The Dilly Pot Pie

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What’s the dilly-o, you say? Homestyle pot pie with a buttery, crispy crust that will have you writing home about. I love this recipe for Pot Pie and yes, let’s dill-it-up!! Come on, let’s get dilly-with-it 😂🫣💃

Honestly, this is ALL about the crust. The filling is ahhmazing, don’t get me wrong, but the crust–seals the deal! You and your friends will be falling in love 😻

Some may say that making a homemade pot pie is too fussy. Honestly, I don’t do it every day but once in a while and doing it in stages is where it’s at. There’s a lot of come and go so you won’t have to stand over it much 😀 yay! Also, it’s great to freeze for later (see freezer tips below 👇)

So I am going to go through the steps and give the recipe for the Regular/Homestyle Pot Pie, The Dilli-o Pot Pie, and The Crust! 🙌🏼

Jump to Recipe

Let’s start Pot Pie making from the beginning…making the chicken.

If you have a rotisserie maker that’s great. I love mine. It’s called a romertopt and it’s the best way to slow cook meat!! It uses steam and cooks it naturally. The rotisserie version is a product I’ll have in the house forever and live by it. My Mama gave me this and heck—Moms know best! Perfect rotisserie every time!

Other ways to get Rotisserie chicken:

If you don’t have a rotisserie maker, you can place your chicken BREAST DOWN on a roasting pan —which the only part that’s different is the skin won’t be crunchy. But for pot pie—you don’t need skin! That’s just extra to feed the savages 😆🫶🏼.

Honestly, you can even buy your rotisserie at the store and skip this step completely. I’m 💯 all about cheating steps to make life easier! But, for the chicken, I would just use rotisserie style chicken with both dark meat and white meat. Talk about savory!

Roast the chicken, or buy one–just keep the juices!
Add garlic/salt/pepper
When it cools off
shred it, rid the bones, keep dark and white meat.
Use the juices to start the roux.
Cut vegetables
Chop.
Cook down in the Rotisserie Juices.

Making the filling great is important, but the most important part is that —it MUST be cooled before it gets on the pie crust. What can happen is a yucky SOGGY crust. Most people expect it to be soggy cause it happens so much—but we are going to ignore that and surprise them!

How thick should the pot pie filling be?

So now that you know how to make the filling, make sure it THICKENS at the end—and if not, add up to 4 more tablespoons more while warm, then it should be quite thick. Although, it should not be as thick as paste but like a thick soup—almost like a mashed potato soup—kinda runny but kinda thick. If you can imagine it a little warmer, and oozing out of a flakey crust, you don’t want it watery, but you don’t want it pasty 😆. Ah🧐, when I say “pasty” I think of the nipple covers we use to wear under dresses. Remember pasty’s? 😂 I think they call them simply “nipple covers”. No hiding that subject! Ahaha. No pun intended.

Thick, round, and juicy 😂. No seriously. That says it all. Check out these photos to help guide you.

Cook down in the Rotisserie Juices.
Cook until the carrots are tender and onions are translucent.
Add the flour, a couple tablespoons at a time.
Don’t get too flour happy.
Let it thicken.
Add the broth and milk about a cup at a time while stirring.
Take it slow. It will thicken as it cooks.
Stir well —all pieces should be covered.
Keep adding milk until it’s a thick soup
As it cools, it will become even more thick.
Add chicken.
Add frozen peas.
This! Should be what the finished product looks like. You can do it!!

Pin-able picture! 👇

Making the Ahhhhmazing Crust

I posted this crust within a post about a fabulous cherry almond galette. You must try it! It may change your life. Nonetheless, I’ll post it here below 👇 but that post has even MORE details on assembling it.

Flour the workspace on your counter, make into ball.
Use your rolling pin to flatten out to a circle (as much as possible). Pick up the pin and roll left and pick up again and roll right to get that pancake look you’re going for.
Make a nice pancake. If you notice it start to stick, flip over or shove some flour under it to help it get unstuck.
Use the bench scraper or bowl scraper to help facilitate it rolling up like a scroll all the way to the end.
Flour and spray your pie pan.
Start to unroll the dough carefully onto the pan.
Take the dough to the edges then peel off the side pieces that are waaay overlapping the sides.
It may not be perfect but all it needs is an edge so you will be able to crimp the top and bottom—come that time.
If your filling is completely COOL you can put it in the crust.

Assembling the TOP Pot Pie crust:

Start with a crust that’s cooler than room temperature. It should be pliable but not so soft it’s like playdough and moves like one of those inflatable tube men that you see outside the local taco shop. Workable, not a rock, or like mud.

Flour your surfaces well. If you find stick spots, flour them and move on.

Start with getting another flat dough for the top of the pie. After getting it filled with cool filling and lay the top crust on top, covering the whole pan.

Align edges and start to pinch 🤏 ( or you can fork 🍴). See pictures of how to get the prettiest wavy crust!

Start with cold crust.
Cold filling.
The cold ingredients make it easier to assemble and decreases issues.
Align dough on top of
Start pinching.
Keep it going.
2 fingers on the outside. 1 finger on the inside.
Voila!
Make some slits in the top.
Egg wash the top and sides.
You can cook it now (don’t forget the foil on top!) or you can wrap it up to cook on another day.

Cooking the Pot Pie

2 rules apply:

  1. Must have the edge crust covered with foil for the first 35 minutes. Then for the last 25 minutes you’ll take it off to crisp the crust
  2. Slits in the top. Steam will need room to escape so make yourself a cute slit or 4 on the top crust.

Cooking in the Air Fryer OR for Smaller Sizes

100% this can be Air Fried. I typically use a smaller size —like an individual size (about the size of your palm) just so it fits inside the Air Fryer good. Everyone has a different size Fryer so here is my cardinal rule: REDUCE TIME BY 10 MINUTES. For example, for a smaller size Pie in a Medium Air Fryer, I would cook 375 degrees for 25 minutes WITH FOIL, then 10 Minutes without foil. OR, if you are cooking a large Pie in a Large Air Fryer, cook 375 for 30 minutes WITH FOIL on the edges then 10-15 minutes without. KEY is to just keep an eye on it. The Air Fryer seems magical in a way that it can be hard to completely burn your food (I tend to smell it beforehand) and over crisp it. Then, is over crisping really a problem? Love that problem.

Freezer TIPS:

YES! You can freeze this! And any size! Here are the rules:

  • Wrap it like there’s no tomorrow. Do the first wrap in foil ( hint:use this foil for your crust foil!)
  • then double wrap in plastic. If you can fit it into a plastic bag—this is a great option
  • don’t leave longer than a month in the freezer. Why? Because you’ll forget about it and leave it there longer and the longer you leave it there the worse it will come alive again. Good in the Freezer for 3 months!!
  • make sure all ingredients are room temperature or has been in the refrigerator.
  • if you advance it from the refrigerator to the freezer—the better it will freeze. The transition in coldness is perfection!

Defrosting TIPS

Try to think about defrosting as head of time as you can:

  1. First way is to leave in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours (the day ahead) then cook as instructed
  2. Second way is to leave on the counter top the night before on a towel. Let it completely defrost then put in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
  3. Third way is to leave it on the counter for 12-16 hours (maybe before work) then cook when you get home that night.

The key is to have it COMPLETELY DEFROSTED before cooking. Ugly things could happen, like, a soggy crust, or cold filling. 😱

Get ready for magic!! It’s sooo good!!

Have questions? Please ask below!! I love questions!!

With love,

Farmer Franny

Homestyle (Regular) Pot Pie
Print

Homestyle (Regular) Pot Pie

Recipe by Lisa Via BryanCourse: Dinner, lunch, holidays, holidayCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Moderate
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

55

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Medium Whole Chicken

  • 1 cup of chicken drippings, or 6 tbsp of butter

  • 5-6 carrots, Julianne’d or coarsely chopped

  • Sweet onion, diced

  • 2 tbsp garlic powder

  • salt and pepper

  • 5 tbsp flour (up to 8 tbsp)

  • 3 cups milk (up to 4 cups)

  • 2 cups chicken broth

  • 1 small bag frozen peas

  • 2 pie crusts

  • 1 egg + 1 tsp water (egg wash)

Directions

  • Make the rotisserie chicken or buy one at the store. Pull all chicken off the bones, dark meat and white meat. Keep juices from the chicken (you’ll be using it as stock to start a roux). Shred chicken and dice it to bite size (while cool).
  • With the drippings from the Chicken (sub butter), pour them into a large stock pot on the stove. Warm on medium heat. Add chopped carrots, chopped onion, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Cook carrots until soft and onions translucent.
  • Add Flour and stir (should make for thick veggies/paste). Start to thin out the chunky vegetables with milk and broth by adding a 1/2 cup to the mix at a time. The veggies will start to loosen up and you will find a nice thick, not too watery sauce. (You just made cream of condensed chicken!!)
  • Once sauce is made, add peas and stir. Let cool.
  • Roll the crust out and fixate it into the pan. Take edges off the sides that are drooping down. Fill (cold) crust with (cold) filling.
  • Roll out the top crust (the same as the bottom). Carefully unroll onto the top. Cut the edges off again. Crimp edges with a fork or roll into the 3 finger wavy design with your fingertips. Make a couple slats on top for the filling to pipe its steam out of.
  • Egg wash the crust and its edges well. (You can freeze it at this point, refrigerate for later, or cook now)
  • Cover with foil and cut out the center (looks like an “o”). It protects the outer crust.
  • Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes with the foil then, 25 minutes with no foil.
  • Let cool for 10 minutes before diving in. It’ll be hot. Enjoy!!

The dilly way:

Homestyle (Regular) Pot Pie
Print

Homestyle (Regular) Pot Pie

Recipe by Lisa Via BryanCourse: Dinner, lunch, holidays, holidayCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Moderate
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

55

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Medium Whole Chicken

  • 1 cup of chicken drippings, or 6 tbsp of butter

  • 5-6 carrots, Julianne’d or coarsely chopped

  • Sweet onion, diced

  • 2 tbsp garlic powder

  • salt and pepper

  • 5 tbsp flour (up to 8 tbsp)

  • 3 cups milk (up to 4 cups)

  • 2 cups chicken broth

  • 1 small bag frozen peas

  • 2 pie crusts

  • 1 egg + 1 tsp water (egg wash)

Directions

  • Make the rotisserie chicken or buy one at the store. Pull all chicken off the bones, dark meat and white meat. Keep juices from the chicken (you’ll be using it as stock to start a roux). Shred chicken and dice it to bite size (while cool).
  • With the drippings from the Chicken (sub butter), pour them into a large stock pot on the stove. Warm on medium heat. Add chopped carrots, chopped onion, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Cook carrots until soft and onions translucent.
  • Add Flour and stir (should make for thick veggies/paste). Start to thin out the chunky vegetables with milk and broth by adding a 1/2 cup to the mix at a time. The veggies will start to loosen up and you will find a nice thick, not too watery sauce. (You just made cream of condensed chicken!!)
  • Once sauce is made, add peas and stir. Let cool.
  • Roll the crust out and fixate it into the pan. Take edges off the sides that are drooping down. Fill (cold) crust with (cold) filling.
  • Roll out the top crust (the same as the bottom). Carefully unroll onto the top. Cut the edges off again. Crimp edges with a fork or roll into the 3 finger wavy design with your fingertips. Make a couple slats on top for the filling to pipe its steam out of.
  • Egg wash the crust and its edges well. (You can freeze it at this point, refrigerate for later, or cook now)
  • Cover with foil and cut out the center (looks like an “o”). It protects the outer crust.
  • Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes with the foil then, 25 minutes with no foil.
  • Let cool for 10 minutes before diving in. It’ll be hot. Enjoy!!

Pie Crust

Lisa Via Bryan
makes two 8-10" single-crust pies
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes

Equipment

  • food processor or hand pastry blender
  • plastic wrap

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 2 Heaping teaspoons sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup salted butter cut into cubes MUST BE COLD BUTTER
  • 3 tbsp shortening
  • 1/4th cup ice water Amount includes ice and water

Instructions
 

  • Layout two long stretches of plastic wrap on the countertop that crosses like a "t", about 36 inches long each. This is what you'll be putting the crumbly dough into.
  • In your food processor (which makes it all much easier), add flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse a couple of times to blend. (Or if using a pastry cutter, assemble in bowl and whisk dry ingredients together)
  • While blending add small pieces of cold butter and shortening until it turns into a sandy consistency. (If using pastry cutter, cut butter and shortening into dry ingredients until a gravel-type consistency)
  • Add up to ½ cup of ICE water (measurement does not include the ice) while blending. Go slow, you may not need to use all of it. You are looking for a coarse crumble. To test when it is ready, you should be able to pinch it and make it into a ball. Do not over blend.
  • Turn the dough into your plastic wrap. Pull the sides of the wrap and shape into a flat ball. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  • When ready to use, lightly flour the table or counter top. Divide dough into two, make two dough balls.
    With your rolling pin, start in the middle of the dough, and work your way out. Turn the rolling pin to evenly flatten making it into a circle as best as possible. You want it 1/4th inch evenly thick. Continue to flour whenever it is sticking to the table or the pin. (I like to flour my rolling pin too)
    Gently lay into the pie pan or tart pan your using. If you are having trouble getting it off your surface, use a sharp knife or bench scraper to gently scrape it off and use flour to help assist.
    If you are needing to precook it, cook at 375 for 15-18 minutes.
  • TIPS!: make sure your butter and water are COLD, COLD, COLD when blending. Also, it will need to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Over 2 hours is ideal.

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