Chicken Pot Pie

Last Updated on May 9, 2020 by Annie

Warm, flaky pastry tops this creamy and filling dairy-free chicken pot pie. Onion, celery, carrots, peas, and tender chicken give every bite that comforting taste.

My husband, Jason, made a suggestion to help make meal planning a little easier in our house. He suggested we pick a food theme each week and create recipes based on the theme.

This idea lead to an Italian week, Spanish week, Asian week, and more. It expanded the dishes we typically make to ones we would love to learn how to make. We tried our hand at bibimbap, dumplings, and paella. Some of the recipes were delicious and some were rather disastrous but each week we press on with a different theme and something to stretch our skills.

One week, the theme was lighter versions of a classic comfort food. During this week we tried lasagna boats, using a cauliflower ricotta… wasn’t in love with it. We made a lightened up fried chicken sandwich that will be coming to the blog soon, and we made a lighter chicken pot pie which we inhaled in less than 24 hours.

This savory meat pie packed with celery, carrots, and seasonings is a comfort food classic. The recipe is easy to make and uses simple staple ingredients you can easily grab at the store. With a single pastry crust top and almond milk in place of heavy cream this lightened up chicken pot pie is sure to bring all the comfort food feels.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN POT PIE

To begin, make the pastry crust, as it will need time to set in the refrigerator. In a bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut the shortening into the flour using a pastry blender or the back of a fork. Once the mixture of flour and shortening has made a crumbly texture, stir in ice water one tablespoon at a time. After about 4 or 5 tablespoons use your hand to form a round dough ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 450°F and begin to make the filling. If you are using uncooked chicken, coat it with olive oil, salt, and pepper and cook until 160°F. Once cooked, dice into small bites and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt vegan butter, add the onions to the skillet and sauté 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Next add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.

Pour the almond milk into the skillet and whisk in flour until smooth. Cook for about 2 minutes to thicken. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Carefully stir in the chicken and peas and cook on low for about 5 minutes.

Pour the filling into a pie pan. Roll the pastry dough and cover the top of the pie pan. I made circles and layered them around the top of the pie. You can also just roll and cover with the pie crust but be sure to cut an ‘X’ on the top to allow the filling to breathe while cooking.

Next, brush the top with an egg wash. Mix together 1 egg with a tablespoon of water and brush the top. For an egg free option you can brush the top with a non-dairy milk.

Place the pie pan on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is brown and flaky. Allow the Chicken Pot Pie to cool about 10 minutes before scooping and serving.

DAIRY FREE CHANGES

In the pastry crust we replace butter with crisco shortening. For the filling, vegan butter replaces butter. To make the creamy sauce, replace heavy cream with non-dairy milk. I used almond milk in this pie.

Did you make this cozy, comforting dairy-free chicken pot pie? I would love to hear how it went! Share a comment below and let me know if you liked it, or snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @mylifeafterdairy so I can share your life dairy adventures!

OTHER DINNER COMFORT FOODS

Turkey Mac– This hearty Turkey Mac combines well seasoned ground turkey, creamy tomato sauce, and macaroni to make the ultimate comfort dish.
Sausage and Veggie Orzo– This flavor-packed, veggie-filled dinner is a comforting 30 minute meal!
Red Beans and Rice- Make a quick and easy pot of Red Beans and Rice with simple ingredients from your pantry with this delicious cajun recipe.

Print

Chicken Pot Pie

Savory chunks of onion, celery, carrots, peas, and chicken fill the flaky pastry in this comforting dairy free dish.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword Chicken, Dairy-Free, Meat Pie, Pie

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

• ¼ c. Vegan Butter
• 1 Onion diced
• 1 c. Celery diced, about 3 stalks
• 1 c. Carrots diced, about 3 carrot sticks
• 1 lb Chicken cooked and diced
• ¼ c. Flour
• 1½ c. Non-dairy Milk I used almond
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Pepper
• 1 dash Thyme
• 3 pods Garlic microplaned or diced
• ½ c. Peas Frozen
• Non-dairy milk to brush on top

Pastry Crust

• 1½ c. Flour
• ½ tsp. Salt
• ½ c. Crisco
• 5-6 Tbsp Ice Water

Instructions

1. To begin, make the pastry crust. In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. Cut the crisco into ¼ in cubes. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut the crisco into the flour mixture. Add the ice water 1 Tbsp at a time and stir into the flour mixture until combined. Turn the pastry dough onto the counter and gently shape into a round disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. While the pastry dough sets. Preheat the oven to 450° F.

3. If using uncooked chicken, coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook in a grill pan for about 6-7 minutes then flip and cook an additional 6-7 minutes or until cooked to at least 160°F. Once cooked, set aside.

4. Dice onion, celery, carrots, and chicken into bite sized pieces and set aside.

5. In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat melt vegan butter. Add onion and sauté about 3 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and stir about 30 seconds, until fragrant.

6. Pour non-dairy milk into the pan and whisk the flour into the mixture to make a roux. Cook until it thickens and then season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Fold the chicken and peas into the mixture and cook an additional 3-5 minutes on low.

7. Pour the filling into a pie pan. Remove the pastry dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface. You can either cover the pan with the single dough round and cut a plus sign in the top or you can use a 2 inch biscuit cutter to cut little circles and cover the pan with circles.

8. Brush the top lightly with non-dairy milk and bake for 40-45 minutes on a baking sheet, in case anything leaks out.

9. Remove from oven and allow to cool before diving in!