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A cozy, one-pan chicken pot pie made in a cast-iron skillet with rotisserie chicken, classic veggies, a quick creamy gravy, and a mosaic of golden store-bought puff pastry squares on top!
Cozy Fall Chicken Pot Pie with Golden Puff Pastry Tiles
I love a classic chicken pot pie - the cozy, rich chicken-and-vegetable filling encased in pastry and baked in a pie dish or casserole. But it can be time-consuming, fussy, slow, and prone to that dreaded soggy bottom.
And honestly, I've never loved the bottom crust; it can get gummy from steam and a juicy filling, so I prefer to skip it. I much prefer a skillet chicken pot pie with no bottom crust. Instead, I tile the store-bought puff pastry on top so it stays crisp and reliably hearty, buttery, and flaky.
My version keeps all the flavors of the traditional chicken pot pie (mirepoix, peas, thyme, creamy gravy) but simplifies the process by taking shortcuts, such as using rotisserie chicken and store-bought puff pastry.
No bottom crust means no sogginess. Using rotisserie chicken saves time without sacrificing flavor, resulting in a restaurant-quality dinner with very little effort. It's the same hearty Fall meal we love - just faster, cleaner, and truly a family favorite.
What You'll Need
- Chicken: I used store-bought rotisserie chicken, you can also use leftover turkey, or cook and shred your own chicken (thighs or breasts both work).
- Milk/Cream: While I recommend using whole milk or heavy cream (you'll need only ½ cup of it), you can totally use half and half, plant based milks, or evaporated milk instead.
- Puff Pasty: Other options for the top crust are store-bought (or homemade) biscuits, pie dough, crescent rolls, or any pre-made type dough could work just as well as the puff pastry!
- Veggies: I am using classic mirepoix (yellow onion, carrots, celery) + frozen peas. You can use all kinds of veggies you like, see my suggestions:
- Add-ins: Mushrooms, diced potatoes, corn, okra, are all good things to add into your chicken pot pie if you want more veggies!
- All the ingredients you need are conveniently labeled in this photo:
Variations
- Vegetarian: Swap out the chicken for mushrooms! Cremini, button, portobellos, shiitakes, oyster mushrooms are all good subs! A mix of these would be incredible! Make sure to saute most of the moisture out of them before adding the rest of the ingredients. Also, add in spinach or kale for a punch of greens.
- Some like it hot: Add hot sauce or whatever kind of spice to the chicken pot pie if that's what you love!
- Herbalicious: Adding more herbs never hurts! Throw in some fresh rosemary, sage, parsley, dill, whatever your heart desires!
How to Make Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie (Step-By-Step Photos)
This is a recipe overview. Find the complete instructions + ingredient amounts in the recipe card below (scroll down).
- Saute veggies: Heat oven to 400°F. In a large cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrot, and celery 3-4 min until softened. Add garlic and thyme and cook 1 min.
- Thicken the sauce: Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring, 1 min. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth to avoid lumps, stirring until smooth.
- Add milk/cream: Simmer gently 2-3 min until lightly thickened.
- Off heat, fold in rotisserie chicken and frozen peas; season generously with salt and pepper.
- Roll puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut into 16-24 squares; shingle over the filling. Brush with egg wash.
- Bake: Set the skillet on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 min, until the pastry is deep golden and crisp.
- Rest 5-10 min, then serve straight from the skillet.
How to Serve It
- Straight from the skillet: Dig into the puff pastry chicken pot pie with a big spoon, family style!
- With greens: Serve alongside a lemony arugula salad or Fall apple spinach salad.
- Bread dunkers: Use warm savory scones or garlic bread to catch the gravy. You can also serve skillet chicken pot pie with garlic butter dinner rolls or homemade bread machine loaf.
- Veggie-forward sides: I love to pair comfort food with healthier sides like my Roasted brussels sprouts, roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli, or bacon green beans.
Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie
A cozy, one-pan chicken pot pie made in a cast-iron skillet with rotisserie chicken, classic veggies, a quick creamy gravy, and a mosaic of golden puff pastry squares on top. Perfect for a hearty Fall meal, easy weeknight dinner, or family favorite for entertaining.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick)
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup whole milk or heavy cream
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken skin removed
- 1 ¼ cups frozen peas do not thaw
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
- 1 large egg beaten + 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
- Thyme
- parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until the onion is softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute more.
- Sprinkle flour over the veggies and stir to coat. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute to eliminate raw flour taste.
- Slowly pour in chicken broth, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
- Once smooth, add the milk or cream. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until just starting to thicken, about 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in shredded rotisserie chicken and frozen peas. Season generously with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out the puff pastry and cut into 16-24 equal squares. Arrange as you like on top of the chicken mixture, overlapping slightly.
- Brush the top with egg wash. Place the skillet on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the puff pastry is deep golden brown and crisp.
- Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve directly from the skillet and enjoy!
Notes
- Puff pastry temp: Even though the recipe asks for your puff pastry to be thawed, I recommend to keep it cool in your fridge right up until you need to use it! Cold puff pastry will give you a better flaky crispy crust than if it were warm.
- Season just right: Adjust the chicken mixture seasoning prior to placing on the puff pastry! Once you put the puff pastry on top there's no turning back!
- When placing the puff pastry over the pot pie filling, try your best to cover it entirely, making sure to not leave holes. Though it's normal for some of the mixture to bubble up and over, the puff pastry will puff up better if there is less of the filling bubbling up onto the puff pastry.
- Bake the skillet on a parchment-lined baking sheet to catch any bubbling-over juices.
Storage
- Fridge: Keep the cooled pot pie in the skillet and cover with plastic wrap or foil or transfer to an air tight container. You can refrigerate it this way for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze the filling in an airtight container without the puff pastry for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating and topping with fresh puff pastry. You may need to add a little liquid (water or chicken stock) to the filling to rehydrate it.
- Reheat: Either pop a portion in a 350 F degree oven for about 15 minutes, loosely tented with foil. Or, microwave to desired doneness. The puff pastry will lose some crispness, however, if reheating in a microwave oven.
You'll need these supplies:
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Cast iron skillet
- Pastry brush
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie
Amount per Serving
Calories
492
% Daily Value*
Fat
28
g
43
%
Saturated Fat
10
g
63
%
Trans Fat
0.3
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
13
g
Cholesterol
116
mg
39
%
Sodium
430
mg
19
%
Potassium
538
mg
15
%
Carbohydrates
33
g
11
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
3
g
3
%
Protein
29
g
58
%
Vitamin A
6556
IU
131
%
Vitamin C
9
mg
11
%
Calcium
80
mg
8
%
Iron
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
FAQ
- Can I use raw chicken instead of rotisserie? Yes-cube 1½ lbs boneless thighs or breasts, season, and sear in butter/oil until just cooked; remove, make the gravy in the same pan, then stir chicken back in.
- How do I keep the puff pastry ultra-flaky? Keep it cold. I thaw until just pliable, work quickly on a lightly floured surface, and get the skillet into a hot oven (400°F). Warm pastry = less puff.
- Why is my filling runny? It likely needed more simmer time after adding broth/milk, or you didn't cook the roux long enough. Simmer until it coats a spoon; it thickens more as it bakes and rests.
- Can I make this vegetarian? Absolutely. Use veggie broth and swap chicken for white beans, sautéed mushrooms, or roasted cauliflower. Add a splash of soy sauce or miso.
- Can I top with biscuits instead? Yes-drop 8-10 spoonfuls of biscuit dough over the hot filling and bake until the centers are cooked through. It becomes a cozy chicken and biscuit bake.
This was so easy, my husband did it!! It was delicious and beautiful presentation and consistency was PERFECT!
Oh wow, if a husband can make it, then it's truly easy! So glad you both loved it, Bethel! ❤️
Hi Julia, thanks for the recipe! My only question is by cutting up the pastry in squares and putting it on top makes it more interesting but for less work and from what I’ve seen before, people have just laid the crust on top and poked a couple slits in it is that true or am I missing something? Thanks in advance for your reply.
Hi Susan, you don't need to cut the pastry in squares, you can just roll out 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (thawed) and place it on the top of the pan or the casserole dish, cut at least 4 large slits (or more than 4 smaller slits) on top for steam to escape.
What's the definition of a "large" cast iron skillet? What size did you use?
Carolyn, it's a 12-inch skillet.
What size cast iron skillet should I use
Mary, I used a 12-inch cast iron skillet.
Can I use fillo dough in place of puff pastry?
I just made this for our first fall dinner. Two thumbs way up! I made this gluten free by using gluten free flour and gluten free puff pastry and it was fantastic!! Thanks again for a wonderful family friendly recipe.
Thank you, Kristen, for your review - I so appreciate it! So glad you were able to successfully make it gluten-free! 🙂
Mary, You can, but it’s not a real substitute. Phyllo won’t “puff” — you’ll get a shattery, dry-crisp lid, not buttery layers. If you expect puff pastry results, don’t use phyllo; use pie crust or biscuits instead.
Hi! Can this be made with a frozen veggie mix? Thank you!
Hi Tracie! Absolutely—frozen mixed veggies work great. Use about 2–2½ cups, straight from the freezer. Keep the onion for flavor; you can skip the fresh carrot/celery if your mix includes carrots.
Add the frozen mix after the sauce has thickened (right before the chicken), simmer 2–3 minutes to heat through and cook off extra moisture. If your mix already has peas, omit the extra peas in the recipe. If it looks thin, stir in 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon milk/broth and simmer briefly.
This was so delicious my hubby and I had seconds and will be eating the tiny leftovers tonight.. I made the receipe exactly as written but did use chicken breasts i cooked instead of rotisserie chicken.. I will be making this a lot but next time use piecrust .. the puff pastry was a little tough i like more crust..
So happy you both loved it, Jana, (and went back for seconds!) 🙂 Pie crust should work perfectly next time. Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback and leave a 5-star review! ❤️❤️
We enjoyed this chicken pot pie recipe, it was savory and satisfying!
We really love your recipes
Thank you, Thomas, I am so happy to hear that! 🙂 🙂
Can I make the filling a few hours ahead of time and then add the puff pastry when it's time to bake it in the oven??
Hi Kathleen! Yes, you absolutely can. Keep the filling refrigerated until you're ready to use it. You can even freeze the filling (without puff pastry) for up 2 months - I have detailed notes about how do to do that under "Notes" in the recipe card. 🙂
Hi Julia! OMG...that pot pie recipe looks awesome! My question is, can I bake it all in the oven? I much prefer using my oven to cooking on top of the stove.
And, I also prefer using corningware, to iron. Can you please tell me how to modify that?
Also, I have tried a number of your recipes and they are awesome, too!!!!
thank you for your feedback!
Lucy
Hi Lucy! Thank you so much—I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying my recipes! 🙂
Yes, you can absolutely bake this entirely in the oven. Instead of starting it on the stovetop, just use your CorningWare oven-safe dish in the oven at all times:
1) Melt the butter and sauté the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme right in it at 400°F in the oven for about 15 minutes (uncovered), stirring once or twice so they soften evenly.
2) Then stir in the flour and bake for another 5 minutes to cook out the raw taste.
3) Slowly whisk in the broth and cream, return it to the oven, and bake another 15 minutes or so until the mixture thickens.
4) From there, stir in the chicken and peas, top with puff pastry, brush with egg wash, and bake as written until golden and bubbly.
Hope that helps!
Absolutely perfect! Made recipe tonight exactly as written and husband said it needs to be in regular rotation. Looking forward to trying the suggested variations.
Debbie, your comment really made my day! ❤️ Thank you for trying my new recipe and reporting back with how it turned out! 🙂
What if I do not own a cast iron skillet? Can I use another type pan?
Hi Antoinette! Yes you can use any other pan of similar size (12-inch diameter, high-sided) that is both oven-safe and stove-top-safe. It can be a stainless steel pan or braiser, for example.
I’d like to make this in 6” cast iron pans. How many pans do you think this recipe will fill?
Hi Virginia! Since I used a 12-inch cast iron pan, you will use two 6-inch cast iron pans. However, make sure they are high-sided, deep-enough pans to hold all that pot pie filling.
I have an electric stove so can I use a different type of skillet that will be able to withstand 400 heat?
Debbie, Yes, you can use any other pan or skillet of similar size (12-inch diameter, high-sided) that is both oven-safe and stove-top-safe. It can be a stainless steel pan or braiser, for example. Just make sure it's labeled as both stovetop-safe and oven-safe.
I need to make this for a large group. Can I use a glass casserole dish instead?
Yes, you can use an oven-safe glass casserole dish. You will have to cook the filling in a separate, stovetop-safe skillet or pot.