Chicken Pot Pie

Not counting the times I’ve helped my Nonna bake traditional Italian pastries, this was my first attempt at making pastry crust on my own.

It was a surprising success. And that means if I can do it, so can you. If you’re like me and find comfort food the best way to warm up on a cold night, this hearty dish might be your new go-to.

It will require a bit more time to complete, since there’s a two-phase process to make both the filling and the pastry. But the pastry isn’t as daunting as it looks, and the filling is as easy as, well, chicken pot pie.

If you follow the directions below, your crust will come out perfectly golden in colour. As you pour the filling into the pastry and find that you have too much filling for your crust, don’t worry — we had a similar problem.

We just did what any normal people with too much food would do. We called it an appetizer to our main course and chowed down as we waited for the pot pie to cook. Win-win, right?

Prep time | 30 mins.
Cook time | 40 mins.
Serves | 6-8 people

INGREDIENTS 

Filling

  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 
  • 1 tbsp of cornstarch 
  • 1/2 cup milk 
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped 
  • 1 carrot, peeled and diced 
  • 1 celery stalk, diced 
  • 1 can of chicken broth
  • 1 russet potato, peeled and diced 
  • 1 1/2 cup cooked chicken, diced 
  • 1 cup of frozen peas 

Pastry 

  • 2 cups of all-purpose flour 
  • 1/2 tsp salt 
  • 1 cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed 
  • 1/4 cup ice water 
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar 
  • Milk, for brushing 

INSTRUCTIONS

Filling

  1. In a bowl, combine ¼ cup of the butter with the flour. Set aside. 
  2. In a second bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the milk. Set aside. 
  3. In a large pot, soften the onion, carrot, and celery. Season with salt and pepper. 
  4. Add the broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 20 mins or until the vegetables are just tender. 
  5. Add the butter mixture and boil gently, stirring with a wooden spoon.
  6. Add the milk and cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Adjust the seasoning. 
  7. Stir in the chicken and peas. 
  8. Transfer the filling into a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let cool while preparing the pastry. 

Pastry 

  1. In a food processor, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and pulse a few seconds at a time until the butter is the size of peas. 
  2. Add the water and vinegar, and pulse again until the dough just begins to form. Add more water if needed.
  3. Remove the dough from the food processor and form into two discs with your hands.
  4. Refrigerate for 30 mins.
  5. With the rack in the lowest position, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). 
  6. On a floured work surface, roll out the two discs of dough and line a 23-cm (9-inch) pie plate with one of them. Make incisions in the second crust. 
  7. Spoon the chicken filling into the crust. Brush around the dough with milk and cover with the second sheet of dough. Crimp the edges and brush with milk. 
  8. Bake for 40 mins or until the pastry is golden brown.
  9. Let rest for 15 minutes before cutting into it to enjoy!