This classic Chicken Pot Pie recipe starts with a creamy filling full of chicken, potatoes, carrots and peas, and is topped with homemade pastry crust. Absolute comfort food at its finest; make it for dinner tonight!
Make the Pastry: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter and shortening and cut into the dry ingredients until the mixture is no larger than the size of peas. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture and, using a rubber spatula, fold and mix until the dough comes together into a rough ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly into a cohesive ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes while the filling is prepared.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Make the Filling: Place the chicken stock in a small saucepan and warm over low heat.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and carrot and saute until the onion is translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the hot chicken stock, stirring constantly, and simmer over low heat until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in the heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the chicken, potato, peas, and parsley. Transfer the filling to a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
Assemble the Pot Pie: Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 12x16-inch rectangle. Brush the outside of the casserole dish with egg wash, then transfer the pastry to cover the filling. Crimp as desired and press the dough onto the outside of the casserole dish.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water for the egg wash. Brush the entire surface of the dough with the egg wash, then cut five slits into the surface of the dough. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Bake until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is golden brown, about 1 hour. Allow the pot pie to sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
The vegetable shortening in the crust can be substituted with an equal amount of butter, if desired, but be aware that it will change the texture of the crust slightly (it will be slightly less tender).
I cut up one whole rotisserie chicken for this recipe, which yielded approximately 1 pound of cooked meat.
To save on prep time, you can substitute frozen vegetables for the fresh vegetables. Simply stir them all in with the chicken in step #4.
You can use different types of potatoes; I used red since they tend to keep their shape and not get mushy when cooked.
Feel free to swap out different vegetables to suit your tastes.
You can make individual pot pies by using 10 to 12-ounce ramekins (you will yield about 8 to 10 pot pies depending on the size you use). Divide the dough into the number of ramekins you have, then roll into a circle about 2 inches larger than the diameter of your ramekin (i.e. if it is 4 inches across, roll the dough into a 6-inch circle). Proceed with the rest of the recipe as directed.
Make-Ahead and Freezer Notes: The filling and the pastry can each be made ahead and refrigerated (separately) for up to 2 days before assembling and baking the pot pie. They can also be frozen as follows - place the filling in an airtight container and place the plastic wrapped pastry dough in a freezer bag; both can be frozen for up to 2 months.