As an homage to my Grandmother, this old-fashioned skillet chicken pot pie is speckled with chard.
As a picky kid, I didn’t fully appreciate my Grandmother’s old-fashioned style of cooking. Hearty stews and casseroles just didn’t do it for me back then. But now those are exactly the kinds of foods I like, and I feel like I missed out. So, I’m on a mission to recreate some of her classics, and top of my list was one of her personal favorites, which is now one of mine too: a skillet chicken pot pie.
Featuring generous chunks of chicken and vegetables in a rich gravy, with a buttery pie crust topping, my version includes all the best parts I remember from hers. But, since Grandma always insisted I eat my leafy greens (which I hated at the time), for my pot pie I swapped the traditional peas with whole Swiss chard (which I now love—thanks Grandma!). The stems are crisp, with a celery-like texture, while the leaves are tender and vibrant, and both are welcome additions in a pot pie.
An all-butter sourdough pie crust makes an exceptional toppings, but, really, any pie crust will do. My grandma, for one, did not shy away from store-bought.
For rustic charm (and easy clean-up), it cooks and bakes in a single skillet. And if you have any picky eaters in the house, who knows, this pot pie may just win them over—just like my Grandma’s did for me.
Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Chard
Ingredients
- 1 single batch Pie crust homemade or store bought (thawed as needed)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 oz (5-6) cremini mushrooms cut in quarters
- 1 red or yellow onion chopped
- 8 oz Swiss chard stems and leaves separated, both roughly chopped and kept seperate
- 2 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp Rosemary
- 1 tsp Thyme
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 2 medium (or 1 large) carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 oz (about 2 medium) red potatoes scrubbed and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 3 tbsp flour
- ¼ cup sherry or dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- On a floured surface, roll out pie crust as needed so that it is slightly wider than a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment paper. Place skillet top-down on the dough. Cut around the edges of the pan with a paring knife. Remove the dough from around the outside of the pan, then remove skillet. Place the parchment with remaining dough on a sheet pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- In the cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, chard stems (but not leaves yet), chicken thighs, rosemary, thyme, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms and chicken are browning and onions are softened and turning translucent.
- Gradually add chard greens to the pan and stir until wilted. Mix in carrots, potatoes, and flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Mix in sherry, broth, and cream. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Remove skillet from heat. Remove parchment from pie dough and place pie dough on top of the filling in the skillet. Cut a circle out of the middle of the dough with a paring knife and cut several slits radiating towards the outside of the pan.
- In a small bowl beat together an egg with 1 tbsp water. Brush egg mixture on top of crust.
- Place skillet on a sheet pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until crust is deeply golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Loved this & so did my family!