Skinny Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie with Phyllo "Crust" (2024)

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By: Nicole34 Comments
Posted: 01/05/15Updated: 02/20/15

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Skinny Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie with Phyllo "Crust" (1)

My parents had a built-in babysitter when I was a child – my grandma Perparas. She was only a few miles away from our house, and was always willing to watch my brother and me when my parents had plans with their friends, went out of town or just needed a night away. I can still vividly remember the house she lived in for the majority of my Mother’s life and well into my childhood; a charming, modest one-story ranch painted white with black shutters. She had the most annoying doorbell that made an awful ringing noise (much like a school bell you hear in movies) each time you turned the old-fashioned knob. And like most people that lived a majority of their life before the 60s, her “nice” furniture in the untouchable formal living room just off the entryway had squeaky plastic covering each square foot of fabric to ensure its pristine condition.

Skinny Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie with Phyllo "Crust" (2)

My Mom was one of those elusive “surprise” children to be born completely unexpectedly, as both my Grandmother and Grandfather were in their 40s with two grown boys when she was born. Because of that, by the time I was old enough to retain memories, most of her hard-core cooking days were behind her. Although there were a few dishes she did still make that I got to taste like her perfect pot roast, the sweetest, stickiest popcorn balls and the most delicious savory dressing she prepared every Thanksgiving and Christmas (one we still make to this day).

Most of the time when I was over there for a meal, it was just my Grandmother, myself and my brother, so dinner often consisted of a coupon trip to KFC or Long John Slivers, one of those frozen tray dinners cooked in the microwave or – my favorite – a Swanson’s chicken pot pie. To this day when I meander down the frozen food isle at the grocery store, I’m tempted to snatch one of them up, but stop myself after I peruse the nutritional information and it informs me that 1100 calories and 52 grams of fat reside in that tiny pot pie. No thank you.

Skinny Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie with Phyllo "Crust" (3)

These days when I’m craving pot pie I only make it from scratch since it’s ridiculously easy to throw together and more times than not, I already have the classic ingredients loitering in my fridge and on the verge of needing to be tossed in the trash. While pot pie is often associated with words like fattening and heavy, that doesn’t have to be the case. Most of the ingredients – loads of butter laden crust and heavy cream – can be switched out with healthier, lighter ingredients while retaining all of the comfort and deliciousness we all adore about chicken pot pie.

The usual suspects comprise of the filling – chicken, onion carrots and peas – but I upped the vegetable content even more with the addition of bite-sized sweet potatoes and hearty cremini mushrooms. After all of the veggies are softened in just a touch of butter, I stir in a quarter cup of flour followed by a cup of low-sodium chicken stock and a half cup of milk to complete the base of the filling. A final (although not mandatory) splash of dry sherry is poured in at the last minute, an ingredient that happens to be one of my favorite flavors and one I feel elevates the entire dish to a more sophisticated level.

Skinny Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie with Phyllo "Crust" (4)

Instead of a heavy butter-laced crust, I opt for light-as-air phyllo sheets staggered one of top of the other to mimic the crispy exterior that every pot pie has to have to in fact be deemed a “pot pie.” Instead of brushing each layer of pastry with butter as most recipes call for, I actually opt to use an olive oil or coconut oil spray on each layer to keep the fat even lower.

Each individual pie is popped into the oven until the phyllo is golden brown and the filling is piping hot – a short 15-20 minutes.

This recipe yields two very generous portions of pot pie, but it could easily feed four modest appetites – although I would encourage you to double the recipe just to err on the side of caution.

Skinny Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie with Phyllo "Crust" (5)

Skinny Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie with Phyllo "Crust"

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A lightened-up version of everyone's favorite winter comfort food!

Author: Nicole

Serves: 2 generous sevings

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 large chicken breast
  • 2 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 large sweet potato, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
  • ½ cup low-fat milk
  • ¼ cup frozen peas
  • 2 tablespoons sherry
  • 7-8 phyllo dough sheets
  • Coconut oil spray

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a small non-stick saute pan, heat olive oil over a medium-high heat. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides, and then pop into the oven to finish cooking, about 10-15 minutes. Let cool, chop and reserve juices that accumulate.
  3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over a medium heat. Add sweet potatoes. Sweat for 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add remaining butter, onion, carrots and salt. Sweat 1-2 minutes and then cover completely with a lid and let steam for another 1-2 minutes until carrots and sweet potatoes are softened.
  5. Stir in flour until completely absorbed, cook one minute.
  6. Stir in stock and milk. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until thickened.
  7. Remove from heat and add chicken, peas and sherry.
  8. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
  9. Divide filling between two oven safe bowls or crocks.
  10. Cut the phyllo into squares big enough to fold over bowls. (You should get 14 squares out of the dough) Spray each layer of dough with coconut oil spray, then overlap then next layer, staggering it diagonal. Repeat until you have seven layers. Place over each bowl, folding the sides down. Cut a little x in the middle to let steam escape.
  11. Place on a baking sheet, bake until phyllo is golden brown and filling is hot. If the dough browns too quickly, just cover with foil until the filling is hot.

Meet Nicole

Welcome! My lifelong passion for delicious food and cooking has evolved over time into an equal love of showing you an elevated meal can be easy, approachable and most importantly, tasty. Dive in and find something perfect for you and your family!

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  1. Katie says

    I’ve been wanting to try a new healthy pot pie recipe! This looks fantastic with the phyllo crust…mmmmmmmm!

    Reply

    • Nicole says

      Thanks girlfried!!!! 😉 Sad I’m missing Bachelor tonight!!!!!!

      Reply

  2. Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen says

    What a beautiful pot pie! I love all those flaky layers!

    Reply

    • Nicole says

      Thanks Christin!

      Reply

  3. ATasteOfMadness says

    This looks so good! I have never made chicken pot pies before, but I really want to try!

    Reply

    • Nicole says

      Thank you!!

      Reply

  4. Jess @ On Sugar Mountain says

    Oh man it is FREEZING here today and I want nothing more than to warm up my entire apartment (and myself!) with this chicken veggie pot pie. Looks amazing!

    Reply

  5. M says

    Hi there! This looks ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC, do you have the calorie count by any chance? I can’t wait to make this!

    Reply

    • Nicole says

      I don’t! So sorry!!

      Reply

Older Comments

Skinny Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie with Phyllo "Crust" (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep the bottom crust of a chicken pot pie from getting soggy? ›

Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White

During that time, the egg cooks into a glossy layer that will later prevent the filling from seeping into the crust and making it soggy.

Is phyllo dough healthier than pie crust? ›

Even better, switch your pastry from shortcrust or puff to filo. This is the lowest-fat pastry by far, with 2.9g fat per 100g. This compares with 26.2g for puff or 31.4g for shortcrust. Filo is the lowest-calorie option too, and it's easy to use.

Do you need to blind bake filo pastry? ›

It needs to be blind baked first. Press the dough into your pie plate & poke a few fork holes in the bottom. Then cover it with aluminum foil and pour pie weights or dried beans on top, to keep the pastry from rising.

How do you thicken chicken pot pie? ›

Adding flour to the chicken and vegetable mixture will set it up for becoming thick and creamy once you pour in the broth.

Should you Prebake bottom pie crust? ›

You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.

How many sheets of phyllo dough should I use? ›

Typically, phyllo dishes should have a finished thickness of 3 to 10 sheets per layer. (A one-pound box of phyllo contains about 20 sheets.) Tip: Phyllo pastries can often be very brittle when baked. We recommend using a serrated knife to cut the finished dish to prevent all of the filling from squishing out.

Can diabetics eat phyllo dough? ›

The phyllo dough topping is infinitely more interesting than a standard crust. This recipe and other comfort food favorites made for people with diabetes is available in The American Diabetes Association Diabetes Comfort Food Cookbook.

Do you have to butter each layer of phyllo? ›

The magic of phyllo sheets comes in the layering. You'll brush oil or melted butter between each layer of phyllo. I'm using olive oil for this spinach pie. Oil the dish, add a sheet of phyllo, brush with oil, top with another phyllo sheet and repeat.

How to avoid soggy filo pastry? ›

To achieve a crispy and light texture with phyllo dough, make sure to brush each layer with melted butter or oil. Additionally, avoid overloading the layers with too much filling, as this can contribute to a soggy result. Bake at the recommended temperature, and keep a close eye on it to prevent over-browning.

Do you brush filo pastry with egg? ›

So the difference is simple, it's the fat! In the Puff Pastry the butter is folded in, in the Strudel dough the oil is part of the dough from the beginning and the Phyllo dough is brushed with oil before being baked. So per your question, strudel dough sometimes includes an egg, whereas filo (phyllo) never does.

How long does filo pastry take to cook? ›

Brush a little melted butter around the base, then gather up the outsides and scrunch them together. Brush half the remaining butter over the top. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make another filo parcel. Transfer the parcels to the preheated baking tray and bake in the oven for about 25 mins until golden.

Why do you not use a bottom crust on chicken pot pie? ›

I only gave my pot pie a top crust, because I feel like the bottom crust always gets soggy. If you do want to add a bottom crust, I suggest blind baking it. What does blind baking mean? It's when you bake your pie crust without a filling in order to crisp it up.

What is the sauce made of in chicken pot pie? ›

The sauce in chicken pot pie is typically a gravy. I use a seasoned white gravy made from scratch with flavor-building ingredients, chicken broth, and half-and-half.

Why is my chicken pot pie so watery? ›

A watery potpie may be the result of not cooking the filling for long enough or adding too much liquid to the filling. Another possible reason for the pie being watery is if you add watery vegetables like spinach or green beans to the filling rather than potatoes or carrots, which soak up liquid.

Should I egg wash the bottom pie crust? ›

Brushing on egg white will lead to a paler baked good with a very good shine. An egg white only egg wash is useful for brushing on the bottom of blind-baked pie crusts to create a watertight barrier between the filling and the crust. Or it can be used to help sugar adhere to pastry.

Why does my chicken pot pie get watery? ›

A watery potpie may be the result of not cooking the filling for long enough or adding too much liquid to the filling. Another possible reason for the pie being watery is if you add watery vegetables like spinach or green beans to the filling rather than potatoes or carrots, which soak up liquid.

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