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This easy chicken pot pie casserole is homemade comfort food at its best! Buttery, flaky biscuits are paired with a rich and creamy chicken pot pie filling, then baked in a casserole dish instead of a pie crust!
Once you’ve polished off this deliciousness, for more cozy American classics, try my tuna noodle casserole or chicken stuffing casserole next—they’re just as fantastic and comforting!
Are you ready for cozy dinnertime perfection? Today we’re making a chicken pot pie casserole that gives you all the flavor of classic chicken pot pie without the fuss of making an actual pie. Instead we’re going to mix up a simple chicken filling, make some classic biscuits, then put everything together and bake until golden.
Why You’ll Love Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
- Fuss-free. This simple recipe everything you love about classic chicken pot pie in an easier-to-make casserole version.
- Homemade. Fluffy homemade biscuits take the place of a traditional pie crust in this chicken pot pie casserole. The dough recipe is straightforward with no chilling required. (You can also make this recipe with store-bought biscuit dough if you prefer.)
- Creamy filling. The pot pie filling is rich, silky, and packed full of juicy chicken and tender veggies. Everything is simmered together and then baked until hot and bubbly.
- Family-friendly. Casseroles like this always hits the spot. Both kids and grown ups ask for seconds!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are some notes on the ingredients for this recipe. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list of what you’ll need.
For the Pot Pie Filling
- Chicken Thighs – I use boneless chicken thighs. If you prefer, use an equal amount of skinless, boneless chicken breasts.
- Veggies – Carrots, onion, garlic, and celery, sautéed with butter forms the flavor base for the chicken pot pie filling.
- Seasonings – Salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme, and oregano.
- Flour – Acts as a thickener for the creamy gravy.
- Chicken Stock – Or vegetable stock, if it’s what you have on hand.
- Half-and-Half – You can also use heavy cream for a richer filling. If you prefer a lighter filling, use whole milk instead.
- Cream Cheese – Softened to room temperature.
- Sour Cream – This can be replaced with Greek or plain yogurt if needed.
- Peas – Fresh or frozen. If you dislike peas, leave them out or replace them with another veggie, like chopped mushrooms.
- Parsley – Fresh chopped parsley, not dry. Thyme also works well in this recipe.
For the Biscuits
- Butter – I recommend unsalted butter.
- Dry ingredients – You’ll need all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk, make a homemade substitute by combining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (or vinegar) with 1-1/4 cup of milk. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, stir, and use it in the recipe as directed.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Ready to see how to make this casserole? Let’s dive in! Here’s a quick step-by-step guide. Don’t forget to scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions.
Cook the Chicken
- Load the Instant Pot. Add the chicken, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and water.
- Cook. Seal and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Manually release the pressure when the time is up and discard everything but the chicken.
- Shred. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred it with 2 forks. Set aside.
Make the filling
- Saute the veggies. Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, and celery and season with salt.
- Make it saucy. Add the seasonings and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken stock followed by the half and half. Bring to a light boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until thickened.
- Make it creamy. Turn the heat off and stir in the cream cheese. Keep stirring until it has melted into the sauce. Stir in the sour cream.
- Put it all together. Stir in the frozen peas, parsley, and shredded chicken.
Make the biscuits and finish the casserole
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a casserole dish with butter.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix.
- Add the butter. Work it into the dry ingredients with your fingers or on low speed in a stand mixer until the cubes of butter are spread evenly throughout the flour mixture and resemble coarse breadcrumbs.
- Add the buttermilk. Mix into the dough until just incorporated.
- Shape the biscuits. Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface and roll it flat with a rolling pin. Fold the dough over itself into thirds and roll flat again. Repeat. Cut the dough into 14 circles and set aside.
- Assemble the casserole. Pour the filling into the casserole dish and top with 12 biscuits (you’ll have 3 rows of 4). You will have 2 biscuits leftover. Feel free to bake them separately at 400°F for 20 minutes or until golden brown and fluffy.
- Bake. Brush the biscuits with the remaining ¼ cup buttermilk and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Tips & Variations
- Twist to cut the dough. A handy trick for cutting biscuit dough is to press the cutter straight down and twist, for clean-cut edges.
- Avoid burned biscuits. If you notice that the tops of the biscuits are browning faster than the rest of the casserole is cooking, tent the casserole dish lightly with foil before returning it to the oven.
- Use rotisserie chicken. You can use store bought rotisserie chicken to streamline the cooking process if you like, or leftover baked chicken thighs.
- Want to use a different kind of meat? Use leftover turkey or diced cooked ham.
- More veggies. Good options are diced zucchini, chopped mushrooms, sweet corn kernels, baby spinach, and chopped kale.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your casserole alongside a crisp green salad with a light vinaigrette to balance the richness, or veggies like green beans or zucchini chips for a fresh, vibrant contrast.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Store in the fridge: The biscuits on top of this casserole are at their crispiest on the day it’s made. But if you have leftovers, store the chicken pot pie casserole airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: Warm the casserole either whole or in portions. Reheat it in the oven for best results (this helps to crisp up the biscuits again). In a pinch, you can also use the microwave.
More Easy Casserole Recipes
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup water
For the filling
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 7 carrots, sliced into rounds
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 5 celery ribs, sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups half and half
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
For the biscuits
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons baking powder
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups buttermilk, divided
Instructions
For the chicken
- Load the Instant Pot. Add the chicken, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and water to the Instant Pot and stir to combine.
- Cook. Seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Manually release the pressure when the time is up and discard everything but the chicken.
- Shred. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred it with 2 forks. Set aside.
For the filling
- Saute the veggies. Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, and celery and season with salt. Saute until softened.
- Make it saucy. Season the veggies with pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and oregano, and stir in the flour. Cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken stock, followed by the half and half. Bring the mixture to a light boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the filling has thickened.
- Make it creamy. Turn the heat off and stir in the cream cheese. Keep stirring until it has fully melted into the sauce. Stir in the sour cream.
- Put it all together. Stir in the frozen peas, parsley, and shredded chicken.
To make the biscuits and finish the casserole
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a casserole dish with butter.
- Cube the butter. Cube the butter and store it in the fridge while you prep the dry ingredients.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl or the bowl of a standup mixer, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix together on low speed.
- Add the butter. Add the chilled butter. Work it into the dry ingredients with your fingers or on low speed until the cubes of butter are spread evenly throughout the flour mixture and resemble coarse breadcrumbs.
- Add the buttermilk. Mix 1 cup buttermilk into the dough until just incorporated.
- Roll out the dough. Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface and roll it flat with a rolling pin. Fold the dough over itself into thirds and roll flat again. Repeat.
- Cut the dough into biscuits. Cut the dough into 14 circles and set aside.
- Assemble the casserole. Pour the filling into the casserole dish and top with 12 biscuits (you’ll have 3 rows of 4). You will have 2 biscuits leftover. Feel free to bake them separately at 400°F for 20 minutes or until golden brown and fluffy.
- Bake. Brush the biscuits with the remaining ¼ cup buttermilk and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve. Pull it out of the oven and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before servings.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.