Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Step 1
Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°. Remove and discard skin of 1 rotisserie chicken, then shred meat into 1″ pieces (you should have 4–5 cups meat); set aside. You won’t need the bones and carcass from the chicken for this recipe, but that doesn’t mean you should throw them out—sling them into a saucepan, cover with water, add whatever aromatics you’ve got lying around, and you’ve got the makings of a couple decent quarts of chicken stock.
Step 2
Time to prep your vegetables! Cut 2 onions in half through root, trim root ends, then peel. Finely chop onion and transfer to a medium bowl.
Step 3
Peel 1 lb. turnips, then trim off knobby root ends. Cut in half through the root end. Cut each half into ¾”-thick planks, then finely chop planks into ¾” pieces. Transfer to another medium bowl.
Step 4
Lightly smash 6 garlic cloves with the flat side of a chef’s knife. Peel, then coarsely chop. Transfer to bowl with turnips.
Step 5
Add 1 Tbsp. thyme leaves (from about 2 sprigs) to bowl with turnips and garlic.
Step 6
Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in a 12″ skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. (Just make sure whatever you’re using is oven-safe—you don’t want a melting plastic handle.) Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft but not browned, 5–6 minutes.
Step 7
Add turnip mixture, season with 1 tsp. salt and 1½ tsp. pepper, and cook, stirring often, until just beginning to soften, 3 minutes.
Step 8
Sprinkle 3 Tbsp. flour over vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, until flour begins to stick to bottom of pan, about 30 seconds. The flour is going to help thicken the gravy you’re trying to create.
Step 9
Add 1 cup wine and cook, stirring constantly, to burn off some of the alcohol, about 1 minute.
Step 10
Set aside 1 Tbsp. cream. Add remaining cream, reserved chicken, 10 oz. peas, and 1½ tsp. salt and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Cook, tossing occasionally, until warmed through, 3–4 minutes. Transfer skillet to a rimmed baking sheet, which will prevent any juices that bubble out of the pan from spilling onto your oven floor.
Step 11
Roll out 14 oz. puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 13″ square (large enough to cover skillet with a bit of overhang). Roll pastry up onto rolling pin. (You could use an empty wine bottle if you don’t have a rolling pin.) Unfurl pastry from rolling pin, draping it over skillet.
Step 12
Trim pastry so that there is a 1″ border all around. Fold edge of puff pastry under itself. Crimp edges with a fork (just like you would do when making the top crust of a pie).
Step 13
Using a pastry brush, brush top of pastry with reserved cream. Cut 5–6 small slits in the center so steam can escape. Bake pot pie until crust is light golden brown, 22–24 minutes.
Step 14
Reduce oven temperature to 350° and continue to bake until filling is bubbling around the edges and crust is well browned, 25–35 minutes longer. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in December 2018. Head this way for more of our ultimate comfort food favorites →
