As much as I love cooking projects like all-day lasagna, porchetta, and sourdough bread, I, like many busy parents, cook a lot of one-pot and one-pan recipes. Most evenings, I’ll whip up pasta, stir-fries, or a simple salad. And when the weather dips below 60ºF, hearty soups, stews, and pot pies start to make appearances. One of my favorite things to prepare when sweater weather rolls around is chicken pot pie with plenty of vegetables, tender morsels of meat, and a creamy sauce encased in a flaky crust. It may sound like a time-consuming affair, but it doesn’t have to be.
Our version below, which comes from Liv Dansky, our Birmingham, Alabama-based test kitchen colleague, comes together in a single cast iron skillet, making it a meal that’s light on both effort and clean up. To make it, you sauté bite-size pieces of chicken with aromatics—carrots, celery, leek, and garlic—then add a touch of flour, which helps thicken the filling once you add the chicken broth and cream. Frozen peas add a pop of sweetness and color, and the acidity of lemon zest brings brightness that cuts through the creamy filling.
Unlike many pot pie recipes, which may have you make dough from scratch for a double-crusted pie, Liv calls for store-bought puff pastry here. All you have to do is thaw and roll the dough out before placing it on top of the pie, brushing it with egg wash to give it a nice sheen, and placing it in the oven to bake. The result? An easy, ultra-comforting chicken pot pie with a shatteringly crisp crust.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F (205ºC). Heat oil in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat until just shimmering. Add chicken; cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from skillet, and transfer to a plate.
Melt butter in same skillet over medium. Stir in carrots, celery, leek, garlic, thyme, salt, and cayenne; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with flour; cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are evenly coated and flour begins to stick to bottom of skillet, about 1 minute. Stir in broth and 1/4 cup of the cream; bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in peas, lemon zest, and reserved chicken; remove from heat.
Place puff pastry on top of chicken mixture in skillet; tuck edges inside skillet so mixture is covered completely.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg and remaining 1 teaspoon heavy cream. Using a pastry brush, brush top of pastry with egg wash. Using a sharp paring knife, cut an “X” about 3 inches across in middle of pastry. (This allows steam to escape as the pie bakes.)
Set skillet on top of a rimmed baking sheet and bake until top is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Special Equipment
10-inch cast iron skillet, whisk, pastry brush, rimmed baking sheet
Make-Ahead and Storage
The filling can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days, though the crust will lose its crispness. Reheat in the microwave or in oven at 375ºF (190ºC) until hot throughout, 15 to 20 minutes.
The baked chicken pot pie can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 months. Allow pie to cool completely before wrapping and freezing. Allow pie to thaw in fridge overnight before reheating. To reheat thawed pie, bake in an oven preheated to 375ºF (190ºC) until hot throughout, about 20 minutes.
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