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Autumn-Inspired Chicken Pot Pie

This pot pie is LOADED with fall flavors and it's extremely easy to make with store-bought puff pastry as the crust. In the creamy filling we have cooked chicken breasts, fennel, onion, butternut squash, peas and garlic.
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • 11-12 inch cast iron skillet (I used my Staub cast iron skillet)

Ingredients
  

  • Kosher salt for seasoning throughout
  • 2 cups butternut squash peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 bulb fennel diced
  • 1 medium white onion diced (about 2 cups)
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme sprigs finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tbsp sage finely chopped
  • Fresh cracked black pepper for seasoning throughout
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine if you don't like cooking with alcohol, substitute an extra 1/2 cup of chicken stock
  • 2 cups chicken stock add 1 tsp chicken bouillon for extra flavor (optional)
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken breast cut into cubes or torn into pieces * see notes
  • 2 tsp water
  • 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
  • Flaky sea salt for topping

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a rack into the center of the oven. Heat a stock pot of water over high heat and bring it to a boil. Season with 3 generous pinches of salt.
  • Blanch the butternut squash for 3-4 minutes, until slightly cooked through. Place into an ice bath or drain and run under cold water in a colander until the temperature neutralizes. Set aside.
  • Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt. Add the onion and fennel and toss them with the butter. Season with a generous pinch of kosher salt and let them cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Add the sage, thyme and garlic. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
  • Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour combines with the butter and forms a "wet sand" consistency (about 30 seconds to 1 minute.)
  • Pour the white wine into the pan. Stir constantly and cook for about 1 minute, allowing the alcohol to burn off. Next, slowly pour the chicken stock into the pan, while whisking. Once combined, pour the whole milk in and whisk until combined. Season with a generous pinch of kosher salt and pepper and taste to ensure the seasoning is good for you before moving on to the next step.
  • Add the butternut squash, peas, and chicken to the filling and stir until combined. Cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed throughout (approx. 5-6 minutes.) Turn off the heat.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the egg and water with a fork until combined.
  • Fold a 14 oz. puff pastry sheet into a square (it typically comes in this shape, with 4 folds.) Roll it out on a lightlfy floured surface, until there are no more separate layers and it becomes one thicker piece of puff pastry. Roll until it's about 15 inches wide and long. This will give you 2-3 inches of extra runway when you drape it onto the pan (would rather have too big of a crust, than too small!)
  • Drape the crust over the skillet. Trim the edges so that there is about a 1 inch border around the skillet. Fold the edge of puff pastry to form a crust. You can crimp the edges with a fork or just leave it as a rustic folded edge.
  • With a sharp knife, make 6-8 slits in the center of crust. Brush the entire crust with the egg wash. Avoid getting egg wash in the slits as much as possible. Top with flaky sea salt.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the fillig is bubbling. Check on the crust after 20 minutes and rotate it if it's not cooking evenly. If it's already golden brown after 20 minutes, cover with foil and proceed to cook another 10-20 minutes until it's extra flaky. Remove from the heat and let the pie sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving -- this will help the filling thicken up again! Enjoy! Store leftovers in an air tight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.

Notes

For the chicken, cook it however you would like. I boiled chicken breasts for this recipe in seasoned chicken stock, then tore them up into large chunks before adding to the filling. You can also use leftover chicken or turkey. 
For the squash, you can add it raw to the filling if it's cut into smaller 1/4 inch cubes. It will cook while baking in the oven, submerged in the filling.
Keyword all purpose flour, butternut squash, chicken breast, chicken stock, fennel, frozen peas, garlic, onion, sage, thyme, unsalted butter, white wine, whole milk
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