Why you’ll love this recipe:
Chicken pot pie is comfort food at its best, but it’s a bit of an ordeal. Homemade pie crust takes finesse and a little know-how, not to mention it’s finicky.
That’s why I LOVE this chicken pot pie casserole! It has all the creamy decadence of a pot pie without all the work. Did I mention it’s ready in under 35 minutes?!
Shredded chicken and tender veggies are smothered in a creamy sauce, then topped with canned biscuits and baked. The result is otherworldly!
The combination of buttery, flaky biscuits with hearty chicken is to die for. My family loves this casserole and devours it quickly. We rarely have leftovers.
If you don’t have shredded chicken on hand, don’t worry! You can buy a rotisserie chicken while you’re at the store. It’s already cooked and easy to shred.
Key Ingredient Notes:
- Butter is a crucial part of the roux. A roux is a mixture of fat and flour that thickens soups, casseroles, and cheese sauce! If you don’t have butter, oil works too!
- Flour is the thickening agent in the roux, so the creamy sauce isn’t too runny.
- Veggies – Just grab whatever frozen mixed vegetables you like the best. Smaller veggies work best.
- Chicken broth creates the base of the filling. It gives the sauce a savory and complex flavor profile you can’t achieve without it. “Better than bouillon” chicken base is always in my fridge when I’m out of stock. Or you can always use vegetable broth instead.
- Half and half is equal parts of cream and milk. It’s the perfect combo of rich and decadent without going overboard. You can make your own if you like.
- Shredded chicken – This is an excellent recipe to use up leftovers! Make shredded chicken in the pressure cooker or crockpot or use any leftover cooked chicken from the fridge. Or for a quick shortcut, use a rotisserie chicken instead.
- Biscuit dough – There’s no need to make your own biscuits! Just pick up a roll of Pillsbury biscuits, or your favorite brand and use them for the top!
How to make this easy chicken pot pie recipe:
Chicken pot pie casserole is a breeze to make! All you have to do is make the filling, assemble it, and bake.
1. Make the chicken and vegetable filling
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Emphasis on large, at least 12-inch pan! A small one won’t fit all the filling.
- Add the onions and frozen veggies, then cook until the onions are soft. Add the garlic, salt and pepper, then cook another 30 seconds or so.
- Add the flour and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Doing so will cook the raw taste out of the flour.
- Pour in the chicken stock and cook, stirring, until thickened. Pour in the half and half and continue to cook and stir until hot, thick, and bubbly.
- Stir in the shredded chicken, then remove it from the heat.
2. Assemble and bake
- Pour the creamy chicken mixture into the casserole dish sprayed with a cooking spray.
- Remove the biscuits from the can and cut each biscuit into 4 equal pieces.
- Arrange the biscuits on top of the chicken filling and then bake for 10 minutes at 400°F.
- After 10 minutes is up, carefully cover the casserole dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 10 more minutes.
- Remove the pot pie casserole from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Make-Ahead Tips:
- You can make the filling a day ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to assemble. Cut and place the biscuits on top right before you plan to bake the casserole, so they don’t get soggy on the bottom.
Variations:
This chicken pot pie casserole is easy to customize! If you don’t want to use Pillsbury biscuits, try one of these delicious alternatives.
- Crescent rolls – Swap the biscuits with Pillsbury original crescent rolls (or any brand you like!). Unroll the dough and press against the perforations so they stay together. Place the rectangles over the chicken filling and bake until golden brown. You may need two cans to cover the entire casserole.
- Store-bought pie crust – Roll out store-bought pie dough and cover the entire filling with the pie dough. Poke the top of the crust and flute the edges. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
- Puff pastry – Roll each pastry sheet into a rectangle and cut into 2-inch wide strips. Use the puff pastry to make a lattice on top of the chicken filling. Whisk egg yolk with a teaspoon of milk and brush on top of the puff pastry. Bake until golden brown.
- Cheese – If you don’t want so many carbs, skip the biscuits altogether and top with plenty of shredded cheese!
- Protein – Shredded turkey, chopped ham, or ground sausage all work great in place of chicken if you want to change things up.
Storing Tips:
- Refrigerate: Store the casserole in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: You can reheat leftovers in the oven or in the microwave. If you prefer crispy biscuits, it’s best to go with the oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F and bake until heated through.
- The microwave is quick and easy if you only want to reheat a small portion! Just pop it into a microwave-safe dish and heat it all the way through.
FAQs:
The creamy sauce in a chicken pot pie is made of butter, flour, chicken stock, and cream or milk. The butter and flour are cooked together to make a roux.
A roux is a thickener for soups, stews, and casseroles. Once the roux is cooked for a few minutes to eliminate the raw taste of the flour, chicken stock and cream are added. The mixture thickens as it cooks into a creamy base for the chicken and veggies.
Yes, but then it won’t be a “chicken” pot pie. You can swap the chicken with shredded turkey, ground sausage, or diced ham. Just be sure the meat is cooked before you add it to the sauce.
Yes, this pot pie recipe is easy to make vegetarian! Omit the shredded chicken and bulk it up with more veggies!
Diced potatoes are a great option for that. I like to use diced russet potatoes. Or you can swap the chicken with a plant-based meat substitute, like vegan chicken strips.
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Equipment
- Casserole dish
- sauté pan
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 ½ cups frozen vegetable mix (corn, carrots, peas, green beans)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock Note 1
- 2 cups half and half Note 2
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken about 1 ½ pounds Note 3
- 8 count refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ and prepare a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion and frozen vegetable mix. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the flour and stir, cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock to the sauté pan and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the half & half and cook over medium heat until hot and bubbling, then add in the shredded chicken and stir. Remove from the heat and pour into the prepared casserole dish, set aside.
- Cut the biscuits into 4 pieces, and place on top of the chicken mixture in the casserole dish. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes cover loosely with foil and continue baking for the other 10 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving, enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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