The home cooking classics might not always be the most welcome to your waistline. Such is the price of great taste, or so it would seem. But wait! Healthier Chicken Pot Pie has come to prove that you can have fantastic comfort foods without guilt! The key comes from making simple substitutions that don’t compromise the flavor: vegan butter, almond milk, and low-sodium broth come together to make a creamy and savory chicken filling with a flaky, golden brown pie crust. Serve yourself up a slice of Healthier Chicken Pot Pie and enjoy that hearty goodness without worry!
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring a worksurface
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup vegan butter or dairy butter, cold
- 1 egg yolk
- 2-3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk or oat milk
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter or dairy butter, divided
- 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, and cut into cubes
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or oat milk
- 1 1/3 cups plus 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1 3/4 cups gold potatoes, diced
- 2 large carrots, sliced
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 egg, optional, for the egg wash
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 –Coat a deep skillet or a large deep-dish pie pan with nonstick spray.
Step 3 –Place the flour and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a bowl and whisk together.
Step 4 –Dice 1/3 cup of the cold butter and add it to the flour mixture, cutting the butter into the flour until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.
Step 5 –Add the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of the almond milk and whisk with a fork until combined.
Step 6 –Whisk and combine until the dough comes together and is smooth and not overly wet or dry, adding more almond milk as necessary. It should not form a ball, but instead be a little shaggy.
Step 7 –In a large pot, add 1/2 tablespoon of the butter and the chicken.
Step 8 –Season the chicken with the salt and the pepper to taste.
Step 9 –Cook the chicken until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Step 10 –Transfer the chicken to a large plate.
Step 11 –Add the remaining almond milk and 1 1/3 cups of the chicken broth to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 12 –Add in the potatoes and the carrots and boil until the potatoes release their starches, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 13 –Drain the mixture over a bowl, reserving the cooking liquids and setting aside the potatoes and the carrots.
Step 14 –Add the remaining butter to the same pot over medium heat.
Step 15 –Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 16 –Vigorously whisk the 1/3 cup of the whole-wheat flour and the remaining chicken broth at the same time into the onions until smooth and no lumps remain.
Step 17 –Stir in the reserved cooking liquids, the potatoes, the carrots, the chicken, the frozen peas, the thyme, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper.
Step 18 –Simmer the mixture over medium-low heat until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
Step 19 –Taste for seasoning.
Step 20 –Add the pot pie mixture to the prepared skillet or pie pan.
Step 21 –Roll out the pie dough on a well-floured surface until large enough to cover the pie pan.
Step 22 –Place the crust dough on top of the mixture in the pie pan, pressing the edges and sealing.
Step 23 –Cut a few slits in the top of the crust or poke holes with a fork to allow steam to escape.
Step 24 –Whisk the egg and brush the top of the crust with the egg wash.
Step 25 –Bake until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly, about 45-55 minutes.
Step 26 –Serve.
