Spinach And Feta Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Chicken pot pie has to be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of comfort food (or at least in the top five). Warm, inviting, and a mixture between one of the world's best desserts and best soups, pot pie is hard not to like. And it isn't difficult to make, either. Unlike a chicken pie, which requires a top and bottom crust, chicken pot pie is typically as described: chicken filling, baked into a pot with a pie crust on top. Plus, because the goal is to simply have a flaky, crispy crust on top, it's common to use store-bought puff pastry to shortcut the recipe. 

In this recipe developed by Michelle McGlinn, the pot pie filling gets a spanakopita-style upgrade with feta and spinach before being topped with a flaky golden puff pastry crust. It's delicious in the same way the famous Greek pie is, but with all the comforting flavors of a typical chicken pot pie. It's gooey, warm, delicious, and exactly the kind of meal you'll want to have around when the snow starts falling.

You'll need a few pantry staples for this recipe, including olive oil, salt, pepper, butter, flour, egg, and water. From there, you'll want chicken breasts (thighs will work too), onion, garlic, white wine, chicken broth, crumbled feta, milk, baby spinach, and a puff pastry sheet. You can always whip up a homemade pie crust or use leftover dough from previous pie recipes, but to keep it simple, McGlinn suggests opting for the frozen puff pastry sheets.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Grease a pie pan.

Place chicken on a sheet tray. Coat with oil, then season with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Roast chicken for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through.

Shred chicken and set aside.

In a deep skillet, melt butter over medium heat.

Add onion and garlic and saute until soft, about 3-4 minutes.

Add flour and stir to create a paste.

Add white wine and stir to combine. Let reduce until liquid is absorbed, about 1-2 minutes.

Add chicken broth, stirring to break up any clumps.

Add feta and milk, then stir continuously until thick and combined.

Season with remaining salt and pepper.

Stir in the spinach until wilted.

Add chicken and mix to combine.

Transfer chicken mixture to the prepared pie pan.

Cover with puff pastry, slicing small holes in the crust to vent.

Combine egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl.

Brush egg wash onto the puff pastry.

Bake pot pie until golden, 25-30 minutes.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

When the filling is in the skillet, it should be thicker than soup, but still runny enough to slide into the pie tin. After baking, the mixture will have thickened slightly into a consistency similar to pudding. Because there's no bottom crust, the pie won't hold together like a typical pie, and the best way to serve this is to allow the pie to cool and thicken a little bit further. The reason it thickens as it cools is because of the fats in the filling: The butter, flour, and cheese mixture solidifies as it cools (and when chilled, it will be almost completely solid, though not as appetizing). By letting the pie cool before serving, you'll avoid a soupy plate of pie filling. When ready to serve, it will be easy to slice as you would a pie, reinforcing the bottom with a spatula.

Pot pies are not necessarily hard to make, but they can consume a lot of time on otherwise busy nights. To give yourself an easy meal to look forward to later on, try making it ahead and freezing it. Prepare the recipe as written, using a disposable pie tin instead of the nice Pyrex from your cupboard. After adding the puff pastry crust, you can either brush it with egg and bake, or freeze it to bake later on. If you bake it first, allow the pie to cool completely before wrapping it tightly with foil or plastic wrap and storing it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days (though it's of course best when fresh). If storing unbaked, simply take the pie from the freezer, brush with egg wash, and bake until hot and golden.

To give yourself a shortcut without freezing, you can also swap the roasted chicken for shredded rotisserie or canned chicken. This way, you can dive right into the recipe by making the filling, saving you some time on roasting. Just remember to thaw the puff pastry before you start — or all your shortcuts will be for nothing.