Chicken Pot Pie Filling Recipe - Dessert for Two (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Christina Lane · This post may contain affiliate links · 69 Comments

Crustless chicken pot pie made in a skillet! Instead of pastry, serve this skillet of chicken pot pie filling over buttered toast for a yummy easy dinner, all made in just 30 minutes!

Chicken Pot Pie Filling Recipe - Dessert for Two (1)

Crustless chicken pot pie

Crustless chicken pot pie is for people who love the inside of chicken pot pie, but absolutely cannot be bothered to use a crust. Either you don't want to buy pie crust and roll it out, you don't want to make crust from scratch, or it was omitted from your grocery order and you have all the ingredients to make chicken pot pie, except the crust! I'm definitely speaking from experience here!

I feel like I have a good relationship going with my grocery shopper, but how were they to know that all of the ingredients for chicken pot pie in my cart should be put back once you realized store-bought pie crust was out of stock? I don't blame them one bit, because I still made a yummy dinner!

Serving this crustless chicken pot pie over buttery toast was the best decision! My kids thought it was fun to dunk the toast, and since they both love bread, it helped them eat more of their dinner. This is a fun way to stretch my chicken pot pie for two into a meal for my family of 4.

Crustless Chicken Pot Pie Ingredients

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  • butter
  • chicken tenders
  • onion
  • carrot
  • frozen peas: You need ¼ cup frozen, OR, you can absolutely use ¾ cup of frozen mixed vegetables instead of carrot, peas, and corn individually. You might have some leftover from my shepherds pie for two.
  • frozen corn
  • dried thyme leaves
  • flour
  • heavy cream
  • milk
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 2 slices thick bread: I like thick Texas toast smeared with butter and placed in the toaster oven until fragrant for this recipe. Use your favorite bread, and be generous with the butter! You need to make my strawberry cheesecake toast for dessert with the leftover bread!

How to make Chicken Pot Pie Filling

  1. To a 10" skillet, add half of the butter and melt over medium low heat. Add the chopped chicken tenders, and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes on each side.
    Chicken Pot Pie Filling Recipe - Dessert for Two (3)
  2. Remove the chicken from the pan, and then add the remaining half of the butter, followed by the onions and carrots. Let these saute and start to soften over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    Chicken Pot Pie Filling Recipe - Dessert for Two (4)
  3. Next, add the frozen corn, peas, and thyme leaves, stirring everything together. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the skillet, stir it and let it cook for 1 minute.
    Chicken Pot Pie Filling Recipe - Dessert for Two (5)
  4. Once the flour has cooked for a minute, add the cream and stir very well to bring up any delicious brown bits in the skillet. Then, add the milk, salt and pepper. Let it simmer until it thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Taste, and adjust it for extra seasoning, if needed.
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  5. While everything comes together and thickens, spread butter generously on your toast slices, and serve this crustless chicken pot pie filling over the buttered toast.

I promise your whole family will loves this recipe! It uses ½ a pound of chicken tenders to serve 2-3 people, but you can double the recipe to make it serve more people and use a whole pound of chicken tenders.

Can you make this crustless chicken pot pie ahead of time?

Since my family loves this recipe, I have made the entire filling and stored it in the fridge for up to 2 days before serving. The night you serve it, make the toast, warm the filling through, and serve. You might have to thin the filling with a splash of milk.

Is this recipe gluten free since it doesn't have a crust?

Unfortunately, the filling relies on flour for thickening. However, you can substitute it to make it truly gluten free a few ways. You can dissolve cornstarch in the COLD milk before pouring it into the skillet. You can use a one-for-one gluten free flour substitution, or you can use arrowroot!

If you need gluten free, you should try my sweet potato toast.

What to Serve with This Chicken Pot Pie Skillet

My favorite thing to serve with this easy dinner is a salad with a bright and tangy vinaigrette. A classic Italian salad with a balsamic dressing is the perfect side dish.

Storing Leftover Chicken Pot Pie (Filling Only)

If you have any leftovers, move them to an airtight food storage container and place them in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, use the microwave or place it in a pot and heat over low until bubbling. You may need to add a splash of chicken broth to thin it out.

Chicken Pot Pie Skillet FAQs

How do you thicken a pot pie filling?

This recipe contains flour for thickening. If for some reason it is not thickening for you, crank the heat up and let it bubble until it is thick.

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Looking for more chicken recipes?

  • Cranberry Chicken Salad
  • Chicken Bacon Pasta
  • Rosemary Lemon Chicken
  • Avocado Chicken Salad

More Favorites from Dessert for Two

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  • Ham Quiche
  • Homemade Hot Dog Buns
  • Peanut Butter Bars No Bake
  • Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
  • Dr. Pepper Cake
  • Best Vanilla Pudding Recipe
  • Ground Beef Tacos
  • Beef Roast Instant Pot
  • Overnight Creme Brulee French Toast
  • Po Boy Recipe
  • Best Chicken Thigh Recipe

Yield: 2 servings

Chicken Pot Pie Skillet Recipe

Chicken Pot Pie Filling Recipe - Dessert for Two (8)

Crustless chicken pot pie is all the flavors of a tasty chicken pot pie filling in the fraction of the time!

Prep Time5 minutes

Cook Time25 minutes

Total Time30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter, divided use
  • ½ pound raw chicken tenders, diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 small carrot, diced
  • ¼ cup frozen peas
  • ¼ cup frozen corn
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 2 slices thick bread

Instructions

  1. In a small skillet, add 1 tablespoon of the butter. Turn the heat to medium and let melt while you chop the chicken.
  2. Add the chicken to the skillet, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until both sides are brown, about 4 minutes a side. It's okay if the insides are still slightly pink. Remove the chicken from the pan, trying to leave as much butter as possible, and return the pan to the heat.
  3. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the pan, along with the onions and carrots. Saute for 5 minutes over low heat until the vegetables have softened, but not browned. The onions shouldn't brown.
  4. Add the peas and corn and turn the heat back to medium. Crush the thyme leaves in your hand to release the oils and add them to the skillet. Stir to combine. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to combine. Let cook for 1 minute.
  5. Add the heavy cream and milk to the pan, along with a few pinches of salt and pepper, to taste.
  6. Add the chicken back in the pan, and toss to coat it with the sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat until thickened. It should take 1-2 minutes to thicken.
  7. Meanwhile, toast the bread. Slice it on the diagonal.
  8. Divide the toast between two plates and top with chicken mixture. Serve immediately.

Notes

frozen vegetables: You need ¼ cup frozen corn and peas, plus chopped carrot. You may substitute ¾ cup of frozen mixed vegetables instead of carrot, peas, and corn individually.
dried thyme leaves: use thyme leaves, not ground thyme for this recipe.
2 slices thick bread: I like thick Texas toast smeared with butter and placed in the toaster oven until fragrant for this recipe. Use your favorite bread, and be generous with the butter!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 727Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 1533mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 5gSugar: 13gProtein: 32g

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Chicken Pot Pie Filling Recipe - Dessert for Two (2024)

FAQs

How to thicken pot pie filling? ›

Stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into cold water and gradually whisk it into the filling. Be sure to stir the mixture well to avoid lumps. If you're planning to freeze the potpie, arrowroot is the best thickener.

Why should you constantly move the crust while rolling it out? ›

Lift up the dough, dust the surface with a little more flour if needed, and turn the dough clockwise 90° and roll out again. Whatever your preferred method, constantly lifting the dough to make sure it's not sticking to the surface is key.

Can you freeze savoury pie filling? ›

We suggest freezing your chicken pot pie filling unbaked. You can pre-cook it and then freeze and then re-bake to reheat, but if you do that, you may want to under-bake your pie crust just a little before you freeze.

What is the best thickener for pie filling? ›

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency.

How can I thicken a pie filling without flour or cornstarch? ›

Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture. Filling mixed with tapioca needs to rest 15 to 30 minutes before baking, for the tapioca to soften.

How do you keep the bottom crust of chicken pot pie from getting soggy? ›

Brush With Egg

Brushing the surface of the unbaked crust with beaten egg or egg white mixed with water before adding the filling means that as it bakes, the proteins in the egg will form a moisture barrier over the crust and provide a layer of protection.

Is a chicken pot pie healthy or unhealthy? ›

Did you know an average restaurant portion of chicken pot pie has over 900 calories, 60 grams of fat and more than a days worth of sodium? Yeah, that's A LOT. Many often have 10-plus grams of trans fat, too -- thanks to pastries made with partially hydrogenated shortenings.

What is the sauce made of in chicken pot pie? ›

The sauce in chicken pot pie is typically a gravy. I use a seasoned white gravy made from scratch with flavor-building ingredients, chicken broth, and half-and-half.

Should you refrigerate pie dough before rolling out? ›

Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or up to overnight. Tip: Chilling hardens the fat in the dough, which will help the crust maintain its structure as it bakes. And the short rest before rolling relaxes the dough's gluten, helping prevent a tough crust.

Why put butter in pie filling? ›

Some say that scattering small bits of butter over a fruit filling keeps the juices from bubbling over in the same way that adding a bit of fat to simmering jam keeps it from foaming up in the preserving pan. The theory is that the fat disrupts the formation of bubbles on the surface of the viscous fruit mixture.

What is egg wash for pie? ›

Egg wash is a mix of beaten whole egg and water (or milk or cream), which is used to brush onto the top of baked goods before baking. The purpose of egg wash is to provide a nice golden brown, shiny finish on your baking. I use this egg wash for pie crust, or this also makes a great egg wash for bread recipes.

Can you refrigerate pie filling before baking? ›

And you can definitely make the filling up to 4 or 5 days ahead, and stash it in the fridge; or even farther ahead, and freeze it. When the time comes to assemble the pie, your filling's ready to spoon into the crust: just like Comstock in a can, only tastier.

How do you fix a runny pie filling? ›

You just use the same amount of tapioca starch as you would cornstarch. Cook your filling before putting in the pie shell, then bake. I chop about 5-6 cups, add 1 cup sugar (or more if you want sweeter), plus 3 tbsp cornstarch (add before hearing), and cook til thickened slightly, it will finish in the oven.

Why is my pot pie filling too thin? ›

If the chicken and/or the vegetables aren't partially cooked and thoroughly drained, they'll exude moisture during baking and thin out the filling. Be sure that the assembled filling is the consistency you like before covering and baking the pie.

How do you thicken a vegetable pie filling? ›

What's the Best Pie Filling Thickener?
  1. Flour as Pie Filling Thickener.
  2. Cornstarch as Pie Filling Thickener.
  3. Tapioca as Pie Filling Thickener.
Jul 17, 2019

How can I make my meat pie filling thicker? ›

Thicken your pie filling (optional).
  1. Mix two tsp. of flour with 1/4 cup cold water or 1 tbsp. cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water before stirring it into your mixture.
  2. Thicken with flour. For each cup of filling, use about 2 tbsp. of flour. ...
  3. Thicken with cornstarch. For each cup of sauce, use 1 tbsp. of cornstarch.

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