What could be better than a warm, chicken pot pie? This easy, stress-free casserole version! This casserole just might be better than your classic pot pie with its fluffy biscuit topping. This made-from-scratch pot pie casserole takes comfort food to a whole other level with our homemade, creamy filling, loaded with hearty vegetables and tender chicken. You’ll look forward to eating these leftovers if you manage to have any left!
Looking for more pot pie comfort? Try our Mom’s Chicken Pot Pie or Turkey Pot Pie.
Why Our Recipe
- Make dinner easy with leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- Grated butter technique simplifies the process, making it easier to blend into the flour for that perfect buttery, flaky topping.
The best part of this pot pie casserole is easily its thick, fluffy and buttery biscuit topping. You get that perfect, golden brown crust on the outside, with the softness of a biscuitโwho needs pie crust? And, our filling is totally made from scratch without any cream of chicken or mayo that you’ll typically find in casseroles. You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to make this creaming filling and our chef tips will help guide you below.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: This recipe uses 2 cups of pre-cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken or leftovers works perfectly. You can always bake and shred chicken breasts as well.
- All-Purpose Flour: Stick with all-purpose for best results. Bread flour also works.
- Baking Powder: Gives those biscuit topping a little lift. Just make sure it isnโt expired.
- Granulated Sugar: Just a touch of sweetnessโessential to balance out the flavor of the dough.
- Butter: 2 tablespoons for the filling and 1/2 cup for the topping. Use cold butter for the topping. Grating it with a box grater makes it super easy to mix into the flour.
- Chicken Broth: Using a low-sodium option allows you to best control the flavor. Itโs a great chef tip.
- Onion: White onions have a sharper flavor, but yellow onions also work.
- Carrots: Baby carrots work too, just cut them into smaller pieces for even cooking.
- Frozen Peas: No need to thaw. They’ll heat through quickly while baking.
Chicken Options
Rotisserie Chicken โ many American grocery stores sell cooked rotisserie chickens that you can buy and shred. Many stores are also now offering the rotisserie chicken pre-shredded and packaged too!
Frozen Cooked Chicken โ check out the freezer section of your grocery store for pre-cooked chicken strips and chunks.
Bake Your Own Chicken โ lay chicken breasts out into a lightly greased 9ร13 pan. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until cooked through. Chop into chunks and use right away, or freeze for later use.
Quick Skillet Chicken โ heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place chicken breasts into skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 to 7 minutes per side.
Grating Butter vs. Pastry Cutter
Using a cheese grater to add butter to your scone dough is a nifty little trick that can make the process simpler and often more effective than using a pastry cutter. Grating the cold butter produces small, uniform pieces that mix evenly and quickly into the flour, which is key to achieving the perfect flaky texture. This method can be a real time-saver and is especially handy if you donโt have a pastry cutter. In fact, we like this method even better than using a pastry cutter because it distributes the butter into the flour perfectly for just the right consistency and flakiness.
Making the Filling
If youโve never made sauce from scratch before, youโll be surprised at how easy it is. Youโll start with a roux, which is a mixture of 50/50 fat and flour (not to be confused with a slurry or gravy), which you will then add to with your liquid of choice.
Milk is often the liquid of choice but for this recipe, we use chicken broth for the pot pie filling. For this filling mixture, we want a more thick and creamy sauce, which requires more flour than butter. Cooking the onions in the butter before adding the flour and broth gives this sauce great flavor and texture.
Pro tip:ย make sure you let the butter and flour mixture cook for a full 1-2 minutes before adding in the broth. Raw flour really needs that time to cook for the best flavor. You want this mixture to have a golden color before adding the liquid. Also, donโt rush pouring the chicken broth or milk. Trust us.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat portions in the microwave on high in 30-second increments until heated through. Alternatively, reheat in the oven by placing the dish in an oven-safe container, covering it tightly, and warming at 300ยฐF for about 10 minutes.
Made this last night for friends who came to dinner! It was SO delicious! I used a rotisserie chicken from the grocery. I did add some light cream in addition to the broth. I was shocked to find I did not have sage in the cupboard, but sprinkled a bit of marjoram, oregano & thyme instead. Everyone raved & 2 got seconds! Will def make it again! Biscuits were so good ; my hub mixed those up while I did the rest! Thank you Chef C & Rachel
DELICIOUS! I decided to get cocky and add 1/2tsp of ground ginger in along with the spices, and it really added some extra warmth. (You taught me that with your chicken soup!) Used thyme instead of sage because thatโs what I had, added a dash of Lawryโs, and cheated a bit with using canned flaky biscuits for the top. I took a chance to cook individual portions in those oven-save crock mugs, and they turned out great. Thanks for the recipe!!
Truly awesome recipe! I love this flavor