When I’m in the mood for comfort food, chicken pot pie is always at the top of my list. But this time, I wanted to give it a little twist, so I came up with my Chicken Pot Pie with Surprise Topping. Instead of the usual pie crust or biscuits, I crown mine with buttery croissants and broil them until they’re golden and crisp. Underneath, it’s still that creamy chicken and veggie filling I love, but the croissant topping makes every bite feel a little unexpected and extra special.
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Ingredients Needed
You can find exact measurements in the recipe card at the end of this post. Here are the things you’ll need:
- Chicken thighs – I like using thighs because they stay juicy and tender when cooked. That being said, you can use breast if that’s your preference.
- Olive oil – For sautéing the chicken and vegetables.
- Mushrooms, leeks, and carrots – A vegetable trio that adds flavor, texture, and sweetness to the filling.
- Garlic – Freshly chopped.
- Fresh thyme – One of my favorite herbs. If you don’t have fresh thyme on hand, replace 1 tablespoon of fresh with 1 teaspoon of dried.
- Salt and pepper – Essential seasonings for layering flavor.
- Flour – Helps thicken the sauce into a creamy filling.
- Chicken broth – Creates a rich, savory base for the sauce.
- Heavy cream – Adds a luscious, silky texture.
- Cooking sherry – A splash for depth of flavor.
- Croissants – The “surprise” topping. Torn into rough pieces, they broil into a golden, buttery crust.
Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
1. Cook the chicken: Heat olive oil in an oven-proof skillet and sauté the chicken pieces until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
2. Cook the vegetables: Add more olive oil to the skillet and sauté leeks, mushrooms, and carrots for 5–6 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook a couple minutes more.
3. Build the sauce: Stir in flour until it turns light brown, then slowly add chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen the brown bits. Add cream, thyme, sherry, and season with more salt and pepper.
4. Combine: Return the chicken to the skillet and let everything simmer on low for 10–15 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce is creamy.
5. Add the topping: Preheat the oven to high broil. Scatter torn croissant pieces over the top of the pot pie, and broil 1–4 minutes until golden brown.
6. Finish and serve: Garnish with fresh thyme, let it rest a few minutes, and serve warm.
And there you have it — a pot pie with a twist. The creamy chicken and vegetable filling feels familiar, but that flaky croissant topping makes it something totally different. It’s cozy, it’s hearty, and it’s guaranteed to surprise anyone at the table in the best way.
More comforting chicken dishes:
Smothered Chicken
Marry Me Chicken
Creamy Lemon Chicken
Pot Pie Soup
Chicken Bog
Chicken and Rice
Chicken Stroganoff
Chicken Pot Pie with “Surprise” Topping
This Chicken Pot Pie with Surprise Topping swaps the crust for buttery croissants! A creamy, cozy chicken and veggie filling with a golden, flaky twist.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless. skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 12oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1 leek, sliced
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon cooking sherry
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (plus more for garnish)
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 3 large baked croissants, torn into 1 inch rough pieces (about 5 cups)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in an oven proof skillet or cast iron skillet and sauté chicken pieces till they are no longer pink. Season it with salt and pepper. Cook till chicken is almost cooked, about 10 minutes, and plate it out.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and add sliced leek, mushrooms and carrots and sauté together for 5-6 minutes. Add in garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add in flour and mix well with veggies. Stir it till it starts changing color to light brown. Gradually add in chicken broth, stirring up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan.
- Add in cream and mix well. Add in fresh thyme, sherry, salt and pepper. Transfer chicken pieces back into the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes on low heat, or until chicken is cooked through. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven at high broil.
- Arrange the torn croissant pieces on top of the pan and broil it in preheated oven for about 1-4 minutes, or until the top is light golden brown.
- Garnish with some more fresh thyme, let it cook for 5 minutes, and serve.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 539Total Fat 33gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 185mgSodium 800mgCarbohydrates 30gFiber 3gSugar 7gProtein 34g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former worldwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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