Bake at 400°F for 40-45 minutes or until golden.
• If you're not a huge fan of pie crust, only add it to the top of the pie pan instead of top and bottom.

YUMMY VARIATIONS FOR CHICKEN POT PIE FILLING

• Use a homemade chicken gravy instead of the cans of store-bought gravy.
• Use cooked turkey instead of the chicken. I love making turkey pot pies with leftover turkey and gravy from Thanksgiving.
• To make a vegetarian version you can use chickpeas instead of chicken, use a vegetarian gravy and a vegetarian pie crust
• Add in 1 cup of heavy cream to make the recipe creamier
• Mix it up by adding in other favorite vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, celery, green beans, corn, mixed frozen veggies, etc.
• Use diced beef instead of chicken, and change chicken gravy to a beef gravy for a beef pot pie.
• Instead of the chicken pot pie with Rotisserie chicken you can substitute baked, slow-cooked, sauteed or instant pot cooked chicken.

ADJUSTABLE SERVING SIZE!

This recipe is easy to adapt to your family size and circumstances. You can make individual chicken pot pie recipe sized portions, regular pie-sized ones and even big family sized baking dishes.

Here are some different sizes this recipe makes:

• 6 Individual Sized Mini-Pie Pans
• Two 9-inch pie pans (each pie serves 3-4)
• One 9×13 inch baking pan (serves 6-8)

Note: If you are planning on keeping your chicken pot pie frozen until you bake it, you will want to use a metal or foil baking pan. Glass can shatter when going from freezer to oven. Stores sell aluminum pans in all sizes that work well.

HOW TO FREEZE CHICKEN POT PIE & BAKE IT UP LATER

This recipe was one of the first freezer meal recipes I ever developed! In fact, it's part of my 50 Freezer Meals in a Day menu and continues to be a family fav today. I usually make 3-4 batches of this easy chicken pot pie freezer meal and stick em all in the freezer for busy nights. You can see more of my freezer meal recipes here.

Here are some frozen pot pie cooking instruction & tips.

• If you are planning on doing an egg wash, don't add it before freezing. Instead brush it on right before adding the pie to the oven.
• To freeze chicken pot pie wrap tightly it in aluminum foil, trying to minimize any air exposure. Then place in freezer. You can then bake it according to my instructions below for the best quality crust and pie.
• Use a metal or foil pan if going from freezer to a hot oven, as glass pans can shatter.

How to cook a pie from frozen and how long will it take to cook it?
The best way is to take the frozen 9-inch pot pie, cover it in foil and bake it for 30 minutes covered. Then remove the foil and finish baking for another 35-40 minutes until the pie crust is golden brown and sauce is bubbling inside. If you are using a family sized pot pie in a 9×13 baking dish this will take longer.

Should I thaw the frozen pot pie first or bake it from frozen?
It's totally up to you! It does take a lot longer to bake when frozen vs thawed, however I see little difference in the quality of the pie. To thaw simply move the pot pie from the freezer to the fridge and let it slowly thaw for a full day in advance.

Can I cook chicken pot pie if it's not fully thawed?
Yes! You can cook this recipe even if it is only partially thawed. Just cook the recipe as if it was frozen, and watch it often to see if it gets done early.

Is it better to freeze chicken pot pie cooked or uncooked?
For the freshest tasting chicken pot pie it's best to freeze it uncooked, then bake it up fresh on the day you want to enjoy it. If you pre-cook and freeze your pot pie, then warm it up in the microwave, your crust won't be as flaky, your potatoes and veggies will become soggy & overcooked and the flavors just won't be as fresh.

How long will this last in your freezer?
Frozen Chicken pot pie is best used up within 4-6 months after freezing as long as you store it properly and follow steps to avoid freezer burn. If it's gone longer than 6 months it is still good to eat, you just might have less quality.

MAKE AHEAD CHICKEN POT PIE

Can you refrigerate Chicken Pot Pie before baking?
Yes! Simply make as directed including adding the pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you are ready to bake it, preheat your oven, remove from the fridge, and add the egg wash (if using). Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes covered with foil, then remove foil and bake an additional 35-40 minutes until crust is golden brown and sauce bubbling inside.

WHAT SIDES SHALL I SERVE WITH THIS MEAL?

What's great about this pot pie is that it has everything in one dish! But if you want some great plate fillers, here are some of my favorite side dishes to go with it.

• Salad – fruit salad or garden salad
• Veggies – green beans or roasted asparagus
• Roll – a yummy roll like this one or a batch of homemade bread

If you're ready to get meal prepping this week, print the recipe card out below, gather all of your ingredients and prepare to be blown away by the deliciousness that you get when you opt to make this savory pie from scratch!

CHECK OUT MY VIDEO FOR HOW TO MAKE EASY CHICKEN POT PIE:

Jump to Video

• 2 cups Cooked Shredded Chicken (Rotisserie)
• 16 oz Frozen Diced Hashbrowns
• 12 oz Frozen Peas and Carrots mix
• 1/4 cup Onion, diced (optional)
• 2 12 oz jars of Chicken Gravy (or 2-1/2 cups homemade)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 (1 top and 1 bottom) Unbaked Pie Crusts (store-bought refrigerated – 2 packages)
• 1 large egg optional for egg wash

• Chop your cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces and measure out 2 cups. Add to a large bowl. If you like your chicken pot pie extra chicken-y feel free to add another cup or two to this pie.

• Also add to bowl frozen hash-browns, frozen peas & carrots, diced onion (if using), 2 jars of gravy and season to taste with salt and pepper. ( I personally add 1-1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp pepper). Stir all together until well combined.

• Remove your store-bought pie crusts from their packages. If they need to come to room temperature first that's fine, just wait a few minutes.

• Place one pie crust into each 9-inch pie plate. Spoon the pot pie filling equally between the two pie plates in the crust. Top with the second pie crusts. Seal the edges by crimping with a fork or your fingers. Poke a few holes with a sharp knife or fork on top pie crusts.

MAKE IT NOW

• Preheat oven to 400°F degrees.

• Optional: use a pastry brush, and lightly brush crust and edges with beaten egg.

• Place pot pie on a baking pan, place in middle rack of oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until top of pie is golden and inside is bubbling. You could use a pie crust shield or cover edges with foil to protect the edges from browning if necessary. Cool for 10 minutes, cut into slices and serve.

MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL

• Wrap unbaked chicken pot pies tightly in aluminum foil, then place in freezer. Freezes well for 4-6 months.

• To bake from frozen, preheat oven to 400°F. Place pot pie on a baking sheet, place in middle rack of oven and bake, covered for 30 minutes. Remove the foil from the pie, then continue baking for 35-40 minutes or until top of pie is golden and inside is bubbling. You could use a pie crust shield or cover edges with foil to protect the edges from browning if necessary. Cool for 10 minutes, cut into slices and serve.

• To thaw first & bake, place frozen pot pies into fridge for 24 hours. Bake at 400°F, covered for 20 minutes. Remove the foil from the pie, then continue baking for 35 minutes or until top of pie is golden and inside is bubbling. Cool for 10 minutes, cut into slices and serve.

This recipe is easy to adapt to your family size and circumstances. You won't need extra pie crusts, recipe is same for each of these. Here are some different sizes this recipe makes:

• 6 Individual Sized Mini-Pie Pans (same bake time as 9-inch pies above)
• Two 9-inch pie pans
• One 9×13 inch baking pan – note: baking time will be longer – bake with foil for 45 minutes, remove foil and continue baking for an additional 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling inside.

For the chicken in the recipe: buy a rotisserie chicken or you can also cook up boneless skinless chicken breasts (place in baking pan with 1/4 cup water, bake covered for 1 hour at 350°F).

If you are planning on doing an egg wash, don't add it before freezing. Instead brush it on right before adding the pie to the oven. I prefer the egg wash as it makes the pie look shiny and pretty.

Use a metal or foil pan if going from freezer to a hot oven, as glass pans can shatter.

Homemade gravy? If you are using up homemade vs store-bought gravy, use 2-1/2 cups of homemade.

Calories: 528 kcal | Carbohydrates: 57 g | Protein: 18 g | Fat: 26 g | Saturated Fat: 8 g | Cholesterol: 53 mg | Sodium: 431 mg | Potassium: 424 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 1 g | Vitamin A: 4091 IU | Vitamin C: 10 mg | Calcium: 41 mg | Iron: 4 mg

MORE EASY CHICKEN FREEZER MEALS

• Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
• Spicy Honey Chicken Drumsticks
• Instant Pot Light Chicken Pot Pie
• Baked Chicken Pesto Alfredo
• Balsamic Rosemary Chicken
• Make Ahead Orange Chicken Freezer Meal
• Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup

—> See ALL of my Freezer Meals recipes here.

Does Chicken Need to Be Cooked Before Making Chicken Pot Pie

Source: https://happymoneysaver.com/frugal-food-homemade-chicken-pot-pie/

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