Tasty Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

I didn’t discover chicken pot pie casserole until I was tired of making individual pot pies from scratch. Rolling out all that dough and crimping those edges? It took forever, and half the time the crust would crack anyway.

That’s when my neighbor shared her casserole version—all the same cozy flavors of chicken pot pie, but you just dump everything in a baking dish and top it with biscuits or pastry. No fancy techniques required, and it feeds the whole family without all the fuss. For busy weeknights, it’s a total game-changer.

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

Rotisserie chicken is perfect for this casserole because it’s already cooked and seasoned, which saves you tons of time and adds great flavor. You can find rotisserie chickens at most grocery stores, and they’re usually sitting warm in the deli section. If you don’t have access to rotisserie chicken, you can absolutely use leftover roasted chicken, grilled chicken, or even poached chicken breasts that you’ve shredded or diced. Just make sure whatever chicken you use is fully cooked and seasoned well, since it’s going straight into the casserole without any additional cooking time.

Options for Substitutions

This comforting casserole is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps and substitutions:

• Rotisserie chicken: If you don’t have rotisserie chicken, you can use leftover cooked chicken, poached chicken breasts, or even cooked turkey. Just make sure whatever you use is already cooked and shredded or diced.
• Heavy cream: For a lighter version, try half-and-half or whole milk, though your sauce won’t be quite as rich. You can also use evaporated milk for a similar creamy texture.
• Refrigerated pie crust: Puff pastry works great here and gives you a flakier top. You can also use biscuit dough or even make drop biscuits right on top of the filling before baking.
• Cheddar cheese: Feel free to swap this with Gruyere, Swiss, or even cream cheese for different flavor profiles. Just keep the amount the same.
• Mixed vegetables: The peas, carrots, and celery can be swapped with frozen mixed vegetables, corn, green beans, or whatever vegetables your family enjoys. Fresh or frozen both work fine.
• Thyme: Dried sage, rosemary, or Italian seasoning all work well in place of thyme. Start with half the amount if using dried herbs other than thyme.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake people make with chicken pot pie casserole is adding too much liquid, which creates a watery filling that won’t thicken properly – make sure to simmer your mixture until it coats the back of a spoon before transferring to your baking dish.

Another common error is not pre-cooking your vegetables enough, so sauté that onion, celery, and carrots until they’re tender before adding the chicken and other ingredients, or you’ll end up with crunchy vegetables in your finished casserole.

Don’t skip brushing that egg wash on your pie crust, as it’s what gives you that beautiful golden-brown top, and be sure to cut a few steam vents in the crust to prevent it from puffing up too much.

Finally, let the casserole rest for about 10 minutes after baking – this allows the filling to set up properly and makes serving much cleaner and easier.

What to Serve With Chicken Pot Pie Casserole?

This hearty casserole is pretty much a complete meal on its own, but I love pairing it with a simple side salad to balance out all that creamy goodness. A crisp green salad with mixed greens, cucumber, and a light vinaigrette works perfectly to cut through the richness. If you want something warm on the side, roasted Brussels sprouts or green beans make great choices since they add a nice pop of color and freshness to your plate. For sopping up any extra sauce, some warm dinner rolls or crusty bread are always welcome at the table.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: This chicken pot pie casserole keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just cover it tightly with foil or plastic wrap once it’s cooled completely. I actually think it tastes even better the next day when all those flavors have had time to meld together!

Freeze: You can absolutely freeze this casserole for up to 3 months. I like to wrap it well in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, or cut it into individual portions and store in freezer-safe containers. It’s such a lifesaver to have a homemade dinner ready to go on busy nights.

Reheat: To warm up leftovers, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes if it’s been in the fridge, or 45-60 minutes if frozen. You can also microwave individual portions for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through. The crust might not be as crispy as when it’s fresh, but it’s still delicious!

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2750-3000
• Protein: 130-150 g
• Fat: 170-190 g
• Carbohydrates: 155-175 g

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup sliced carrots
• 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

For the topping:

• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 1 egg

Step 1: Sauté Aromatics

• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup diced celery

Melt the salted butter in a 3-quart pot over medium heat.

Add the chopped onion, diced celery, and minced garlic.

Sauté for about 2 minutes until the onion becomes translucent and the aromatics are fragrant.

This creates a flavorful base for the filling.

Step 2: Add and Cook the Filling Ingredients

• 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1/2 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme

Stir in the shredded rotisserie chicken, sliced carrots, frozen peas, chicken broth, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and dried thyme into the pot with the sautéed aromatics.

Cook everything together for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the flavors are well combined.

Step 3: Finish the Creamy Filling

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Reduce the heat to low.

Pour the heavy cream in slowly, stirring constantly, then sprinkle in the shredded cheddar cheese and mix well.

Allow the mixture to simmer gently for about 5 minutes until the filling is creamy and slightly thickened.

I like to let it bubble a bit to develop even more flavor before moving on.

Step 4: Assemble the Pot Pie Casserole

• prepared filling (from Step 3)
• 1 refrigerated pie crust

Preheat your oven to 400°F (not 4000°F as originally stated).

Transfer the hot filling from Step 3 into a casserole dish.

Unroll the refrigerated pie crust and lay it over the filling, trimming or tucking the edges as needed.

Use a fork or pie crimper to secure the edges of the crust to the dish.

Step 5: Apply Egg Wash and Bake

• 1 egg

Beat the egg in a small bowl and brush it gently over the entire surface of the pie crust.

Cut a few slits into the crust to allow steam to escape during baking.

Place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and flaky.

For an even shinier crust, I like to do a second light coat of egg wash halfway through baking.

Tasty Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

Delicious Tasty Chicken Pot Pie Casserole recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 2875 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the filling:

• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup sliced carrots
• 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

For the topping:

• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 1 egg

Instructions

 

• Melt the salted butter in a 3-quart pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, diced celery, and minced garlic. Sauté for about 2 minutes until the onion becomes translucent and the aromatics are fragrant. This creates a flavorful base for the filling.
• Stir in the shredded rotisserie chicken, sliced carrots, frozen peas, chicken broth, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and dried thyme into the pot with the sautéed aromatics. Cook everything together for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the flavors are well combined.
• Reduce the heat to low. Pour the heavy cream in slowly, stirring constantly, then sprinkle in the shredded cheddar cheese and mix well. Allow the mixture to simmer gently for about 5 minutes until the filling is creamy and slightly thickened. I like to let it bubble a bit to develop even more flavor before moving on.
• Preheat your oven to 400°F (not 4000°F as originally stated). Transfer the hot filling from Step 3 into a casserole dish. Unroll the refrigerated pie crust and lay it over the filling, trimming or tucking the edges as needed. Use a fork or pie crimper to secure the edges of the crust to the dish.
• Beat the egg in a small bowl and brush it gently over the entire surface of the pie crust. Cut a few slits into the crust to allow steam to escape during baking. Place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and flaky. For an even shinier crust, I like to do a second light coat of egg wash halfway through baking.