All The Comfort of Chicken Pot Pie, Made in the Crock Pot
With 3 young kids at home, my dinner goal is always something hands-off, ready when we are, and kid-friendly. This crock pot chicken pot pie gives you the creamy chicken and vegetable filling we all crave without making a pie crust or keeping an eye on the oven all afternoon. Success!
The chicken cooks until tender in the slow cooker then you top it with flaky puff pastry for that classic chicken pot pie bite.
Instead of cream of chicken soup, I made my own with blended cottage cheese and bouillon cubes to give you even more protein and lighten it up. The super fast version of the homemade canned soup I use in my broccoli cassesrole!
I wasn’t totally sure the cottage cheese would work the first time I made this, but just like cottage cheese alfredo, it disappears right into the sauce for that same rich, creamy texture when it’s blended smooth.
And instead of biscuits, it’s topped with puff pastry baked right into the crockpot insert, so you end up with one dish instead of a pot of filling plus a separate pan of biscuits.
It’s been a cozy weeknight dinner lifesaver in our house between school, sports, and bedtime!
This crockpot chicken pot pie has all the cozy, creamy comfort of the classic, minus the oven and minus the can of soup. It’s the same trick I use in my one pot cheesy chicken and broccoli rice, another canned soup free dinner that doesn’t skimp on the creaminess.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken breast: added raw and shredded at the end!
- Chicken broth: Just enough to cook the chicken and make it creamy, without it being soupy.
- Homemade cream of chicken: a mix of bouillon paste and blended cottage cheese to make it reach and creamy! If you love this trick, my cottage cheese alfredo uses the same blended base for an extra creamy pasta sauce.
- Garlic powder, thyme, and sage: simple seasonings that do a lot of work.
- Frozen mixed vegetables: no chopping required!
- Cornstarch: for thickening the filling at the very end
- Puff pastry: thawed and cut into rough rectangles for toppings. I tested this with regular puff pastry and Sweet Loren’s gluten-free and dairy-free puff pastry and it worked perfectly.
- An egg: for brushing over the pastry so it bakes up golden
Don’t skip blending the cottage cheese smooth before it goes in. That’s the step that turns it from cottage cheese into a creamy sauce base.
How to Make Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie
Step 1. Season the chicken: Add the chicken to the crock pot with the broth and seasonings.
Step 2. Blend and cook: Blend the cottage cheese and bouillon paste, pour over the chicken.
Step 3. Add the vegetables and cook: Top with the vegetables, and cook on low for 6 hours. Stick to low, high heat can curdle the cottage cheese. This same blending method is what makes my cottage cheese mac and cheese so creamy too.
Step 4. Shred and thicken: Shred the chicken, stir in a cornstarch slurry, and cook on high for a few minutes until thickened.
Step 5. Top with puff pastry: Layer the puff pastry over the top and brush with the egg wash.
Step 6. Bake and serve: Transfer the crock insert to a 400 degree oven and bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Serve warm. For another cozy, creamy chicken dinner, try my chicken florentine soup next.
Tips for the Best Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie
Only cook this on low. High heat can cause the cottage cheese to curdle, so resist the urge to speed things up. If you’re building out your slow cooker rotation, my crockpot white chicken chili is another hands off favorite.
If the filling looks slightly curdled after cooking, don’t panic. It smooths back into a creamy sauce once you shred the chicken and stir in the cornstarch slurry.
Make sure your crock pot insert is labeled oven safe before transferring it to a 400 degree oven. Most ceramic inserts are, but it’s worth double checking.
Don’t stress about cutting the puff pastry perfectly, rough rectangles that overlap and cover the filling are all you need.
More Cozy Crockpot Dinners to Try
- Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Beef Stew
- Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole
Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie
Save this Recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried chopped sage
- 24 oz full-fat small curd cottage cheese
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste
- 12 oz frozen mixed vegetables
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 package puff pastry thawed and cut into 2 to 3 inch rectangles
- 1 egg whisked
Instructions
- Add the chicken breast to the bottom of the crock pot. Pour the broth on top, then season the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and sage.1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, 1/2 cup chicken broth, Pinch of black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried chopped sage
- Using a hand blender or countertop blender, blend the cottage cheese and chicken bouillon paste until smooth. Pour it over the chicken. Add the frozen vegetables on top.24 oz full-fat small curd cottage cheese, 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste, 12 oz frozen mixed vegetables
- Close the lid and cook on low for 6 hours, until the chicken is tender and shreds easily. Do not cook on high, the cottage cheese can curdle. If it looks slightly separated, that’s okay, it will smooth out as you shred the chicken and thicken it.
- When it's done cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and remove the top oven rack, or make sure there's enough room for the crock pot insert to fit.
- Use two forks to shred the chicken and stir the pot pie together to thicken. Dissolve the cornstarch in a small bowl with 1 to 2 Tablespoons of water to make a slurry. Stir it into the pot pie and turn the slow cooker to high heat. Let it cook and thicken for 3 to 4 minutes while you cut the topping. Give it a good stir and add up to 1 more Tablespoon of cornstarch if needed, keeping in mind it will thicken slightly as it cools.2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- Top the pot pie with the puff pastry pieces so they overlap and no filling shows through. Brush the entire top with the whisked egg.1 package puff pastry, 1 egg
- Using oven mitts, carefully remove the insert from the crock pot’s outer shell and transfer it to the preheated oven. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until puffed and golden. Broil for the last 3 to 4 minutes if needed.
- Garnish with flaky salt, fresh thyme, and black pepper. Serve right away.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I was really excited to try this recipe but unfortunately for me, it was a bit of a flop. I made two errors that I think could’ve been avoided if the instructions were more clear. I ran into issues after layering the puff pastry (one SHEET not one package as most packages have 2 sheets) and putting it in the oven. I checked how it was cooking after 10 minutes and there was pooling liquid on top of my mostly raw puff pastry… I tried to absorb what I could with paper towel but there was too much. So I baked longer hoping it would help the liquid cook down, but no success. Then I tried broiling for longer for the same purpose and it just ended up burning the exposed bits of puff. I think more emphasis could’ve been put on the importance of getting the base REALLY thickened before baking so this doesn’t happen, as well as the importance of fully sealing up the top/edges with puff so nothing can leak through. The base tasted good but I had to remove the whole puff layer as it was raw/ burned sadly. Is some of this my own fault? 100%. But I do not consider myself a novice cook, so I would like to think maybe if the instructions had been more clear, these errors could’ve been avoided. This recipe is still worth trying, I just wanted to give this caution to people considering making it.
Hi Reagan! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback. I’m really sorry the puff pastry didn’t turn out, especially after all the effort you put into making it. You’re right that the filling needs to be thick enough before adding the pastry, and I appreciate you pointing out where the instructions could be clearer. I’ll take another look at those steps to make sure they’re as helpful as possible. Thanks again for taking time to leave your thoughts – it really is so important to me!
We all loved this! My only issue was that using the whole package of puff pastry it never properly cooked after 15 minutes. Cooked for a total of 45 and still wasn’t all the way cooked! Maybe if I did one sheet and not one package it would have been fine. Ended up taking the topping off, putting panko and butter on it and broiled it – it was great!
Hi Aislin! I’m so glad everyone loved it! I’m sorry the puff pastry gave you trouble, though! If the pieces were overlapping too much, that could explain why they didn’t cook all the way through. Next time, I’d try using just one sheet of puff pastry and arranging the pieces in a single layer with minimal overlap so they bake more evenly. I love that you improvised with the panko and butter topping!
This is delicious and so comforting. I wish my puff pastry crust was thicker and crispier but that’s totally on me for only using one sheet of puff pastry. The leftovers are going to be so good too. 10/10!!
Hi Katrina! So glad you enjoyed this! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Absolutely delicious! This homemade pot pie was amazing—the filling was flavorful and comforting without being too heavy, and the crust was just right, not thick or overly bready. Everything was perfectly balanced. So, so good! I would definitely have this again. 😋 Thank you so much for sharing another delicious meal🤍
Thank you so much Tammy!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This looks amazing! Can I leave the crock pot on low for over 8 hours while at work?
Hi Jenna! I wouldn’t recommend going much longer than 6 hours on low, as the chicken can start to dry out and the veggies may get pretty soft. If your slow cooker has a “keep warm” setting that automatically kicks on when the cook time is finished, that would be a great option.
What size crockpot do you use?
Hi Kathy! A 6-quart crockpot works great for this recipe! You could also use a 7-quart if that’s what you have. Just make sure your crockpot insert is oven safe before baking the puff pastry topping.