With chunks of tender chicken and savory vegetables in a creamy, gravy-like filling, homemade chicken pot pie is the perfect comfort food on a cold winter’s evening. The flaky crust in this made-from-scratch version melts in your mouth with every bite, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it is difficult to make. Quite the opposite: it’s simple and economical, and it can even be prepared ahead of time, frozen, and then baked when needed.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Prep Time: 50 minutes

Active time: 20 minutes

Inactive time: 30 minutes

Yields and Serves: One 9-inch pie; serves 6

Ingredients for Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
5-6 tablespoons icy-cold water

Ingredients for Filling

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 (14.5-ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4-5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons dry white wine

Directions for the Crust:

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter into the flour with a fork until crumbly. Add one tablespoon of water at a time, mixing with a fork each time just until the dough comes together. Divide the dough into two balls. Flatten the balls into disks, wrap them in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.

When you are ready to make the pie, remove one of the dough balls from the refrigerator and roll it out into a large circle, about 1/8-inch thick, on a floured surface. Fit the dough into a glass pie dish. Roll out the second dough ball and set aside. Keep the crust refrigerated until you are ready to add the filling and bake.

Directions for the Filling:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Melt the butter in a hot skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sauté until tender and lightly browned.

Add the celery, carrots, poultry seasoning, and chicken broth. Stir and bring to a boil.

Add half the flour chicken mixture and stir to dissolve, then stir in the remaining flour. Add the milk and white wine and continue stirring. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. If the gravy is too thick, add a bit more milk.

Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. Fit the prepared top crust over the pie, crimp the edges, and, using a knife, cut several vents on top of the pie crust.

Place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes, or until the liquid bubbles out of the vents and the pie crust is golden-brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.