Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

By Ariane Resnick, CNC

January 24, 2022

Image credit: Ariane Resnick, CNC, for Clean Plates

We love the homey flavors of classic chicken pot pie, but don’t always love the quarts of heavy cream, cups of refined flour, and other problematic ingredients it usually contains. So we whipped up a play on this classic family recipe that’s chock full of colorful vegetables — and it utilizes whole grains for the crust. Additionally, by making this healthy chicken pot pie with only a top crust, the bulk of what you’re eating for this pie is just vegetables and lean chicken breast, so it’s pretty great for you.

If you have a cast iron skillet, you can make this healthy chicken pot pie in the same pan you cook the filling in, too, cutting down on excess dishes. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can cook the filling in a large sauté pan and then bake it in a large pie dish. You can also make both the pie dough and the filling ahead of time and refrigerate each component until you’re ready to bake it.

To make this healthy chicken pot pie gluten-free, simply swap the flours for an all-purpose gluten free 1:1 baking flour blend, and if you don’t have fresh sage or thyme on hand, just use ⅓ the quantity of dried. You might think that making a chicken pot pie vegan is a fool’s errand, but honestly, this recipe lends itself really well to becoming a vegan option — simply swap the chicken breast for sliced, pressed tofu, the chicken broth for veggie broth, and the grass fed butter for vegan butter.

This healthy chicken pot pie recipe also includes a whole lot of vegetables — which are all great for you, but might make this taste less like a traditional chicken pot pie than you desire. If you want to keep the flavor profile more classic, just leave out the sweet potato, celery, and broccoli so that you’re only keeping the onion, garlic, carrot, and peas. But feel free to get creative with the fillings: This is a forgiving recipe that works with a whole lot of different vegetables. We could definitely see leeks, cauliflower, and green beans working well in here, too; let your imagination (and the contents of your fridge) be your guide.

Healthy Chicken Pot Pie

SERVES

PREP TIME

30 min

COOK TIME

50 min

Ingredients

¾ cup spelt flour

½ cup and two tablespoons whole wheat flour, divided

8 tablespoons grass fed butter

2-4 tablespoons ice water

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ cups chicken breast, in ½ inch dice

2 cups broccoli, in ½ inch dice

1 cup onion, in ½ inch dice

1 cup sweet potato, in ½ inch dice

1 cup celery, in ½ inch dice

1 cup carrots, in ½ inch dice

1 cup peas

1 ½ tablespoons garlic, minced (about 4 cloves)

1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon white flour

1 tablespoon tamari

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups chicken stock

¾ cup milk (dairy or non dairy)

1 tablespoon parsley, minced

Directions

In a food processor, add spelt flour, ½ cup of whole wheat flour, and butter. Pulse until pea-sized crumbles form. With the blade running, add water one tablespoon at a time, waiting at least 5 seconds after each addition. As soon as the mixture is spinning in one piece, stop the processor and remove the dough. Pat into a circle in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Heat a 12 inch cast iron pan over medium high heat and add olive oil. Once shimmering, add the chicken, all of the vegetables, and the sage and thyme. Saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add two tablespoons wheat flour and the white flour, and stir well so that the flours disperse throughout the chicken and vegetables. Saute for an additional 3 minutes. Add the tamari sauce, salt, pepper, stock, and milk, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to medium and stir occasionally for 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables and chicken are cooked. Remove from the heat.

Let the filling cool in the pan for 30 minutes while the dough chills. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Once the dough has been in the fridge for one hour, remove it and roll it out on a floured surface into a large enough circle to aptly cover the cast iron pan. Using the rolling pin for help, lay the top crust over the filling and press so that it is sealed around the pan. You can scallop the edges, or leave them plain. Cut at least two small slits in the center so that steam can escape. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the crust is a dark golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.