Rotisserie Chicken Pot Pie with Gruyère Puff Pastry Crust
Transform store-bought rotisserie chicken and puff pastry into a gourmet French-style pot pie with homemade velouté, vegetables, and aromatic herbs.
or read on for step-by-step instructions with photos
A French Twist on Classic Chicken Pot Pie
This French-style rotisserie chicken pot pie combines the best of cozy comfort food with gourmet decadence. Making a homemade velouté sauce from rotisserie chicken bones and vegetable scraps is a zero-waste, budget-friendly hack that elevates the filling and adds an elegant touch.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Shortcut ingredients meet gourmet flavors: Rotisserie chicken and puff pastry make it quick, while velouté, French-inspired vegetables, herbs, crème fraîche, white wine, and a gruyère cheese & flaky sea salt topping add a luxurious flair.
Zero-waste homemade velouté sauce: I make homemade chicken stock rather than tossing the veggie scraps and bones from the rotisserie chicken. The stock and a blond roux form the foundation for a classic velouté, one of the five French mother sauces. This velvety sauce serves as the base for the pot pie filling, bringing the ingredients together and adding finesse.
Versatile and approachable: While this pot pie may seem fancy enough to impress guests, it’s easy to assemble and doesn’t break the bank. Perfect for any occasion!
Perfect for leftovers: Since this pot pie uses precooked chicken, you can easily swap it for leftover turkey. Don’t forget to save your holiday turkey bones and scraps—perfect for making the stock for your velouté sauce!
What’s Coming Up
Here’s what you’ll find ahead to guide you step-by-step:
My Tips: Expert advice to ensure success on your first try.
Serving Suggestions: Creative ways to pair and present this pot pie.
Substitutions: Simple swaps for the ingredients.
Storage: How to store and reheat leftovers, make ahead, and freeze.
FAQs: Common questions like puff pastry vs. pie crust—which one’s better, and can puff pastry go on the bottom of the pie too?
Whether you’re feeding family or impressing friends, this recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that brings so much joy. Let’s get cooking!
What you’ll need
Ingredients
1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
1 quart/liter velouté sauce
1 puff pastry sheet, thawed in fridge overnight or on countertop for 2 hours
½ head broccoli, cut into florets
1 pound (500g) cremini mushrooms, sliced or quartered
1 large carrot, diced
2 leeks, whites cut into half-moons
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine (e.g., sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, chardonnay)
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup chopped fine herbs (parsley, chives, thyme)
½ cup crème fraîche (or sour cream)
1 egg, for egg wash
½ cup grated Gruyère cheese (or Comté, Emmental), for topping crust
flaky sea salt, for topping crust
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
Equipment
Knife & cutting board
A tray to hold prepped veggies
Large pot & wooden spoon
2-quart/liter casserole dish
Rimmed baking sheet
Pastry brush
400°F oven
Makes: 1 pie (4 - 6 portions)
Prep: 45 min + 1 - 2 hours for stock
Cook: 30 - 40 min
How to make it
Step 1
Mise en place.
The French term for "everything in its place" is the perfect way to start this recipe. It simply means getting everything prepped before you start cooking, ensuring a smooth process from start to finish.
Thaw the puff pastry: Place it in the fridge overnight or leave it on the counter at room temperature for about 2 hours.
Prep the chicken and vegetables: Pull the meat from the rotisserie chicken into large chunks. Save the bones and vegetable scraps (e.g., carrot peels, leek tops, celery ends, and herb stems).
Make the stock: Use the rotisserie chicken bones and veggie scraps to make homemade stock, following the steps in my How to Make Velouté Sauce Recipe. Let the stock simmer for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 hours for deeper flavor.
While the stock is simmering: Chop all the vegetables. Gather the remaining ingredients (wine, crème fraîche, grated Gruyère, etc.) for easy assembly later.
💡 Pro Tip: This recipe is perfect for meal prep! Double the ingredients to make two pies, as I did in the picture below—bake one now and freeze the other for an easy future meal. Make-ahead and freezing instructions are coming up in the storage and make-ahead section below.
Step 2
Cook veggies for filling.
While the stock is simmering, start cooking the vegetables for your filling.
Sauté the leeks: Place a large pot over high heat and add a splash of olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until they begin to “sweat,” releasing their juices, about 10 minutes.
Add garlic: Stir in the garlic and cook for a few minutes until it softens and releases its aroma.
Add carrots, celery, and mushrooms: Toss in the carrots, celery, and mushrooms. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables shrink and “sweat,” about 10 minutes.
Deglaze with white wine: Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Bring it to a boil and let the wine reduce by half.
Cook the broccoli briefly: Stir in the broccoli and cook for a couple of minutes. Then, take the pot off the heat so the veggies can cool slightly.
💡 Pro Tip: The vegetables should stay slightly undercooked to prevent them from getting mushy during baking.
Step 3
Make the velouté and finish the filling.
By now, the stock should be ready to strain and be turned into velouté sauce. Preheat your oven to 400°F while you finish the sauce.
Make the velouté sauce: Follow the steps in my Easy Velouté Sauce Recipe to make your sauce. The recipe yields 2 quarts/liters, so you can use 1 quart for this pot pie and save the other for future dishes. Velouté freezes exceptionally well for easy meal prep!
Combine with the cooked veggies: Add 1 quart of velouté sauce to the pot with the cooked vegetables.
Add the finishing touches: Stir in the crème fraîche, frozen peas, fine herbs, and shredded rotisserie chicken until everything is well combined.
Season to taste: Add salt and pepper to taste, adjusting the seasoning as needed.
Cool if needed: The filling needs to be at room temperature or colder before topping with puff pastry to ensure it puffs properly. After adding the rest of the ingredients, the filling should already be at room temperature, but if it’s not, chill it until it reaches the right temperature.
Step 4
Assemble the pot pie.
Fill the casserole dish: Spoon the filling into a 2-quart/liter casserole dish, filling it right up to the top.
Prepare the puff pastry: Unroll the puff pastry sheet and trim it if necessary to fit the shape of your casserole dish. If the dimensions aren’t quite big enough, gently roll it out with a rolling pin to extend the size as needed.
Place the crust: Lay the puff pastry over the filling and press the edges firmly onto the rim of the dish to seal. Cut a small hole or an "X" in the center with a knife to allow steam to escape during baking.
Apply the egg wash: Scramble one egg and brush the pastry evenly with the egg wash. Be careful to avoid pooling, as excess egg wash can prevent the crust from rising properly.
Top with cheese and salt: Sprinkle the grated Gruyère cheese evenly over the crust and finish with a little flaky sea salt.
Step 5
Bake and rest before serving.
Prepare for baking: Place the prepared pot pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips and set it on the middle rack of your preheated 400°F oven.
Bake the pie: Bake for 30–40 minutes. The crust should be golden brown, and the filling should be bubbling through the hole in the center. (Mine took closer to 40 minutes.)
Let it rest: Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. This allows the filling to cool slightly and set, making it easier to serve.
My Tips
Keep the puff pastry chilled: Puff pastry works best when it’s cold. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to roll it out and cover the filling to ensure maximum puff and flakiness. If thawing your pastry on the counter, make sure to refrigerate it after 2 hours. Defrosting it overnight in the fridge is the best method for perfect results.
Use all butter puff pastry: For the best flavor, opt for puff pastry made with butter rather than margarine or shortening—check the ingredients to be sure. Dufour is an excellent brand, and Trader Joe’s offers a great all-butter option. If you're in Canada, the PC brand all-butter puff pastry is a great choice and the one I used.
Double the recipe: This recipe is perfect for meal prep. Make two pies at once—bake one for now and freeze the other for a quick meal later. See make-ahead instructions in storage below.
Mise en place: Prepping everything before you start cooking ensures you’re set up for success and makes recipes with multiple steps easier to manage, helps avoid mistakes, and allows you to fully enjoy the experience of making this dish.
Don’t overcook the veggies: Cook the vegetables until they’re just tender but still slightly crunchy. They’ll finish cooking while the pie bakes, ensuring they retain texture and don’t turn mushy.
Rest before serving: Although it may be tempting to dig into your pot pie as soon as it’s ready, letting it rest for at least 30 minutes allows the filling to set and makes serving much easier.
Serving Suggestions
Simple salads: Serve your pot pie with a leafy green salad tossed in a light vinaigrette, an easy chopped salad with lemon and olive oil, or an arugula salad with balsamic vinaigrette to balance the richness of the dish.
Seasonal vegetables: Pair with vibrant seasonal vegetables like asparagus, Brussels sprouts, marinated green beans, roasted Italian veggies, or butternut squash for added color and flavor.
Classic bread: Offer a warm baguette or garlic bread to soak up any extra filling.
Wine pairing: Complement your pot pie with a dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc or buttery chardonnay, to echo the flavors in the filling. Alternatively, try a light red like pinot noir or gamay for a contrasting yet harmonious pairing.
Substitutions
Rotisserie chicken: Swap it with leftover roasted turkey or try a wild mushroom medley for a vegetarian twist.
Vegetables: Use your favorite veggies or whatever you have on hand. Great additions include corn, green beans, or parsnips. Frozen vegetables can be used instead of fresh—while their texture will be softer in the final product, the significant reduction in prep time can make it worthwhile.
Velouté sauce: If you’re short on time replace the velouté with canned cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup. That said, the flavor and silkiness of homemade velouté are worth the extra effort.
Crème fraîche: Use sour cream, Greek yogurt, or heavy cream with a splash of lemon juice as substitutes.
Gruyère cheese: Swap Gruyère for Emmental, Comté, or aged sharp white cheddar for a similar nutty flavor. Or omit altogether if you prefer not to add cheese—it's more of a luxury than an essential.
Puff pastry: If puff pastry isn’t available, use classic pie crust or top with biscuit dough for a rustic twist.
White wine: Substitute with water or chicken stock mixed with a splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for acidity.
Storage and Make Ahead
Fridge
Leftovers: Cover the cooled pot pie with foil or plastic wrap, or transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover the pot pie with foil to prevent the crust from over-browning, and bake for 20–30 minutes until heated through. For a single portion, use a microwave-safe dish and reheat in the microwave in 1-minute intervals, although the crust won’t be as crisp.
Freezer
Leftovers: Cool the pot pie completely and transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Thaw overnight in the fridge, then follow the reheating instructions above. For a crispy crust, reheat in the oven rather than the microwave.
Make Ahead
To preassemble and freeze: Prepare the filling and assemble the pot pie in a freezer-safe casserole dish, including the egg wash, salt, and cheese topping, but do not bake. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
To bake: Thaw the pot pie in the fridge overnight. Remove the plastic wrap and bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 50–60 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. If the crust browns fully before the filling is hot and bubbling, cover it with foil and continue baking until the center is thoroughly heated.
FAQs
Can I use leftover turkey for pot pie?
Yes! Leftover turkey is an excellent substitute for rotisserie chicken in this recipe. It’s a great way to make use of holiday leftovers, and you can even use leftover veggies for the filling and the turkey bones and scraps to make a rich stock for the velouté sauce.
What vegetables go in chicken pot pie?
Almost any vegetable can work! Classic options include carrots, celery, peas, and mushrooms. Other great additions are corn, green beans, parsnips, or even roasted squash.
Can I use frozen vegetables in chicken pot pie?
Yes, frozen vegetables are a convenient option and work well in pot pies. Just keep in mind that their texture will be softer compared to fresh veggies, but they can save significant prep time.
Puff pastry vs. pie crust for chicken pot pie—which is better?
Both are delicious but serve different purposes. Puff pastry creates a light, flaky crust with lots of layers, making it perfect as a topper. Pie crust, on the other hand, is sturdier yet still crumbly and flaky, making it ideal if you want both a base and a top crust. Choose based on your texture preference or what you have on hand!
What are fine herbs?
Fine herbs are a classic French herb blend typically made up of parsley, chives, tarragon, and chervil. They’re delicate and best used fresh to enhance the flavor of sauces, soups, and poultry dishes.
Can I use puff pastry for the base of my pie?
Yes, but you’ll need to pre-bake it to prevent sogginess. Place the crust in the base of your casserole dish and pierce it several times with a fork to let steam escape while baking. Bake it in a 400°F oven for 15 minutes before adding the filling and top crust.
How do you keep puff pastry from sinking into the pie filling?
To prevent puff pastry from sinking, make sure there’s at least an inch of overhang, as it will shrink slightly during baking. Press the edges firmly onto the rim of the casserole dish to secure it, and avoid stretching the dough, which can cause it to shrink even more. Be mindful of the egg wash—puddles of egg wash can weigh down the pastry and prevent it from puffing up properly.
Do you put puff pastry on hot or cold filling?
It’s best to put puff pastry on cold or room-temperature filling. Adding it to a hot filling can cause the butter in the pastry to melt before it hits the oven, preventing it from puffing properly.
The key to achieving the perfect puff pastry texture is having the cold butter go directly from cold to hot, creating steam that forms pockets in the dough. With so many layers of butter, you’ll get that beautiful layered pastry effect. Let the filling cool to at least room temperature before assembling your pot pie.
How do I make sure my puff pastry rises?
Keep the puff pastry cold until just before baking, as the layers puff best when the butter is still solid. Bake in a hot oven (400°F) to create the steam that separates the layers. Avoid stretching the pastry to keep the layers even and intact. Cutting a steam vent in the center of the pie helps the steam escape and ensures the crust bakes evenly.
What is the difference between chicken pie and chicken pot pie?
Chicken pie usually has a crust on both the bottom and top, fully enclosing the filling. It’s often just chicken and sauce, with no veggies. Chicken pot pie, on the other hand, is baked in a casserole dish, usually with only a top crust, and has a creamy filling loaded with chicken and vegetables. Although, you will see many different interpretations.
That’s it, enjoy!
Making a double batch of this pot pie is a must—it’s the same amount of work but yields twice the reward! Having one pie ready to bake and another in the freezer is perfect for meal prep, especially on busy days when you want something hearty and comforting without extra effort.
At the restaurant, we used to make big batches of chicken pot pies for our ready-made meal section, and they were always a customer favorite. Having a pot pie on hand is such a treat!
It’s also a great way to repurpose leftovers—whether it’s turkey or roasted veggies from a holiday dinner, or odds and ends from the freezer. The rich, silky velouté sauce brings everything together beautifully, turning simple ingredients and kitchen scraps into something special.
Summary
French Chicken Pot Pie with Velouté and Puff Pastry Recipe
Transform rotisserie chicken into an elegant French-style pot pie with a creamy velouté sauce, flaky puff pastry, fresh herbs, and Gruyère.
Makes: 1 pie (4 - 6 portions)
Prep: 45 min + 1 - 2 hours for stock
Bake: 30 - 40 min
Ingredients
1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
1 quart/liter velouté sauce
1 puff pastry sheet, thawed in fridge overnight or on countertop for 2 hours
½ head broccoli, cut into florets
1 pound (500g) cremini mushrooms, sliced or quartered
1 large carrot, diced
2 leeks, whites cut into half-moons
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine (e.g., sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, chardonnay)
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup chopped fine herbs (parsley, chives, thyme)
½ cup crème fraîche (or sour cream)
1 egg, for egg wash
½ cup grated Gruyère cheese (or Comté, Emmental), for topping crust
flaky sea salt, for topping crust
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prep ingredients. Pull the meat from the rotisserie chicken into chunks and chop all the veggies, saving the chicken bones and veg scraps to make stock. Follow the instructions in my velouté recipe and simmer the stock for 1–2 hours. Thaw the puff pastry in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for 2 hours.
Cook vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Sauté leeks until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in carrots, celery, and mushrooms, cooking until tender, about 10 minutes. Deglaze with white wine, scraping the bottom of the pot, and reduce by half. Add broccoli and cook briefly, then remove the pot from heat to let the veggies cool.
Make velouté and finish filling. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Strain the stock and prepare the velouté following my veloute sauce recipe (yields 2 quarts). Stir 1 quart of velouté into the vegetables along with the crème fraîche, frozen peas, fine herbs, and chicken (save the remaining quart of velouté for future meals!). Season the filling with salt and pepper, tasting to adjust. Cool the filling to room temperature before proceeding.
Assemble pie. Fill a 2-quart casserole dish with the cooled filling. Roll out the puff pastry, trimming if necessary to fit the dish but leaving an inch of overhang. Press the edges onto the rim, cut a steam vent in the center, and brush with egg wash, avoiding pooling. Sprinkle with grated Gruyère and flaky sea salt.
Bake and serve. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30–40 minutes on the middle rack of the preheated 400°F oven, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. Let the pie rest for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Top Tips
Keep the puff pastry chilled: Puff pastry works best when it’s cold. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to roll it out and cover the filling to ensure maximum puff and flakiness. Defrosting it overnight in the fridge is the best method for perfect results.
Double the recipe: This recipe is perfect for meal prep. Make two pies at once—bake one for now and freeze the other for an easy meal later. Detailed instructions can be found in the storage and make-ahead section above.
Don’t overcook the veggies: Cook the vegetables until they’re just tender but still slightly crunchy. They’ll finish cooking while the pie bakes, ensuring they retain texture and don’t get mushy.
Further reading: For more tips, serving suggestions, substitutions, storage & make ahead, and FAQs, check out the sections above!
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know in the comments below or tag me @onecreativecook on Instagram—I’d love to see your creations! Don’t forget to save or share this recipe for cozy, gourmet dinners anytime.
Enjoy!
