I adore chicken potpie. The combination of the buttery crust and the creamy chicken-and-vegetable filling ticks all the boxes when I’m craving comfort food, especially on a cold day. Somehow a single bite of a good potpie makes me forget all about the hour I just spent shoveling snow off the driveway! I’ve made many chicken potpie recipes over the years, and this puff pastry chicken potpie consistently makes the cut.
Potpies that use a traditional pie crust are wonderful when you are hosting dinner guests, but I don’t always want to mess with blind baking and fluted edges on a regular weeknight. Making chicken potpie with puff pastry solves that issue. Simply thaw a few sheets of store-bought puff pastry to create a top crust that’s light and crispy. In this recipe, we turn the sheets into a gorgeous lattice for visual appeal. We eat with our eyes first, after all, so the extra effort is well worth it!
Can you use puff pastry for the bottom of a potpie?
We make this chicken potpie with puff pastry for the top crust, but we don’t use it as the bottom crust. In fact, we don’t include any bottom crust at all in this recipe. The filling contains too much liquid for a bottom crust made with puff pastry to puff up properly. Instead, a puff pastry bottom crust would turn out gummy and unappetizing.
Ingredients for Puff Pastry Chicken Potpie
- Puff pastry: This delightfully flaky dough creates a crispy, buttery crust for potpie. If you’re new to puff pastry, check out our tips for working with puff pastry.
- Chicken: We use chicken breasts to give the potpie a classic look, but you can substitute chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat.
- Vegetables: A great potpie is filled with tender, colorful veggies. We use frozen mixed vegetables for ease, but fresh veggies work just as well. Just make sure to parcook hearty veggies like carrots until they’re crisp-tender. Otherwise, they’ll be too hard in the filling.
- Creamy sauce: The sauce gives the potpie filling an unforgettable flavor and texture. We start with a roux, a combination of butter and flour, to thicken the chicken broth and half-and-half cream. Garlic, fresh thyme and sage add bold character, and a splash of lemon juice brings everything together in the end.
- Egg wash: We mix an egg yolk with half-and-half cream to create an egg wash for the puff pastry. You won’t need the whole egg, so here’s what to do with an egg white to avoid wasting it.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the puff pastry lattice
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each pastry sheet into a 12×10-inch rectangle. Cut one sheet crosswise into six 2-inch strips. Cut the remaining sheet lengthwise into five 2-inch strips.
On a baking sheet, closely weave the strips to make a 12×10-inch lattice. Place the lattice in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
Editor’s Tip: Making the puff pastry lattice is similar to making a lattice pie crust or a bacon weave. If this is your first time, watch the video below to see each step in detail.
Step 2: Brown the chicken
Toss the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken until browned, five to seven minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan, and set aside.
Step 3: Make the sauce for the filling
In the same skillet, heat the remaining butter over medium-high heat. Saute the onion until tender, five to seven minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme and sage, and cook for one minute.
Stir in the flour until blended. Cook and stir for one minute.
Gradually stir in the broth and 1 cup half-and-half cream. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until thickened, about two minutes.
Step 4: Finish the filling
Stir in the frozen vegetables, lemon juice, chicken, and the remaining salt and pepper. Return the mixture to a boil.
Step 5: Top the dish with the puff pastry lattice
Transfer the filling to a greased 2-1/2-quart oblong baking dish. Top it with the lattice, trimming the edges to fit.
Editor’s Tip: Normally, you’d want to cut slits in the puff pastry to help the steam escape. Since you turned the pastry into a lattice, there’s no need!
Step 6: Brush the puff pastry with an egg wash
Whisk together the egg yolk and the remaining cream. Brush it over the pastry.
Editor’s Tip: An egg wash helps seal the puff pastry. It also gives the crust a glossy finish and golden-brown sheen.
Step 7: Bake the potpie
Bake, uncovered, until the filling is bubbly and the pastry is golden brown, 45 to 55 minutes. Cover loosely with foil if the pastry starts getting too dark.
Let the potpie stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Variations
- Use a different filling: Puff pastry works for any potpie recipe. Use it to top turkey potpie, beefy French onion potpie, mushroom and sweet potato potpie or pork potpie.
- Skip the lattice: The puff pastry lattice looks gorgeous, but it’s not necessary. You can roll one sheet puff pastry until it’s large enough to fit across the top of your baking dish. Then, cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape and brush it with egg wash as directed.
- Make individual potpies: Spoon the filling into ramekins and top each one with a square of puff pastry, similar to this individual turkey potpies recipe.
- Use rotisserie chicken: Instead of cooking the chicken from scratch, use leftover or rotisserie chicken as a shortcut to cut down on prep time.
Can you make puff pastry chicken potpie ahead of time?
Chicken potpie is a fantastic make-ahead recipe. You can prepare the puff pastry lattice well ahead of time and keep it in the freezer. Just wrap it well to prevent freezer burn.
You can also make the filling in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, reheat the filling over gentle heat on the stovetop. Once it’s warmed through, transfer the filling to the baking dish and proceed as directed.
How to Store Puff Pastry Chicken Potpie
Let the potpie cool. Tightly wrap the baking dish, or transfer the contents to an airtight container. Leftover potpie is good for up to four days in the refrigerator. To reheat, bake the potpie in a 350° oven until the mixture is hot and reaches an internal temperature of 165°.
Can you freeze puff pastry chicken potpie?
You can freeze chicken potpie with puff pastry before or after baking it. Wrap the dish well to protect it from freezer burn, then store it in the freezer for up the three months. Let the dish thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before reheating or baking it to take the chill off.
Puff Pastry Chicken Potpie Tips
What’s the difference between pie crust and puff pastry?
Puff pastry is laminated, a process that layers pastry dough and butter so it bakes up light and airy. It’s made with flour, water, butter and no leavening agents. The butter creates steam as the pastry bakes, which allows the layers to rise and puff.
Pie crust, on the other hand, is usually a single layer of dough. It also contains flour, water and butter, although it’s sometimes made with lard or shortening instead of butter. It bakes with a more solid structure and has a slight crunch, but it’s nowhere near as crisp as puff pastry.
How do you make chicken potpie with a crispy crust?
For an extra-crispy crust, trim the puff pastry lattice to fit the baking dish, but don’t set it on top of the filling. Instead, bake it separately at 400° on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 20 to 25 minutes. Then, place the lattice on top of the hot filling before serving.
How do you avoid doughy puff pastry?
If the chicken potpie with puff pastry is doughy, you may have undercooked the potpie. Return it to the oven and continue to bake it until the puff pastry is crisp all the way through. Cover the pastry with foil if needed to prevent overbrowning. It’s also helpful to make sure the filling is hot before adding the pastry lattice. The heat from the filling will help set the crust.
How do you thicken chicken potpie filling?
We thicken our potpie filling with flour, but if it’s not thick enough for your liking, you can add a cornstarch slurry (a combination of equal parts cornstarch and water). Gradually whisk the slurry into the filling and simmer until thickened. If you plan to freeze the potpie, use another thickener like arrowroot instead. Recipes thickened with cornstarch can feel spongy when thawed.
