Nothing says comfort food like a chicken pot pie with a creamy filling and flaky pastry crust. If you're like me, there's never quite enough crust. The solution to that is to make the "pie" in a large, shallow sheet pan. That way the filling spreads into a thinner layer. Cover the entire pan with a layer of puff pastry, and you get a satisfying, generous amount of pastry with every bite.

You can use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken to make the recipe easier. It's also a great way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Top the filling with a prepared puff pastry crust from the refrigerated or frozen section of your grocery store, and it makes this even easier--and delicious!

Step-by-step photos for making
Sheet Pan Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie

Step 1. Assemble the ingredients:

• cooked and chopped/shredded chicken or turkey
• chicken or turkey broth -- buy it or make your own with my recipes for slow cooker  or instant pot
• milk
• olive oil
• butter
• flour
• carrots
• celery
• onion
• frozen peas (don't thaw them)
• fresh parsley and thyme
• salt and pepper
• egg
• hot sauce (optional)

• Puff Pastry -- I used Pepperidge Farm in this recipe because it's the most widely available (in the freezer section). Wewalka is another brand available at some grocery stores (in the refrigerated section--with biscuits and pie dough). Trader Joe's has an all-butter puff pastry, but it's only available during the holiday season. Dufour Puff Pastry is a premium all-butter choice, but it's pricey and harder to find. Any of those choices will work.

Step 2. PREP THE PUFF PASTRY. If it's frozen, thaw it according to the package instructions. With a rolling pin, roll both sheets of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to 12" x 15" rectangle. With a large knife or pizza cutter, cut each sheet into 12" x 1" strips. Don't worry about them being perfect 1" strips--you can eye-ball it. If some strips are a little crooked or irregular, it's perfectly fine. Stack cut pastry strips on a plate and refrigerate while making the filling. (The pastry needs to stay cold!)

• NOTE: This is assuming you are using a box (2 sheets) of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry and a 13x18" half-sheet pan. If you use a different kind of pastry or pan size,  roll the pastry so one side measures the shorter inside width of your pan. Your 1" strips of pastry should span that width when they are placed over the topping later.

view on Amazon:  pizza cutter, rolling pin

Step 3. CUT THE VEGGIES AND HERBS

• Peel and dice the carrots. Or, for a short-cut, you can use 2 cups of frozen peas and carrots in place of the 1 cup carrots and 1 cup frozen peas called for in the recipe.

view on Amazon:  Y-peeler

• Dice the onion and celery.

• Remove thyme leaves from the stems; chop the parsley.

Step 4. PREP AND MEASURE FILLING INGREDIENTS. When you begin cooking, this makes the filling easier to assemble, and you are less likely to accidentally omit any ingredients if they're all measured and ready to add.

view on Amazon:  Pyrex measuring cups, prep bowls

Step 5. COOK THE FILLING. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts. Add carrots, onion, celery, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook 4-5 minutes until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle flour over the top and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Lower the heat to medium and gradually whisk in broth, 1/2 cup at a time, combining thoroughly after each addition. Whisk in milk and hot sauce. Simmer until bubbly and thickened, approx. 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Stir in chicken (or turkey), frozen peas, and parsley.

• MAKE-AHEAD TIP: You can make the filling in advance, refrigerate up to 24 hours, and add the puff pastry right before baking and serving.

view on Amazon:  silicone spatulas

STEP 5. ASSEMBLE THE "PIE". Spray a 13x18" half-sheet baking pan with cooking spray. Pour chicken/turkey mixture into the baking sheet and spread out evenly. Arrange puff pastry strips side-by-side on top of chicken/turkey mixture, overlapping them slightly, if necessary, to fit them. If your pastry doesn't entirely cover the pan, it's fine if there are gaps between the strips.  The strips can touch, overlap, or not touch--it's all good!

view on Amazon:  13x18 "half-sheet" baking pan,  storage lid

STEP 6. EGG WASH THE TOP. Whisk an egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush it lightly and evenly over the top of the puff pastry. 

• OPTIONAL: Lightly sprinkle top with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  

view on Amazon:  silicone basting brush, Oxo salt & pepper grinders

STEP 7. BAKE IT for 30 minutes until filling is bubbling through and pastry is golden brown. 

Let it rest 5-10 minutes before serving. Then...eat and enjoy!

That creamy, flavorful filling combined with a light flaky crust is hard to beat. Yum.

LEFTOVERS? Cover and refrigerate. You can reheat a portion at a time in the microwave, or place it in the oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes to restore the crispy top as it heats. Don't over-heat it to prevent it from drying out.

view on Amazon:  13x18 "half-sheet" baking pan,  storage lid

That's a bite of comfort food at its best!

Make it a Yummy day!

Monica

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Sheet Pan Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie

By Monica              Servings: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (17.3 oz) package Pepperidge Farms* frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
• 1 small onion, diced (3/4 cup)
• 2 celery ribs, diced (3/4 cup)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1-2 shakes hot sauce (optional)
• 2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken or turkey
• 1 cup frozen peas (don't thaw)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, whisked
• OPTIONAL: coarse salt and pepper for crust top

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 13x18* half-sheet baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.

PREP PUFF PASTRY TOPPING:
With rolling pin, roll both sheets of puff pastry on lightly floured surface to 12" x 15" rectangle. With large knife or pizza cutter, cut each sheet into 12" x 1" strips. Stack cut pastry strips on plate and refrigerate while making filling.

MAKE FILLING:
Heat olive oil and butter in large skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts. Add carrots, onion, celery, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook 4-5 minutes until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle flour over top and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Lower heat to medium and gradually whisk in broth, 1/2 cup at a time, combining thoroughly after each addition. Whisk in milk and hot sauce. Simmer until bubbly and thickened, approx. 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Stir in chicken (or turkey), frozen peas, and parsley. (MAKE-AHEAD TIP: You can make the filling in advance, refrigerate up to 24 hours, and add the puff pastry right before baking and serving.)

ASSEMBLE:
Pour chicken/turkey mixture into baking sheet and spread out evenly. Arrange puff pastry strips side-by-side on top of chicken/turkey mixture, overlapping them slightly if necessary to fit them. Whisk egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush it lightly and evenily over top of puff pastry.

OPTIONAL: Lightly sprinkle top with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

BAKE:
Bake 30 minutes until filling is bubbling throughout and pastry is golden brown.
Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

*ADJUSTMENTS FOR DIFFERENT PAN SIZES AND PUFF PASTRY BRANDS:
Other brands/sizes of puff pastry or sheet pans may be used. Roll puff pastry so one side measures the shorter inside width of your pan. Cut 1" strips of pastry. If it turns out there aren't enough strips to completely cover your pan of filling, it's fine if there is space between the strips. The strips can touch, overlap, or not touch--it's all good!

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