Description
Mama’s Chicken Pie is a comforting, old-fashioned casserole featuring tender chicken in creamy sauce layered between buttery pie crust strips. This Blue Ribbon recipe uses simple ingredients and a unique layering technique to create a family-favorite dinner that’s perfect for picky eaters. No vegetables, no fuss—just pure comfort food that’s easy to make and impossible to resist.
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 1 whole chicken or 3 large boneless chicken breasts
- 1 can cream of chicken soup (10.5 oz.)
- 1½ soup cans of chicken broth (use the empty soup can to measure—so easy!)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
For the Crust Layers:
- 2 frozen 9″ pie crusts, thawed
- 2 Tbsp butter, divided
You’ll Also Need:
- Cooking spray for the baking dish
Instructions
Place your whole chicken (or chicken breasts) in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through—about 45 minutes for a whole chicken, 20-25 minutes for breasts. Remove the chicken and let it cool until you can handle it. Chop the meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth (measured using that empty soup can—1½ cans worth), salt, and pepper. Stir it up good until everything’s well combined. Add your chopped chicken and stir until every piece is coated in that creamy goodness.
Lightly spray your 9×9 baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon half of your chicken mixture into the bottom of the dish and spread it out evenly. Don’t worry about making it perfect—rustic is beautiful!
Now here’s where it gets fun! Take one of your thawed pie crusts and cut it into strips about 1 inch wide. You can use a knife or a pizza cutter—whatever feels comfortable. Lay these strips over your chicken mixture, covering it as completely as you can. It’s okay if there are little gaps; they’ll fill in as everything bakes. Dot the top of these strips with 1 tablespoon of butter, breaking it into small pieces and scattering them around.
Pop that dish into your preheated 400°F oven and bake for 25 minutes. The crust will start getting golden and the filling will be bubbling—it smells AMAZING at this point!
Remove the dish from the oven (careful, it’s hot!). Spoon the remaining chicken mixture over the top of that first baked crust layer. Spread it out gently and evenly.
Cut your second pie crust into strips just like before. Now you can either simply lay them across the top, or if you’re feeling fancy, create a simple basket weave pattern—it’s easier than it looks and makes for a gorgeous presentation! Dot this layer with your remaining tablespoon of butter.
Back into the oven it goes for another 25 minutes. You’re looking for that beautiful golden brown color on top and bubbling around the edges. When it comes out, let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Rotisserie chicken shortcut: Stop by the grocery store and grab a rotisserie chicken. You’ll save 45 minutes of cooking time, and honestly? The flavor is fantastic. Just remove the skin and shred the meat.
Leftover turkey magic: This recipe is INCREDIBLE with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. I make it every year the weekend after Thanksgiving, and my family looks forward to it as much as the turkey dinner itself!
Perfect strip width: Cut your strips about 1 inch wide. Thinner strips get too crispy, thicker strips stay doughy in the middle.
The butter matters: Don’t skip dotting with butter or use margarine instead. Real butter creates that golden, flaky top that makes this dish special.
Common mistake to avoid: Don’t make your filling too thick. If your cream of chicken soup is one of those “extra thick” varieties, add a splash more broth. The sauce should be pourable, not gloppy.
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American