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Chicken Pot Pie Casserole takes a hearty creamy chicken and vegetable filling and adds a crunchy Parmesan crumble on top. A tasty twist on a traditional favorite!
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Grab your casserole dishes and let’s make this delicious chicken pot pie casserole. It is so simple to make and the oven does all the work. There’s nothing more satisfying than a delicious dinner that doesn’t take hours in the kitchen. Serve with a simple green salad as a side dish and you have a perfect meal for the whole family.
The crumble topping is a nice change from using a pie crust. It is hearty and filling, comfort food at its best! Plus it’s really easy to make, so you can throw this dish together and have a delicious, warm meal ready any night of the week.
Easy Chicken Pot Pie Casserole Ingredients
Just like the crumbly topping, this chicken pot pie filling is packed with homemade, fresh ingredients that make it taste so much better. There’s no “cream of” soups in this dish. The sauce thickens with a little milk and flour, seasoned with natural chicken flavor and fresh veggies just like a traditional pot pie. So yummy!
- Chicken – Boneless, skinless, chicken breast is best and easiest to shred. Cook the chicken first before adding other ingredients. It will be shredded with a fork.
- Chicken broth – This will soak up the chicken and give it flavor as well as moisture as it is simmering in a large pot.
- Vegetable Oil – Heat this in a dutch oven to cook the vegetables and soften them before adding other ingredients.
- Onion – Slice and chop your white or yellow onion into the casserole. This gives that onion flavor but not overbearing.
- Carrots – Always a healthy ingredient and provides flavor, color, and texture when cooked. Chop your carrots into small slices.
- Celery – It does not have much flavor or taste but it does have that satisfying crunch and texture that everyone loves.
- Unsalted butter – Melted butter will combine with the flour and make a thick substance to help with the filling.
- Flour – This will make a roux with melted butter. The roux is great for thickening the filling and helping the vegetables have enough room to move and bake in.
- Milk – Adds liquid and a creamy density that gives that comfort feeling in every bite.
- Frozen peas – Because the peas are frozen it is best to add them last. You don’t want them to get mushed in while stirring and mixing or over cook with the other vegetables in the Dutch oven.
Crumble Topping Ingredients
This unique chicken pot pie has a delicious topping that is decadent and looks so appealing when baked together. The crumble on top is an extra step but it is simple to make and when baked it has a golden top that is crunchy and crispy but still so soft and savory!
- Flour – All-purpose flour is best for this recipe. This will become coarse and turn into fine cornmeal-like texture when mixed with butter.
- Baking powder – This will help increase the volume and lighten the texture of the dry ingredients.
- Salt and black pepper – This is merely for taste!
- Cayenne pepper – Add a little bit of heat but it is subtle. No worries about being too warm for kids.
- Unsalted butter – Have your butter slightly softened, just enough to be able to cut through it. This will be cut into cubes and sprinkled over the flour.
- Parmesan cheese – Shredded parmesan cheese will help give the crumble topping more cheese flavor and hold it together when baking.
- Heavy cream – This will thicken the topping and give it a pastry look and feel.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
In three easy steps, your chicken pot pie casserole dish will be ready in 30 minutes! You need a baking dish, a large skillet, and a hungry stomach for this dinner. This is the perfect family dinner to have on a busy weeknight!
- Cook chicken – Bring chicken and broth to simmer in a covered Dutch oven over medium heat (If you don’t have a dutch oven, just use a stock pot). Cook until the chicken is just done (8 to 12 minutes).
- Save the broth – Transfer cooked chicken to a large bowl. Pour broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup and reserve. Do not wash the Dutch oven.
- Mix together – Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of the flour. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined.
- Crumble topping – Crumble the mixture into irregularly shaped pieces onto a baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees until fragrant and starting to brown (10-13 minutes). Set aside.
- Sauté – Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and cook – Stirring occasionally, until just tender (about 5 minutes). While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken and set aside.
- Filling – Heat butter in an empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When the foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
Variations and Recipe Tips
Make this chicken pot pie just the way you like it! Enjoy the pot pie with your favorite filling and topping. This chicken pot pie casserole recipe is versatile and always the perfect combination!
- Chicken – Make this easier by using a rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken that you already have on hand. You can also use chopped turkey.
- Vegetables – Add more vegetables that you love. Green beans or mushrooms are always a favorite as well as corn.
- Frozen vegetables – If you are in a hurry and only want to use frozen mixed vegetables that will work. Only add them at the end with the frozen peas. They cook up quicker and tend to become mushy if cooked too much.
- Additional seasonings: For more flavor, try chopping garlic cloves, or a dash of garlic powder, even a teaspoon of dried thyme into the sauce
- Chopping – When cutting, slicing, and chopping your fresh vegetables, make sure they are all cut evenly so they cook properly and all at the same time.
- Cream – Instead of using milk you can substitute it with half and a half or cream of chicken soup. Each of these creams will give a different consistency.
- Biscuits – Not a fan of the crumble topping?! Try it with puff pastry, drop biscuits or a can of homemade biscuit dough. Place the biscuit dough on top and bake that with the casserole in the oven until they are golden brown. You can even cut them into pieces and place them over top the creamy chicken and vegetable mixture.
- Melt some cheddar cheese over the chicken pot pie casserole for an extra layer of flavor.
“This was so very delicious!! Even my pickiest eater loved it, therefore we will make it many many more times!!”
-Tara
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is similar, but the topping is homemade and therefore tastes MUCH better! With simple ingredients like flour, baking powder, butter, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and some seasonings and spices you can make a buttery, crumbly topping. And trust me, this topping is what takes this dish from ordinary to extraordinary!
While the chicken pot pie is baking the top of the crumble will begin to brown. Cover if it begins to get too dark or leave it off for a more crunchy top.
Inside a pot pie you’ll find a creamy sauce made from half and half and chicken broth or heavy cream. It can also be thickened with flour or cornstarch.
While some pot pie recipes call for a bottom crust, this recipe does not. I like it because the bottom crust tends to get soggy. Keep all that crunchy topping on the top of the pie where it can get golden brown and not mushy.
READ NEXT: 35+ Best Chicken Breast Recipes
Storing Chicken Pot Pie Leftovers
This chicken pot pie is simple to store leftovers and have a few more times throughout the week. It is one of those comforting dishes that everyone loves to have over and over again!
- Refrigerate – Let cool and cover the casserole dish or place it in an airtight container. Set in the refrigerator for four to five days.
- Freezer – If you know you will be freezing the dish beforehand, use a freezing dish that is suitable to go into the freezer for over a month. This will be a simple way to freeze the casserole dish. Or make sure it’s double covered with plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
- Reheating- When ready to warm up the chicken mixture, place the casserole in the oven or microwave until the creamy gravy is heated through.
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How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 onion chopped fine (about 1 cup)
- 3 carrots peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup celery chopped fine
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 cup milk
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
Crumble Topping:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
FOR THE CHICKEN:
- Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat (If you don’t have a dutch oven, just use a stock pot). Cook until chicken is just done (8 to 12 minutes).
- Remove cooked chicken and set aside. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Do not wash Dutch oven.
FOR THE TOPPING:
- Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
- Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces onto a baking sheet. Bake at 450-degrees until fragrant and starting to brown (10-13 minutes). Set aside.
FOR THE FILLING:
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender (about 5 minutes). While vegetables are cooking, cut or shred chicken into small bite-size pieces.
- Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.
- Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer and stir until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat and stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce.
- Pour mixture into 9×13 pan (or if you have small individual-sized oven-safe dishes, you can use those– see picture above). Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling.
- Bake at 400-degrees until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned (about 12-15 minutes). Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerate – Let cool and cover the casserole dish or place it in an airtight container. Set in the refrigerator for four to five days.
- Freezer – If you know you will be freezing the dish beforehand, use a freezing dish that is suitable to go into the freezer for over a month. This will be a simple way to freeze the casserole dish. Or make sure it’s double covered with plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
- Reheat- When ready to warm up the chicken mixture, place the casserole in the oven or microwave until the creamy gravy is heated through.
This is really, really good and has become a family favorite!
I now have to use gluten free flour instead of all-purpose and it turns out just as yummy as when I made it, as written, before.
I made this for dinner and it was a hit with my entire family. We will definitely make it again!
Our new family favorite. Great crumble topping instead of taking the time to form biscuits on top! Tastes divine!
Holy moly, this was fantastic! I will admit to using a “cream of” soup to make my filling. It was the reason I made Chicken Pot Pie today – trying to use up items in my cupboard. I agree that a sauce I made myself is better, but sometimes you just need to use up something. Anyway, I am way too lazy to roll out pie pastry so went looking for alternatives. Found this and decided to try it. So easy, so quick. And that tiny bit of cayenne? Really kicked it up a notch! So delicious.
For once, I am happy to be single and have to eat the same thing 3 more times to get rid of it all. Looking forward to it!
This was so very delicious!! Even my pickiest eater loved it, therefore we will make it many many more times!!
Thank you so much for the 5-star review!! So happy your kids loved it! It’s a staple in our house too! 🙂
this recipe was exactly what i needed when i was craving fall food. it is flavorful without being overbearing, so filling and the crust is absolutely the best part (i doubled the recipe for the crust, you can never go wrong with double crust) and the dash of cayenne in the crust adds just the perfect hint of spice. this recipe is perfect.
Thank you so much for the 5-star rating! We are so glad you loved this recipe as much as we do!
With 29 meat birds, coming of age, I will certainly be making this chicken pot pie alot🤗😄
Thank you for sharing.
Kathy
How many people would you say this serves?
I would say it serves about 6-8… depending on how hungry people are!
I know I am going against the grain on this one, butI view chicken pot pie asan old time comfort food. We make it because we want that taste. I simply cannot imagineputting cheese anywhere near it! This country has been obsessed with cheese for much too long. It isno wonder so many people have heart disease.
The cheese would be really easy to omit if needed. I am sure it would still taste great!
Please add me to your list of recipes and daily mailing. Thank you in advance.
Jhicks the
Done 🙂
Made this for the first time tonight for company and it was DELICIOIUS!! Everyone enjoyed it! Thanks so much for another great recipe!!
How do I freeze this recipe?
I have never frozen it before. Probably just freeze before putting the crumble topping on. Thaw completely before putting it on and baking.
@Marci– Yes I did. If you look at my comments before the recipe I gave them the proper credit. I love that show!
This is exactly like a recipe out of America's Test Kitchen. Did you adapt it from them by chance?