Imagine a traditional one-dish chicken pot pie that doesn’t require fussing with pastry dough!
My chicken pot pie is topped with scrunched up phyllo pastry sheets, which are so much easier than rolling out pastry dough. Underneath the beautiful golden crisp phyllo pastry, you’ll find a hot, creamy stew loaded with chicken, leeks, carrots, celery, and peas. The result is an absolutely mouth-watering one-dish meal.
My family knows a good thing when they taste it. This phyllo topped pot pie reappears on our menu plan often. Although pot pies are typically a winter comfort food, we are perfectly happy to have it in winter, spring, summer or fall. The season doesn’t matter, it’s just so darn good!
I can’t believe I waited this long to share this phyllo topped pot pie on my blog. I’ve made it so many times but never seemed to get around to photographing it. Every time I made it, the pie was eaten (or given away) before I could even get the camera out! This time I got smart and made it while no one was home. After taking some gorgeous photos of the pie fresh out of the oven, I had the wonderful advantage of enjoying the first scrumptious scoop while it was still warm. Looks like I’m not giving this one away to anyone!
Cook chicken breasts as directed in the recipe, or as a time-saver, use a rotisserie chicken from your grocer’s hot table. Even leftover cooked chicken (or turkey) you have on hand will work! Either way, you will need about 3 cups chopped or shredded chicken.
What is phyllo pastry? They are wafer-thin sheets of unleavened dough typically used to make Middle Eastern or Greek pastries such as baklava, spanakopita or savoury pies. The delicate sheets need to be brushed with melted butter (or sometimes oil) and layered or scrunched up (like you do for this recipe). When baked the phyllo gets crispy and flaky. Store-bought phyllo pastry is so convenient and easy to use.
You can find boxes of phyllo pastry in the freezer section of your grocery store. Each 450g box contains about 16 – 18 sheets of phyllo. You will need about 8 – 10 sheets for this recipe. Wrap and freeze the remaining sheets and use them for another pie another day. Just remember to thaw the phyllo in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for 3 hours or you’ll never be able to unroll and separate the thin sheets!
Assemble and bake the pie directly in the ovenproof skillet you cook the stew in (as shown in photos). Alternatively, transfer the stew to a casserole dish before topping with scrunched phyllo sheets and bake it in the dish. Either way, you’ll be guaranteed amazing results and a stunning looking finished dish that everyone will love.
The pot pie is freezer friendly! But if you’re going to freeze it, be sure to use the casserole dish option. For freezing, simply assemble the pie (but do not bake), tent it with foil wrap (taking care not to crush the scrunched up phyllo topping) and pop it in the freezer. Thaw the pie overnight in the refrigerator and add about 10 minutes to the total baking time.
Phyllo Topped Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 large or 3 small boneless chicken breasts total weight about 454g
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Stew Filling
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 - 3 leeks white and light green parts only, sliced (about 2 heaping cups), rinsed and drained
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup white wine or replace with an additional ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 284 mL tin condensed chicken broth
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme
Phyllo Pastry Topping
- 8 - 10 sheets phyllo pastry thawed in refrigerator overnight (or for 3 hours at room temperature)
- ½ cup butter melted
Instructions
Chicken
-
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake on a foil lined baking sheet for 20 - 25 minutes, turning once after the first 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Chop or shred chicken; you should have about 3 cups.
Stew Filling
-
Meanwhile, in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat, melt ¼ cup butter. Add leeks and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add celery, carrots and peas and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with ¼ cup flour and stir to combine until flour is absorbed.
-
Add wine and cook for 1 minute while stirring to combine. Add chicken broth, milk, salt, pepper and thyme and bring the mixture to a light boil for 2 minutes while stirring. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Stir in cooked chicken. Set stew aside to cool slightly.
-
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Leave the stew in the oven proof skillet or alternatively, transfer it into a greased 9 x 12” baking dish.
Phyllo Pastry Topping & Assembly
-
Prepare ½ cup melted butter. On a large work surface unroll the thawed phyllo sheets and cover completely with a lightly dampened kitchen towel. The cover will prevent the sheets from drying out. Each time a sheet is removed, completely cover the remaining ones.
-
Working with one phyllo sheet at a time, place one on the work surface. Lightly brush the entire sheet with melted butter. With fingertips gently scrunch the sheet to about a 4” – 6” circle or oval. Place it on the stew. Continue this process with the remaining phyllo sheets until the top of the stew is completely covered. Re-wrap remaining unused phyllo sheets and re-freeze for another use.
-
Tent the pie loosely with foil wrap, taking care not to touch or crush the phyllo topping. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 - 20 minutes or until the filling is hot and bubbly and the phyllo topping is crispy and golden-brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Leave a Reply