Easy Chicken Pot Pie With Yummy Dumpling Topping

Before winter ends and the idea of comfort food is gone, I wanted to share with you a family favorite recipe. I have been making this easy chicken pot pie with yummy dumpling topping for almost 30 years and we still love it! I’m sure you will too.

This is the perfect recipe the whole family will love. It’s got everything you need, right in it. 

A quick chicken pot pie with no crust

I think we can all agree that a traditional dish like homemade chicken pot pie is considered comfort food and a classic staple. But soggy crust, which is what makes the classic pie a bit of a downer for me, is gone in this recipe.

That’s right friends! No longer do you have to suffer through making crust, only to have it get soggy next to the filling. This recipe calls for an amazing chicken pot pie filling, but with a crunchy, crispy dumpling topping (somewhat like drop biscuits) that is simple to make and quick to cook. Which means this meal is easy to get on the table quick.

What is the sauce made of in chicken pot pie?

Pot pie recipes are made many ways, but what is always consistent is having a sauce. The sauce in chicken pot pie can be made in a variety of ways.

The sauce should have a thicker, gravy like consistency, and have the flavorings from whatever meat your pot pie is made of.

I find the flavor most tasty when made from scratch, using butter and flour to form a roux. Chicken broth and heavy cream, or a variety of liquids, make up this hearty chicken pot pie sauce.  

How do you thicken chicken pot pie?

The classic way that your sauce gets thicker is starting by making a roux, which is equal parts flour and fat. I like to use butter, cause it’s delicious. But truthfully, most fat is.

If for some reason your sauce is not as thick as you want it to be, you can always use cornstarch as a thickener. Start with about a tablespoon, and dissolve it in a bit of water, and add it to the sauce. Cook over medium heat until your sauce begins to quickly thicken.

Why do you not use a bottom crust on chicken pot pie?

For me, using a crust or a dumpling style topping for a chicken pot pie recipe is preference. A preference for taste, and frankly, how much time you want to spend.

I like things when they are quick and easy, especially if they are just as delicious, or more so. That makes it a no brainer.

But also, soggy crust on the bottom of a chicken pot pie, whether it is homemade or a frozen pot pie, is never appealing to me. Give me fluffy dumplings any day, or twice on Sunday, and I’m in!

What does a pot pie contain?

A chicken pot pie consists of two things inside the sauce, chicken and vegetables. I usually poach chicken breasts for this, but you can also start with a rotisserie chicken. That makes it super easy.

And if you live near a Costco, as I do, and have a spouse who loves to go there and buy stuff frequently, then your life can be easier.

I mean, where else can you get a delicious cooked whole chicken for about $5? Well, probably most grocery stores, but Costco’s are dee-lish.

As far as the vegetables, once again, it is preference and what you have on hand. I use onions, fresh mushrooms, frozen peas, and carrots. Occasionally I have added potato, but not that often.

Some people like to add green beans, which is an immediate NO for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love fresh green beans, sautéed in some butter, yum! But if they came from a frozen mixed vegetables bag or a can, I’m gonna have to take a hard pass.

Chicken pot pie filling only

If you are trying to cut down on your daily value of carbs, you can even cut out adding the dumpling dough part all together. But to me, the magic is having the two together.

Another time saving tip would be to make a large batch of the filling, and freeze it in separate freezer bags. When you are ready to make the dish, simply defrost your filling and make the dumplings recipe fresh to add to the top.

How to make this easy chicken pot pie

Begin by chopping the vegetables. I will be using onions, mushrooms, and frozen carrots (which are already cooked). The peas I will throw in last, while still frozen.

Add the onions to a large skillet with 5 tablespoons of butter. Allow the onions to get soft, cooking about 5 minutes. Then add the mushrooms, along with salt and pepper and cook about 10 minutes.

Next, add 1/3 cup flour (not leveled off, make it generous). This will act as a thickener later. Stir the flour in and make sure it is dissolved and the mixture is beginning to bubble.

Gradually add (either) 1 cup milk OR use heavy cream, half and half, or a mixture of those. You just need a cup of milky liquid to begin stirring into the flour mixture.

Then add 2-1/2 cups of chicken broth or chicken stock. When I made the recipe this week, I used leftover homemade turkey stock I had in the freezer from Thanksgiving that needed to be used. You could even use a vegetable stock.

For extra layers of flavor, you could also add a splash of white wine, if desired. If you like the flavor, toss in a few bay leaves, but make sure you take them out of the sauce before cooking the casserole dish. I was serving this to my grandkids, so I went classic.

Bringing all the flavors together

Bring this to a boil, while stirring. Then let cook for a minute or two on a medium-low heat. 

Add the cooked chicken, cooked carrots, and peas. Remove from heat and taste.

Season the filling as needed with more salt and/or pepper. I always need a pinch of salt more. And I only use coarse, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Place in a greased (buttered) casserole dish or dutch oven pot. I like to use a rectangle 9 x 13 baking dish or larger, since it gives more surface to spread the dumplings onto.

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Now for the yummy dumpling topping

In a medium bowl, combine 2-1/4 cups flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 heaping tablespoons of dried parsley.

Cut in 1/2 cup of room temperature butter. This is kind of like unconstructed homemade biscuits, so you need the butter kind of whole. So don’t use melted butter.

Then add 1 cup milk and mix until combined. Form biscuit dough into loose ‘patties’ and place on top of the chicken filling.

Bake at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes until dumplings are done and golden brown and filling is hot and bubbly. Adjust your bake time and temperature if your oven runs on the hot side.

Serving up the perfect comfort food

Because this recipe has all the things you could want in a full meal; meat, vegetables, sauce, biscuit dumplings, I keep the sides pretty simple.

Serve it with a simple salad or fruit, for a quick meal that your taste buds will love! Add a little bit of love, and you’re all set with your homemade comfort food!

Sometimes, the best recipes are those simple classic flavors that are always a huge hit that everyone loves.  For another family chicken favorite recipe, check out my barbecue chicken quesadillas! They are perfect for summer, when that comfort food season has ended.

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