Freeze-Dried or Frozen Chicken Pot Pie

Make easy and delicious convenience meals by making this freeze-dried or frozen chicken pot pie recipe.

4.45 from 59 votes

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 55

Servings: servings

Calories: 274kcal

Author: Carolyn Thomas

Add flour, cold butter, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles crumbles the size of a pea.
Turn food processor on and drizzle in ice-cold water until the dough mixture just starts to hold together and looks wet all the way to the bottom (the amount of water will vary based on your flour and room conditions). I used just under a cup of cold water.
Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and give it a quick knead until a solid ball of dough is formed.
Divide dough into four equal portions and chill for 20 minutes.
When ready to bake, roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch and, using the ring of a mason jar (or biscuit cutter), cut out small circles of pie crust.
Place them onto a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat mat and bake at 375° F for about 5 minutes (or until barely golden brown).

Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken. Once the chicken is nearly finished cooking through, add the diced veggies and continue to cook.
Once the vegetables begin to soften, add the remaining butter until melted.
Sprinkle flour over the surface of your chicken and veggie mixture and stir until evenly distributed and the raw flour taste has cooked out (about 3-5 minutes).
Once the flour has turned a nice golden brown, add the broth and cream and continue stirring.
Add frozen peas, salt and pepper (to taste) and continue stirring while the liquid thickens.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Divide the filling between four shallow pie pans.
Roll out pie dough into four pie crusts and cover each pie pan with the crust.
Make three small slits in the pie crust to allow for venting and bake at 375° F until the pie crust has cooked through (about 25 minutes).

Fill up six wide-mouth pint-sized mason jars with chicken pot pie filling (leaving about two inches of head-space to allow for expansion), add a two-part canning lid, and place into the freezer until frozen.
Once the mini pie crusts have baked and cooled, freeze them in a large ziptop freezer bag or freezer-proof container. Once the chicken pot pie filling is completely frozen, open each jar and top with a frozen baked pie crust right in the jar.
To reheat in the oven: Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, remove the lid then place the jar into a preheated 350° F oven and bake until completely heated through and starting to brown on the top (about 25 minutes).
To reheat in the microwave: Defrost overnight, remove the lid and heat in the microwave on high for a few minutes until heated through.

Fill the dehydrator trays with chicken pot pie filling.
Bake the mini pie crusts and place onto a separate freeze-dryer tray.
Freeze dry filling and pie crusts completely.
Once completely freeze-dried, crumble the pot pie filling and fill up approximately 12 pint-sized wide-mouth mason jars (I only filled six jars since I also froze six jars).
Crumble one pie crust into each jar, add an oxygen absorber to each jar, then add a two-part canning lid.
To eat: Boil approximately 1 cup water and slowly add to the jar. Add the lid and shake gently. Allow it to absorb the water for a few minutes, then enjoy!

This recipe can be adapted for from-scratch chicken pot pies, frozen individual servings, or freeze-dried individual servings.
Frozen chicken pot pie can be stored in the freezer for up to six months.
Freeze-dried chicken pot pie can be stored at room temperature for up to 20 years!
Be sure to follow the rehydrating step for freeze-dried food carefully so you don't end up with chicken pot pie soup!

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