Chicken Pie Casserole (Printable)

Tender chicken and vegetables baked in creamy sauce beneath a golden, flaky crust for a hearty main dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken & Broth

01 - 3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup frozen peas
04 - 1 cup diced carrots
05 - 1 cup diced celery
06 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

→ Sauce

07 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
09 - 1 cup whole milk
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
13 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

→ Crust

14 - 1 sheet refrigerated pie dough or homemade equivalent
15 - 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute to form a roux.
04 - Gradually whisk in chicken broth and whole milk, then add salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic powder; simmer while stirring until sauce thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes.
05 - Fold shredded chicken and frozen peas into the thickened sauce and remove from heat.
06 - Transfer filling into prepared baking dish, spreading evenly.
07 - Unroll pie dough over filling, trim excess, and cut slits to vent.
08 - Brush beaten egg evenly over the crust surface.
09 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.
10 - Allow casserole to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under two hours and feels like you've been cooking all day.
  • Rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey transforms it into a weeknight dinner that tastes like Sunday.
  • The crust browns beautifully and stays flaky even when the filling underneath is perfectly creamy.
  • It feeds a crowd and reheats better the next day than it had any right to.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roux step or rush it; that minute of cooking flour into the fat is what makes the sauce smooth instead of starchy and thick.
  • If your sauce looks lumpy after adding liquid, strain it through a fine sieve and start the thickening process again—I've done this twice and it saves the whole dish.
  • Cold pie dough browns faster than room-temperature dough, so pull it from the fridge right before using and bake at 400°F if you want that golden crust without burning the edges.
03 -
  • Let your crust sit at room temperature for five minutes before unrolling so it doesn't crack and is easier to shape over the filling.
  • Brush the crust with egg wash right before it goes into the oven, not earlier, so it stays glossy and browns evenly rather than drying out.

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