Chicken Pot Pie Casserole (Easy + From Scratch)
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole is a cozy, comfort food classic featuring a from-scratch filling of tender chicken, potatoes, carrots, and peas in a savory gravy topped with fluffy homemade drop biscuits!
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Hearty, homemade comfort food recipes...that's what we're talking about today, friends! And because comfort food doesn't get anymore comforting than chicken pot pie, I've decided to take things up a notch with Chicken Pot Pie Casserole!
Now what exactly is the difference between the two, you may be wondering to yourself right about now. Well, allow me to explain!
Chicken pot pie, as its name indicates, involves a flaky, golden crust...a pie crust. And it's absolutely divine.
But since I've already shared my beloved, most-favorite Chicken Pot Pie recipe (topped with my beloved, most-favorite all-butter pie crust), today's Chicken Pot Pie Casserole recipe is something a little bit different.
First off, Chicken Pot Pie Casserole feeds a crowd. Seriously...there are like a dozen servings here. I suggest making this recipe in a big ol' baking dish, akin to the size you'd use for lasagna.
As you can see, I made the pictured recipe in an extra-deep 9X13-inch (5-quart) baking dish, and the filling came all the way to the top...I'm lucky it didn't overflow! So if you have a dish that's even bigger and deeper than that, I'd recommend using it.
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole...with Biscuits!
But the main thing that sets this recipe apart it has no pie crust. I know, I know...that hardly sounds like an improvement at first glance. And I wouldn't call it an improvement, per se, as much as an exchange for an equally delicious but decidedly different topping!
And that new topping isssss...biscuits! Tender, fluffy, homemade drop biscuits. This Chicken Pot Pie Casserole is almost like deconstructed chicken and dumplings, I suppose.
And while there are certainly tricks to make biscuits the best they can be, I'll tell you a little secret...I use my food processor to make shortcut biscuit dough. And it takes all of a minute or two!
Ingredients
There are two components to this Chicken Pot Pie Casserole recipe...the filling and the topping. So let's start with what you need for the filling!
- Extra-virgin olive oil. For sautéing the veggies.
- Garlic. Minced.
- Carrots. Shredded, matchstick, or diced. I often use a bag of coarsely shredded carrots to save myself a little time.
- Chicken. Cooked and diced. This is a great recipe for using up leftover chicken, or even rotisserie chicken. Leftover holiday turkey works great, too...you honestly can't tell it isn't chicken once it's combined with all of the other yummy ingredients.
- Chicken broth or stock. The base of the gravy for the chicken pot pie filling. Use low-sodium broth to control the salt.
- Half-and-half. To add creaminess to the gravy. Or in place of the half-and half, you can use milk to lighten things up or heavy cream for extra decadence.
- Flour. To thicken the gravy.
- White wine. Optional, but recommended, for adding another layer of flavor to the gravy.
- Seasonings. Specifically, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Potatoes. Cooked, peeled, and cubed.
- Frozen green peas. For a pop of bright color and flavor.
As for the biscuit topping, you need just FIVE simple ingredients to whip it up from scratch!
- Flour. All-purpose. You may use whole wheat pastry flour in lieu of all-purpose flour if you prefer your biscuits to be 100% whole wheat.
- Salt. I prefer sea salt.
- Butter. Cubed and chilled. Unsalted or salted will work.
- Buttermilk. If you only have regular milk on hand, it's easy to make your own buttermilk by adding a bit of lemon juice or white vinegar...scroll down for full directions. Or you can opt to use regular milk in place of buttermilk.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
Prepare the Filling
- Sauté garlic and carrots in olive oil for a several minutes until tender.
- Once the carrots are cooked down, mix in the chicken.
- Sprinkle the whole shebang with flour, stir, and cook for a few minutes, giving the flour flavor a bit of time to cook out.
- Pour in the liquids and stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pot.
- Increase the heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Continue to stir occasionally while the mixture simmers for a minute or two, bubbling and thickening.
- Stir in the seasonings and adjust to taste.
- Stir in the cubed potato and the frozen green peas, then remove the pot from the heat.
- Transfer the mixture to your baking dish and set aside!
Make the Biscuit Topping
Now it's time for the fun part! As previously mentioned, I use my trusty food processor to make homemade drop biscuits in a snap.
- Pulse together the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.
- Add the butter and pulse about ten (1-second) pulses until the mixture resembles coarse sand with some small pebbles mixed in.
- Add the buttermilk and pulse until all ingredients are fully incorporated. The dough should be very sticky but not runny.
- Finally, scoop and plop the biscuit dough onto the waiting chicken pot pie filling.
- Brush the top of each biscuit with some additional half-and-half. Bake until the biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbly.
You just made homemade Chicken Pot Pie Casserole!
Done.
Easy.
Yay!
Making Biscuit Dough by Hand
If you don't have a food processor, you can easily make your biscuit dough without one!
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in the buttermilk until combined, and then proceed with the Chicken Pot Pie Casserole recipe.
How to Make Homemade Buttermilk
It's easy to make your own buttermilk by combining 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar with every 1 cup of regular milk.
So to make the amount of buttermilk needed for this Chicken Pot Pie Casserole, simply measure 1 tablespoon + ¾ teaspoon lemon juice (or white vinegar) into a 2-cup measuring cup.
Then fill the cup with milk to the 1 ¼-cup line.
See how simple and straightforward this recipe is, y'all? And it's so gosh darn delicious.
The filling is creamy and chunky and savory, and each forkful is accompanied by a soft, fluffy bite of biscuit. Mmmmmmm.
I hope your family loves this Chicken Pot Pie Casserole as much as mine does!
Helpful Tips, Tricks, & Equipment
- The Chicken Pot Pie Casserole filling will bubble up a bit during baking, so use a large rectangular baking dish with a capacity of no less than 5 quarts...the size of a dish you'd use to make a big lasagna. If you're still worried about the size of your dish, however, place a large rimmed baking sheet on the rack under your baking dish to catch any potential overflow.
- Feel free to leave out the wine, if you wish. Or you can increase it a bit, if that floats your boat! 😉
- The biscuit batter should be very sticky but not runny. If it ends up too sticky, pulse in a couple more tablespoons of flour.
More Cozy Comfort Food
- Perfect Chicken & Dumplings
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Cordon Bleu Casserole
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole (Easy + From Scratch)
Video
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups shredded, matchstick, or diced carrots
- 4 cups diced cooked chicken
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half, plus additional for brushing tops of biscuits
- ¼ cup white wine, optional
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 large potatoes, cooked, peeled, & cubed (about 4 cups)
- 2 cups frozen green peas
For the biscuits:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 10 tablespoons butter, diced and chilled
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat oven to 375°F.
- Pour the olive oil into a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium to medium-high heat. Add the garlic and carrots and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, for about 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in the chicken. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in the chicken broth, then add the half-and-half and the wine (if using). Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pot. Increase the heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Continue to stir occasionally while the mixture simmers for a minute or two, until thickened. Stir in the thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Stir in the cubed potato and the frozen green peas, then remove the pot from the heat.
- Pour the mixture into a deep 5-quart baking dish (or a baking dish of a similar or greater size/capacity); set aside.
- In a large food processor, pulse together the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse about ten (1-second) pulses until the mixture resembles coarse sand with some small pebbles mixed in. Add the buttermilk and pulse until all ingredients are fully incorporated. The dough should be very sticky but not runny.
- Use a large spoon to scoop and dollop blobs of biscuit dough onto the top of the chicken pot pie filling...I made four rows of three biscuits for a total of 12 biscuits. Carefully brush the top of each biscuit with some half-and-half.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the tops of the biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbly. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- As a shortcut, I often use a 10-ounce bag of coarsely shredded carrots.
- If you have leftover diced turkey, that may be substituted for the chicken.
- To make the amount of buttermilk needed for this recipe, simply measure 1 tablespoon + ¾ teaspoon lemon juice (or white vinegar) into a 2-cup measuring cup. Then fill the cup with milk to the 1 ¼-cup line.
- If you prefer to make the biscuits without using a food processor, simply whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk until combined before proceeding with the recipe.
Nutrition
Post originally published on January 17, 2019, and updated on March 5, 2021, and December 13, 2024.
Very Good! I cooked mine for a little longer (15 mins) to brown the biscuits more but turned out really delicious!
I would like to try this to feed our family this weekend. Just wondering - I have a recipe (more for a smaller group & kind of a shortcut version) which uses a can of Veg All (mixed vegetables). Do you think I could just use 2 or 3 cans of this instead of the vegs. in your recipe? Thank you!!
Hi Janet...I apologize for my delayed reply! Yes, I think you could substitute canned mixed vegetables. You'll just need to skip the steps where you cook down the fresh veggies. 🙂
Ah, Samatha, how many times have I been wondering what I would feed our Saturday Supper crowd,only to find you had exactly what I needed? I even have frozen leftover turkey that needs using.
The photos make me hungry right now. Happy New Year to you and another thanks.
Your comment made me smile, Carolyn. Happy New Year to y'all! Hope everyone is doing well. 🙂