UMMMM wut just happened. Oh wait, this Cheesy. Cheddar. Broccoli. Chicken. Pot. Pie.
That’s right, your favorite soup combined with your favorite comfort food just had a baby, and it’s about to BLOW YA MIND.
When I first made this broccoli cheddar chicken pot pie a couple of years ago, Tony devoured it and Sidney (who was just 1!) loved it just as much. My favorite thing about it is both the creamy cheese sauce that coats every bite, but also how incredible the pot pie crust is. OMG literally the most flaky pie crust on the planet. Don’t skip making your own because I promise that it’s worth it!
Bonus points: this is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey!
Everything you need to make cheddar broccoli chicken pot pie
This wonderful broccoli cheddar chicken pot pie may look fancy, but it actually uses super simple ingredients to create something truly magical. If your fav chicken pot pie recipe (here’s mine!) and mac and cheese had a baby, this would be it. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- For the crust: you’ll need all purpose flour, salt, butter, an egg yolk, and a few tablespoons of milk to form the pot pie crust.
- For the cheese sauce: that creamy cheese sauce is made with more butter and all purpose flour, onion powder & garlic powder, milk, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper.
- For the chicken: you’ll cook your chicken in a little olive oil, salt & pepper.
- Veggies: we’re loading this baby up with broccoli and carrots for the perfect boost of veggies.
Simple ingredient swaps
This delicious broccoli cheese chicken pot pie can easily be customized with what you have on hand:
- Choose your milk. I like to use unsweetened dairy free milk like almond or cashew because that’s what I always have in the fridge, but feel free to use any milk you’d like in this recipe.
- Swap your veggies. This broccoli cheddar chicken pot pie would also be delicious with spinach, peas, cauliflower, onion and even mushrooms! Don’t overstuff it though or you’ll lose some of that cheesy gooeyness in every bite.
- Switch up the protein. You can absolutely use chopped up ham or turkey (hello, leftover Thanksgiving turkey!) instead of chicken. Or if you’re vegetarian, feel free to use one can of drained chickpeas! YUM.
How to make this broccoli cheese chicken pot pie
- Make the pot pie dough. You’ll start by making the dough in a food processor, shaping it into a disc and placing it in the fridge for at least an hour before rolling it out. Feel free to make the dough a few days ahead of time too if that makes it easier for you.
- Cook the chicken. While the dough is refrigerating, cook your chicken in a large pot. Transfer it to a bowl or plate and set it aside.
- Make your cheese sauce. In the same pot, you’ll make the creamy cheese sauce.
- Add your mix-ins. Dump those broccoli florets, carrots and cooked chicken cubes into the cheese sauce and mix until everything is well coated.
- Prep your pan. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and coat a 10 inch deep skillet or pie pan with cooking spray. Pour in the cheddar broccoli chicken pot pie mixture.
- Roll the dough. On a well-floured surface, roll out that pie dough until it’s large enough to cover the skillet or pan.
- Top it. Place the crust on top of the pot pie mixture and press the edges to seal it. Cut a few slits on top of the crust (or poke holes) to let the veggies cook and steam.
- Bake & devour. Brush the top of the pot pie with an egg wash, bake it up until it’s golden brown and serve!
Pro tips for making the BEST pot pie crust
The most intimidating part of this recipe is probably making the crust, but with a few tips & tricks I promise you’ll nail it:
- Make sure your butter is VERY cold. Chilled butter is best when making any type of pie crust, especially since you’ll be working with warm hands. My recommendation is to dice up the butter, place it on a plate and set it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. This will also give you the opportunity to get all of your ingredients out and ready to go.
- Try not to overwork the dough. Don’t spend a ton of time processing the dough in the food processor; you really only need to pulse it 10 times to get the butter to come together into the dough before adding your liquid. Please refer to the video to see more of how the crust should look.
- Allow your pot pie dough to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes-1 hour. Resting your pie dough in the fridge will allow gluten to relax, the butter to harden and firm up within the pockets of flour and give you a flaky, perfect crust. You can even make the crust a few days ahead of time if you’d like, or keep it in the freezer and thaw when ready to make your recipe.
- Thaw out your pie dough for a few minutes before rolling. Before you roll out your dough, allow it to sit out at room temperature for 5-10 minutes so that it’s easier to roll.
How to store leftovers
Store any leftover cheddar broccoli chicken pot pie in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. Feel free to reheat portions in the microwave or in the oven at 350 degrees until heated through.
Prep it ahead of time
There are plenty of steps you can take to make this broccoli cheddar chicken pot pie ahead of time. Feel free to prep the following and store them in airtight containers in the fridge:
- Make the crust
- Cook the chicken
- Chop your broccoli and carrots
- Assemble the chicken pot pie completely, then store it covered in the fridge the day before baking. Then bake as directed!
Freeze your pot pie for later
This cheddar broccoli chicken pot pie is a great, nourishing meal to prep ahead of time and freezer for later. Perfect for making meals for expecting parents or family members who would use some warm meals! Here’s how to do it:
- Cook & assemble: cook the filling and assemble the crust and full broccoli cheddar chicken pot pie completely.
- Prep for the freezer: before brushing the pie with the egg wash, wrap the entire pie in tin foil and place it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Bake once ready: when ready to cook, defrost the pie in the fridge and then bake as directed. To bake from frozen, bake for 30 minutes with the foil on top. Remove the foil and bake for another 30-45 minutes or until golden brown on top.
More comfort foods to try
Looking for more? Get all of our healthy comfort foods here!
I hope you love this amazing cheddar broccoli chicken pot pie recipe. If you make it be sure to leave a comment & a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Blow Ya Mind Cheddar Broccoli Chicken Pot Pie
Incredible cheddar broccoli chicken pot pie with an easy, homemade crust that will literally blow ya mind! This delicious broccoli cheese chicken pot pie recipe has a lightened up cheese sauce and is packed with protein & veggies for a comforting dinner the whole family will love.
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup COLD salted butter (or regular unsalted butter will work just fine)
- 1 egg yolk (not the full egg, just the yolk)
- 1-3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- Extra flour for dusting
- For the cheese filling:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour (or sub whole wheat or GF all purpose flour)
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ¾ cups unsweetened cashew milk, almond milk or regular milk
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (about 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
- 4 cups small broccoli florets
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- Extras:
- 1 egg, for egg wash
Instructions
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Make the dough in the food processor: add the flour and salt to the bowl of the food processor with the regular blade attached, then add the diced cold butter. Pulse just a few times to lightly mix the ingredients until there are pea-sized balls. Add the egg yolk and 1-3 tablespoons milk and process again until the dough is crumbly and somewhat wet. Do not let it turn into a big dough ball or you will have overmixed the dough. Pour into a well-floured surface and gather into a disk, wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour until you are ready to roll out. Dough can also be made ahead of time and placed in the fridge or 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.
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Cook the chicken: add oil to a large pot and place over medium high heat. Once oil is hot add in chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes, then transfer to a bowl or large plate and set aside.
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Next make your cheese sauce: in the same large pot, add butter and place over medium heat. Once butter is melted, whisk in a little bit of the flour and then slowly add in milk, a little bit at a time, alternating with the flour and vigorously whisking away any lumps. Bring mixture to a slight boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for a few minutes stirring every so often, until the sauce thickens up a bit. Stir in garlic powder, onion powder, salt and LOTS of freshly ground black pepper.
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Next, add in 8 ounces (or about 2 cups) of shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the sauce and stir until completely melted. Add in the broccoli, carrot and cooked chicken cubes; stir well to completely coat the veggies and chicken with the cheese sauce. Set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 10 inch deep skillet or a large deep dish pie pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the cheddar broccoli chicken pot pie mixture and smooth the top.
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Roll out the pie dough out on a very well floured surface so that it’s large enough to cover the pie pan. Place on top of mixture, pressing the edges and sealing. Cut a few slits on top of the crust, or poke holes with a fork to let steam escape. Whisk 1 egg together and brush the top of the crust with some of the egg wash, this will help to make the crust golden brown.
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Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Top crust with a little sea salt. Enjoy! Serves 6.
Recipe Notes
I recommend shredding your own cheese from a block of cheese. It generally melts better.
See the full post for tips, tricks, and storing & freezing instructions!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (based on 6)Calories: 480calCarbohydrates: 24.2gProtein: 31gFat: 30.6gSaturated Fat: 17.6gFiber: 3.5gSugar: 2.3g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on February 24th, 2021, and republished on November 23rd, 2023.
