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Quick Chicken Pot Pie

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 26, 2011

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Quick Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

1 package refrigerator biscuits Table salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 medium onion, minced1 rib celery, chopped fine¼ cup all-purpose flour ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth ½ cup heavy cream 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas and carrots 1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into large bite-sized pieces (4 cups)4 teaspoons lemon juice Ground black pepper

Before You Begin

Pillsbury Golden Homestyle biscuits were the winner of our taste test. Serve this pot pie right out of the skillet or transfer the mixture to a large pie plate and top with the baked biscuits.

Instructions

  1. Remove biscuits from package, place on baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt. Bake according to package instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in flour and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is light brown, about 6 minutes. Slowly whisk in broth, cream, and thyme and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in vegetables, chicken, and lemon juice and simmer until vegetables and chicken are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with biscuits and serve.
Quick Chicken Pot Pie

Quick Chicken Pot Pie

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 package refrigerator biscuits
Table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
1 rib celery, chopped fine
¼ cup all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas and carrots
1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into large bite-sized pieces (4 cups)
4 teaspoons lemon juice
Ground black pepper

Ingredients

1 package refrigerator biscuits
Table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
1 rib celery, chopped fine
¼ cup all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas and carrots
1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into large bite-sized pieces (4 cups)
4 teaspoons lemon juice
Ground black pepper

Ingredients

1 package refrigerator biscuits
Table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
1 rib celery, chopped fine
¼ cup all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas and carrots
1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into large bite-sized pieces (4 cups)
4 teaspoons lemon juice
Ground black pepper

Why This Recipe Works

Chicken pot pie is a classic comfort food that takes a long, long time to prepare. For a quick version, a store-bought rotisserie chicken worked perfectly for the meat in the filling. Frozen peas and carrots worked fine, but we sautéed fresh onion and celery for the richest-flavored filling. We made a flour-thickened sauce for the filling with a blend of canned chicken broth and heavy cream. Cooking the flour along with the vegetables removed its starchy flavor. Finally, cooking the filling and biscuits separately saved time.

Before You Begin

Pillsbury Golden Homestyle biscuits were the winner of our taste test. Serve this pot pie right out of the skillet or transfer the mixture to a large pie plate and top with the baked biscuits.

Instructions

  1. Remove biscuits from package, place on baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt. Bake according to package instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in flour and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is light brown, about 6 minutes. Slowly whisk in broth, cream, and thyme and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in vegetables, chicken, and lemon juice and simmer until vegetables and chicken are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with biscuits and serve.

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