Easy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe ($10 Family Dinner Idea)

If you haven’t ever tried chicken pot pie with a homemade cream cheese crust, you are absolutely missing out! This crust takes regular ol’ comfort food up a whole notch!

Now here’s the deal: you can absolutely use store-bought pie crust instead of making your own crust, and this pot pie will whip together in no time at all — and it will still be super frugal! However, if you have a few extra minutes (like 10-15), please give this cream cheese crust a try at least once. You can’t taste the cream cheese, but you can certainly taste the YUM.

To save on time, I use a bag of frozen vegetables and skip adding any extra veggies that require chopping and/or peeling. However, feel free to chop away and add in whatever extra veggies your heart desires when you are frying the minced garlic in the butter (this could be onion, potato, etc).

I served this chicken pot pie with a simple fruit salad, but there are so many other possibilities. One of Crystal’s easy salad ideas would be another great side option!

This post is part of our $10 Dinner Ideas series, brought to you by Brigette on our team! Each week, she shares easy, delicious, and affordable family-friendly dinner ideas that cost less than $10 to make, use everyday ingredients, and are super quick meals.

Golden brown chicken pot pie with a flaky fully baked top crust in a clear glass pie dish on a rustic wooden table. A bowl of fresh sliced strawberries and pineapple sits nearby.

Chicken Pot Pie Menu:

Chicken Pot Pie with a Homemade Cream Cheese Crust

Fruit Salad

Overhead view of ingredients arranged on a wooden table including flour in a glass bowl, a block of cream cheese, sticks of butter, canned soup, mixed vegetables, minced garlic, shredded chicken in a green bowl, milk, and seasonings. A large glass bowl of fresh strawberries, oranges, and an apple sits to the side.

Ingredients for Chicken Pot Pie and Fruit Salad:

2 cups flour (Aldi – $1.99 for 5 lbs) — $0.20

1 8-ounce package cream cheese (Aldi) — $1.45

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter (Aldi — $0.85 per stick) — $1.55

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (Aldi — $1.75 for 3-ct pkg) — $0.12

Salt, garlic powder, pepper to taste

3 cubes of chicken bouillon (Aldi — $1.79 for 25 cubes) — $0.21

2/3 cup milk (Aldi — $0.19 per cup) — $0.13

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (Aldi — $2.49/lb) — $2

1 10-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables (Aldi) — $0.89

Fruit (I used strawberries, 1 apple and 3 oranges, all from Aldi) — $2

Total for Dinner: $8.55 (Serves 6)

Close up of a golden brown chicken pot pie with a flaky fully baked top crust and small vent slits in the center.

How to Make Chicken Pot Pie:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Add 1 2/3 cups flour, 1/3 cup of cold butter, 8 ounces of cold cream cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter or fork, blend until the consistency is coarse crumbs (alternatively, you can do this step in a food processor).

Red mixing bowl filled with flour, cream cheese, and butter for pie crust dough.

Red mixing bowl filled with crumbly flour and butter mixture for pie crust dough.

3. Using your hands, press the dough together until it sticks into a ball.

Ball of homemade pie crust dough resting in a red mixing bowl after being combined. The smooth but slightly cracked surface shows the dough ready to be chilled and rolled out for a flaky chicken pot pie crust.

4. Divide the dough into two pieces, with one slightly bigger than the other. Roll the bigger piece into the bottom crust and place in a 9″ pie plate. Trim off any extra dough with scissors.

Rolling pin and rolled-out pie dough on dark counter.

Rolled out pie crust pressed into a glass pie dish on a dark countertop with excess dough trimmed away. Scraps of dough and green handled kitchen scissors sit nearby.

5. Wrap the remaining dough in cling wrap and stick both the bottom crust and the second piece of wrapped dough into the refrigerator while you make the pot pie filling. (This is important if you want a flaky pie crust!)

6. In a sauce pan, fry together 1/3 cup butter, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 3 chicken bouillon cubes until garlic is tender. Whisk in 1/3 cup flour. Add 1 1/2 cups warm water and 2/3 cups milk, and whisk until thick and smooth.

Skillet filled with butter, garlic, chicken bouillon, water, and milk, with whisk.

7. Stir in cooked chicken and the bag of frozen mixed veggies. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.

Skillet filled with creamy chicken pot pie filling made with shredded chicken, carrots, peas, and corn in a thick white sauce.

8. Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator and pour the hot filling into the bottom crust. Roll out the top crust and lay it on top of the filling. Seal the edges of the crust together and cut several slits in the crust.

Pie crust filled with creamy chicken and vegetable filling, with another rolled-out pie crust in the background.

Unbaked chicken pot pie with a smooth top crust, crimped edges, and small vent slits cut into the center to release steam.

9. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

10. While the pot pie is cooking, make the fruit salad.

Note: If you let the Chicken Pot Pie sit for a few minutes before serving it, the filling will thicken up better than if you cut into it immediately. If you just can’t wait, you may want to serve this in bowls, haha!

Close up of golden, flaky baked chicken pot pie with a homemade cream cheese pie crust.

Chicken Pot Pie ($10 Family Dinner)

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If you haven’t ever tried chicken pot pie with a homemade cream cheese crust, you are absolutely missing out! This crust takes regular ol’ comfort food up a whole notch!

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken, cream cheese, easy dinner, family favorite, freezer friendly, freezer meal, homemade, weeknight dinner

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Servings

Calories 657kcal

Author Brigette

Cost $8.55

Ingredients

2 cups flour Aldi – $1.99 for 5 lbs — $0.201 8- ounce package cream cheese Aldi — $1.451/4 teaspoon salt2/3 cup butter Aldi — $0.85 per stick — $1.552 cloves garlic peeled and minced (Aldi — $1.75 for 3-ct pkg) — $0.12Salt, garlic powder, and pepper to taste3 cubes chicken bouillon Aldi — $1.79 for 25 cubes — $0.212/3 cup milk Aldi — $0.19 per cup — $0.131 1/2 cups warm water2 cups chopped cooked chicken Aldi — $2.49/lb — $21 10- ounce package frozen mixed vegetables Aldi — $0.89Fruit I used strawberries, 1 apple and 3 oranges, all from Aldi — $2

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Add 1 2/3 cups flour, 1/3 cup of cold butter, 8 ounces of cold cream cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter or fork, blend until the consistency is coarse crumbs (alternatively, you can do this step in a food processor).

Using your hands, press the dough together until it sticks into a ball.

Divide the dough into two pieces, with one slightly bigger than the other. Roll the bigger piece into the bottom crust and place in a 9″ pie plate. Trim off any extra dough with scissors.

Wrap the remaining dough in cling wrap and stick both the bottom crust and the second piece of wrapped dough into the refrigerator while you make the pot pie filling.

In a sauce pan, fry together 1/3 cup butter, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 3 chicken bouillon cubes until garlic is tender. Whisk in 1/3 cup flour. Add 1 1/2 cups warm water and 2/3 cups milk, and whisk until thick and smooth.

Stir in cooked chicken and the bag of frozen mixed veggies. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.

Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator and pour the hot filling into the bottom crust. Roll out the top crust and lay it on top of the filling. Seal the edges of the crust together and cut several slits in the crust.

Bake for 30-40 minutes.

While the pot pie is cooking, make the fruit salad.

Let the Chicken Pot Pie sit for a few minutes before serving it so the filling will thicken up better than if you cut into it immediately.

Notes

I served this chicken pot pie with a simple fruit salad, but there are so many other possibilities. One of Crystal’s easy salad ideas would be another great side option!

Nutrition

Chicken pot pie with golden, flaky pie crust and a side of fruit salad on a dark brown rustic table.

FAQs about Chicken Pot Pie:

Should you cook chicken before putting it in a pie?

You should either cook the chicken before adding it to the sauce or cook it in the sauce before filling the crust. Otherwise it’s hard to get cooked just right.

What to serve with chicken pot pie?

I love serving chicken pie with a simple fresh fruit salad, but a side salad would also be delicious. For a heartier option, you could serve it with rolls.

How to keep the bottom crust of chicken pot pie from getting soggy?

How long to bake chicken pot pie?

I recommend you bake this chicken pot pie at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

How to make a flaky crust for chicken pot pie?

To make a flaky crust, make sure all your crust ingredients stay cold. That’s why I suggest you stick the crust in the fridge while preparing the filling.

Can you freeze chicken pot pie?

Yes! This is a great freezer meal. Freeze the pie after filling the crust and adding the top layer, but before baking.

How to reheat chicken pot pie?

For best results, place a slice on an oven-safe dish, tent it loosely with foil, and reheat it at 350-400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until heated through.