The Cozy Dinner Edit
Some dinners make staying home feel especially good. A chicken pot pie, with its golden butter crust and creamy filling, is one of them.
This cast iron chicken pot pie is filled with tender chicken, carrots, celery, peas and browned shiitake mushrooms, with fresh thyme running through the sauce. The homemade pastry brings it all together: flaky on top, with a little of that creamy filling clinging to the underside.
It’s the kind of dinner I want to make room for in the fall. A little time in the kitchen, something good in the oven, and a generous spoonful at the end of it.
A from-scratch dinner that feels manageable
The pastry is homemade, but the filling uses cooked chicken, which makes the preparation much simpler. Leftover roast chicken works beautifully here.
Make the dough first and let it chill while you prepare the filling. Everything for the filling cooks in the same cast iron skillet, from browning the mushrooms to stirring the sauce. Once it has cooled a little, add the pastry and bake.
This is a pot pie with a single crust on top. You get the golden pastry and creamy filling with fewer steps, and you can bring the skillet straight to the table.
What makes this chicken pot pie special
Homemade butter pastry. I use my butter pie crust for a rich, flaky topping. Keep the butter cold and handle the dough gently so those little pieces of butter stay intact.
Browned shiitake mushrooms. They give the filling a deeper, savoury flavour. Cooking them separately first lets their moisture evaporate and gives them time to brown.
Fresh thyme. It’s a lovely match for the chicken, mushrooms and buttery pastry.
A creamy homemade sauce. Butter, flour, chicken broth and cream come together into a sauce that coats the filling without making it soupy.
A few details that make a difference
Homemade butter pie crust
I make this butter pastry in a food processor, which keeps the preparation simple. Pulse the cold butter into the flour, sugar and salt, then gradually add cold water until the dough holds together when squeezed.
A few gentle folds bring the dough together before it rests in the fridge for at least an hour. Make the pastry first so it can chill while you prepare the chicken and mushroom filling.
This dough makes two crusts. You’ll use one for the top of the pot pie and can save the second for another bake. Keep the pastry cold, roll it evenly and let the filling cool before laying it over the skillet.
Cut the vegetables into small, even pieces
Small pieces of carrot and celery soften more evenly and make the filling easier to scoop. Let them soften in the butter before adding the flour; the sauce stage is quite short.
Cook the flour before adding the broth
Stir the flour into the buttery vegetables for two minutes, then gradually add the broth while stirring. This helps create a smooth sauce.
The finished filling should be thick but spoonable. If it looks stiff, stir in a small splash of broth. If it’s loose, let it simmer a little longer before adding the chicken and peas.
Cool the filling before adding the pastry
Give the filling time to become warm rather than piping hot. Cast iron holds heat, and adding cold pastry straight onto a very hot filling can melt the butter before the pie reaches the oven.
Keep the dough refrigerated until you’re ready to roll it.
Roll the crust evenly
Aim for approximately ⅛ inch, or 3 mm, thick. You may have dough left over from the pastry recipe, depending on how you finish the edge. Save it for another bake rather than making the topping excessively thick.
Bake until deeply golden
Look for a well-browned crust and filling bubbling through the steam vents. If the pastry edges colour before the centre is ready, loosely cover the edges with foil.
Let the pie rest for 10–15 minutes before serving so the sauce has a little time to settle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What to serve with chicken pot pie
A simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette is lovely alongside the buttery pastry and creamy filling. The pot pie is also a complete dinner on its own, especially when you want to keep the evening easy.
For dessert, my French apple cake or apple pear crisp would fit right into the same fall dinner. Add a scoop of salted honey ice cream if you want to make a little more of the evening.
Can I use different mushrooms?
Yes. Cremini mushrooms work well in place of the shiitakes. Use the same weight and brown them before preparing the rest of the filling.
For fresh shiitakes, remove the tough stems and slice the caps.
Can I prepare parts ahead?
The pastry can be made the day before and kept wrapped in the fridge.
You can also prepare the filling ahead and refrigerate it separately once cooled. When you’re ready to assemble, gently warm it until just warm, then add the cold pastry and bake. A pie assembled with fridge-cold filling will take longer to heat through.
There’s something especially inviting about setting the whole skillet on the table: golden crust, a serving spoon, and dinner ready to share. Exactly the kind of meal I want in the Cozy Dinner Edit.
Can I use premade pastry?
Yes. I love making this with homemade butter pastry, but premade rolled-out pie pastry is a lovely option when you want to simplify dinner. Choose a sheet large enough to cover your skillet and, if frozen, thaw according to the package instructions.
Keep the pastry chilled until you’re ready to lay it over the cooled filling, then cut the steam vents, brush with egg wash and bake as directed.
Cast Iron Chicken Pot Pie with Shiitake Mushrooms
Equipment
- 10-inch cast iron skillet, approximately 2 inches deep
- Food Processor
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry brush
- Rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
Homemade Butter Pie Crust (Makes two crusts; use one for this pot pie.)
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- ⅓ cup cold water, plus more if needed
Chicken and Shiitake Filling
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for the mushrooms
- 150 g fresh shiitake mushrooms tough stems removed and caps sliced
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter, for the vegetables
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 medium carrots finely diced
- 2 celery stalks finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup whipping cream
- 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ teaspoon fine salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- Flaky salt optional
Instructions
- Add the flour, sugar, salt and cold cubed butter to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with small pieces of butter throughout.
- Gradually add the cold water while pulsing. Stop when a little dough holds together when squeezed between your fingers. If it remains crumbly, add more cold water, 1 teaspoon at a time, pulsing briefly after each addition.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, gently gather into a ball and divide in half. Flatten each half with the heel of your hand, fold in half, then fold into quarters and flatten again. Repeat once more, handling gently without prolonged kneading. Shape each portion into a disc approximately 5 inches across. Lightly flour both sides, wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. You will use one disc; reserve the second for another bake.
- While the pastry chills, melt 1 tablespoon butter in the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shiitakes and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and their released moisture has evaporated. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and melt the remaining 3 tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook for 8–10 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 2 minutes. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in the cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3–5 minutes, until thickened.
- Fold in the cooked chicken, browned mushrooms, frozen peas, salt and pepper. The filling should be thick but spoonable. Add a small splash of broth if needed, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and let the filling cool for 20–30 minutes, until warm rather than piping hot. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Keep the pastry refrigerated until the filling is ready.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one chilled disc into a circle slightly larger than the skillet, approximately ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Lay it over the filling, trim any excessive overhang, then fold and crimp the edge just inside the skillet rim. Cut 4 small slits in the centre to release steam.
- Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water and brush a thin layer over the pastry. Sprinkle with a little flaky salt, if using. Place the skillet on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 35–45 minutes, until the pastry is deeply golden and the filling bubbles through the vents. Loosely cover the pastry edges with foil if they brown too quickly.
- Let the pot pie rest for 10–15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Extra homemade dough: The pastry recipe makes two crusts. Use one disc for this pot pie and refrigerate or freeze the second, tightly wrapped, for another bake.
- **Chicken:** Use cooked chicken. Leftover roast chicken works well.
- **Mushrooms:** You can substitute 150 g cremini mushrooms for the shiitakes.
- **Salt:** The pastry measurements assume fine salt and unsalted butter. Adjust the filling’s seasoning to suit your broth and cooked chicken.
- **Timing:** Chilling overlaps with preparing the filling. Total time is approximate and will be shorter with premade pastry.
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