Grain-Free Chicken Pot Pie

Many panic when they find out they need to be gluten and/or dairy-free! I think one of the main reasons is fear of giving up their comfort foods. This Grain-Free Chicken Pot Pie recipe is true comfort food at its best! It’s proof positive that gluten and dairy are not needed to create a hearty, flavorful pot pie filling topped with a mouth-watering, flaky crust!

Chicken Pot Pie was one of my FAVORITE dishes growing up! If it was on the menu at a restaurant, or ready-made in my freezer, that’s what I picked!!! I’m beyond excited to have it back in my life now that I’ve created this gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, incredibly satisfying recipe!

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While at the supermarket, I recently read the ingredients on the label of a popular brand of frozen chicken pot pie. I was shocked to find that there was way more than just chicken, vegetables, and seasonings in it! It had “isolated soy protein product,” modified corn and potato starch,” “modified whey,” caramel color, “flavors”, and ” interesterified soybean oil!” – That’s not a typo!!! I looked it up!  According to wikepedia:

• “Interesterified fat is a type of oil where the fatty acids have been moved from one triglyceride molecule to another. This is generally done to modify the melting point, slow rancidification and create an oil more suitable for deep frying or making margarine with good taste and low saturated fat content.”

Why would any food manufacturer put that in a chicken pot pie??? There’s no deep frying in this recipe! Why not just use a fat that’s naturally stable at high temperatures, like ghee, avocado oil, or coconut oil? The only reason I can think of is because “interesterified” soybean oil is cheap!

Understanding the reality of what’s in most processed foods, and how these ingredients affect our bodies and health is truly terrifying! This is what motivates me to cook simple, “real” food recipes filled with all the flavor and none of the crap! I have no formal culinary training. I’m just a working wife and mother whose health had been compromised as a result of the Standard American Diet. I’m continuing to heal myself and preserve the health of my family by consuming only “real” food ingredients. None of my recipes require any special skill to make.

Let’s make some homemade Grain-Free Chicken Pot Pie!

For the pot pie filling:

For 4 servings: 2 cups of pre-cooked, diced or shredded chicken is needed. I use my Easy Go-to Crockpot Chicken, but any pre-cooked chicken can be used, such as store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftovers. If needed, chicken breasts can be quickly cut into chunks and cooked in a pan covered with chicken broth or bone broth for a few minutes.

Add lots of diced vegetables: There’s no rule as to what vegetables need to be in chicken pot pie, so use what you enjoy or have on hand. In the printable full recipe below I list onions, celery, carrots, string beans, and peas (omit for Paleo version) because that’s what is classically found in chicken pot pie. When I made this recipe for my family the other night, I also added leeks, orange peppers, broccoli, and tricolor carrots (I try to eat the rainbow everyday if possible.)

Chop raw vegetables and saute, along with minced garlic, in 1 tablespoon ghee or avocado oil. (See Healthy Eating Tip below to learn about ghee.) If using frozen peas and string beans add them at the very end so they don’t get over-cooked.

Add chicken broth or both broth: Once raw vegetables soften (about 5 minutes) add chicken or bone broth and bring to a simmer.

To thicken sauce: In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder with 1 tablespoon cold water to form a slurry. Slowly add slurry to the pan, blending thoroughly into sauce.

Season: Add rosemary, thyme, Himalayan sea salt and black pepper.

Add cooked chicken along with frozen string beans and peas (omit for Paleo version.)  Mix well.

Divide pot pie filling into 4 individual oven-safe ramekins. I use my small round and oval Corningware. This recipe can also be made into one large, family-sized pot pie if desired.

For this delectable, flaky crust I use Otto’s Cassava Flour.

Cassava flour is a grain-free, Paleo, nonGMO, whole-food flour made from grated and dried cassava/yuca. It’s a true miracle flour for gluten-free people, or for those who choose to avoid grain. It creates baked goods with all the positive characteristics of wheat flour, but none of the negatives (such as gluten, GMOs, inflammation, and risk of developing a leaky gut.) See: Getting to Know Cassava (yuca) Flour.

Otto’s Cassava Flour is available in specialty stores and online here!

Otto’s Naturals 100% Natural Cassava Flour Made from Yuca Root Bag, 2 Pound

By ordering Otto’s Cassava flour through Crazy For Yuca we get a small commission which helps support the maintenance of the website. There’s absolutely no additional charge to you. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!

To make the crust:

In a large mixing bowl blend Otto’s Cassava Flour, baking soda, and salt. In a second bowl, blend Spectrum Organic Palm Shortening and one egg with an electric mixer. Combine contents of both bowls, add water, and continue to mix until a dough is formed. Divide dough into 4 equal sized balls. On parchment paper, roll out each dough ball to fit the size and shape of each ramekin.

Lay each crust over each filled ramekin. Pinch crust all along the edge to seal in filling. This will prevent filling from overflowing during baking.

Egg wash: In a small bowl, crack and whisk an egg. Brush egg wash on top of each pot pie crust. This will create a nice golden brown color when baked.

Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before eating.

Enjoy this deliciously satisfying Grain-Free Chicken Pot Pie and comment below to tell me what you think!

Healthy Eating Tip: What is ghee?

Ghee, also known as clarified butter, is a dairy-free cooking fat that’s made by extracting the water, lactose and casein from butter. It tastes like butter, only with an even stronger buttery flavor. It originated in India thousands of years ago and has been gaining popularity within the healthy eating community in recent years in the US. Ghee made from naturally raised, grass-fed cows has an excellent fat profile, and contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and butyrate, both of which have tremendous health benefits. CLA is a fatty acid that has been associated with tumor reduction, weight loss, lowered cholesterol and blood pressure, and decreased inflammation. Butyrates aid in digestion and promote healthy bacterial growth in the intestines, which supports colon health. Butyrates are also alkalinizing, anti-inflammatory, supportive of healthy insulin levels, and may even be beneficial for people with IBS, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Ghee is high in vitamins A, D, and E. It’s safe for cooking at high temperatures because of its high smoke point. This is very important because when oils are heated to temperatures above their smoke point they break down, increasing free radical production and destroying their beneficial phytonutrients (1, 2.)

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4.75 from 4 votes

Print

Grain-Free Chicken Pot Pie

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

This Grain-Free Chicken Pot Pie recipe is true comfort food at its best! It's proof positive that gluten and dairy are not needed to create a hearty, flavorful pot pie filling with mouth-watering, flaky crust!!  I can't think of anything I'd rather have for dinner on a cold, winter night!  

Course: Main Course

Servings: 4 people

Author: Lauren from Crazy For Yuca

Ingredients

Pot Pie Filling Ingredients

• 2 cups pre-cooked chicken - chopped or shredded. I use my Easy Go-To Crockpot Chicken, but rotisserie chicken or cut up chicken cutlets cooked in chicken or bone broth can also be used.
• 1 medium onion – chopped
• 2 stalks celery – chopped
• 3 carrots – chopped
• 1/2 cup organic sweet peas (omit for Paleo version) I use frozen.
• 1/2 cup organic string beans. I use frozen.
• 2 cloves organic garlic - minced
• 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder
• 2 cups organic chicken broth (or bone broth)
• 1/2 black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt divided.
• 1/2 tsp dried organic rosemary
• 1/2 tsp dried organic thyme
• 1 Tbsp ghee or avocado oil

Pot Pie Crust Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Otto's Cassava Flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp Himalayan sea salt
• 1/2 cup Spectrum Organic Palm Shortening
• 2 pastured (cage-free) chicken or duck eggs. *One is used as an egg wash to brush on top of crust.
• 1/2 cup filtered water

Instructions

Pot Pie Filling Instructions

1. Place a Tbsp of ghee or avocado oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  

2. Add chopped onions, celery, carrots, minced garlic (and any other desired raw vegetables) and saute until tender (about 5 minutes.)

3. Add chicken broth (or bone broth) and bring to a simmer.

4. In a small bowl, blend arrowroot powder with a tablespoon of cold water to make a slurry. Add it to saucepan with vegetables and broth, stirring until the broth thickens.

5. Add rosemary, thyme, peas, string beans, ½ tsp sea salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. 

6. Add cooked chicken and blend all ingredients together. 

7. Divide Chicken Pot Pie filling evenly and place into 4 ramekins or oven-safe ceramic bowls. (I use my small, white oval or round Corningware.)

Pot Pie Crust Instructions

1. In a large bowl mix cassava flour, baking soda, and sea salt.

2. In a second bowl, use an electric mixer to blend Spectrum Organic Palm Shortening and one egg.

3. Combine contents of both bowls, add water, and continue to blend until a dough is formed. 

4. Divide dough into 4 equal sized balls.

5. Roll out each dough ball on parchment paper to fit the size and shape of each ramekin. 

6. Lay each crust over each filled ramekin. Pinch crust all around the edge of ramekin to seal in filling. This will prevent filling from leaking out during baking.

7. Egg wash: In a small bowl, crack and whisk an egg. Brush egg on top of each crust to create a golden color upon baking. 

8. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, until crusts have lightly browned.

Recipe Notes

This recipe makes 4 top crusts to cover 4 Chicken Pot Pies. If top and bottom crusts are desired, simply double recipe, roll out 8 crusts, and line each ramekin with a crust before placing filling inside. Then continue following recipe above. 

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Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey.  My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol.  Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional.  If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.