Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pie with Puff Pastry

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pie with Puff Pastry

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pie with Puff Pastry is a hearty and delicious recipe that will make you feel warm from the inside out. This is my version of what is essentially a French chicken pot pie, Tourte au Poulet et aux Champignons. Tender chicken breast and sautéed button mushrooms are smothered in a tasty creamy sauce infused with fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme. The mixture is then poured into a puff pastry crust, baking up golden and flaky. And while this creamy mushroom chicken is a seems fancy and sophisticated enough for guests – it is French after all – it is still easy enough to make for family dinner. Not in the mood for puff pastry? You can always make this Ultimate Creamy Chicken Pot Pie with Tater Tots!

Among the best features of this recipe:

Frozen puff pastry: Frozen puff pastry is one of my favorite ingredients. I use it in both sweet and savory dishes because it looks great and tastes great with very little effort on my part.

Sauce: As delicious sauces go, this is one of the best. Heavy cream, chicken broth, and poultry herbs like sage, rosemary, and thyme combine with a quick roux for a rich and flavorful sauce that takes just minutes to prepare.

Easy but sophisticated: When I first started researching the French tourte, it looking intimidating. It turns out, though, that it is quite easy to make and now, it is on a regular rotation in our house.

As with all my recipes, Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pie with Puff Pastry is easy to make with no complicated cooking techniques, no special equipment, and with simple ingredients you can find in any grocery store.

Recipe Ingredients

2 sheets of frozen puff pastry

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion

1 clove garlic

20 oz brown mushrooms/baby bella mushrooms/cremini mushrooms (see ingredient notes)

6 tbsp butter (divided)

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp fresh thyme

1/2 tsp fresh sage

1/2 tsp fresh rosemary

Salt & black pepper

​1 large egg and 1 tbsp water

Helpful Tools

Large skillet 

Sharp knife

Cutting board

Tongs

Spatula/wooden spoon

Whisk

Large bowl 

Liquid measuring cup

9-inch pie dish

Rolling pin

Paper towels

Parchment paper

Pizza cutter/pastry wheel cutter/sharp knife

Pastry brush

Mug or small dish

Ingredient Notes

Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can, however, use boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you prefer. Note that if you are using larger chicken breasts, you may need to butterfly them. You can do this by placing the chicken on a flat surface and slice through them horizontally with a large knife. IMPORTANT NOTE: Obviously, it is very easy to cut yourself when slicing through the chicken breasts. Go slowly and concentrate on keeping the knife level or in a slightly downward direction away from your hand.

Mushrooms: I used a mix of brown/baby bella mushrooms and button (white) mushrooms in this recipe. You can use all of one or the other or a mix.

Herbs: I use fresh herbs in this recipe and am generally able to buy them all together as “poultry spice.” You can substitute dry herbs if necessary. They tend to be stronger than fresh herbs, so add a bit less.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Remove the puff pastry from the packaging and allow it to thaw somewhat. It shouldn’t be super soft, just soft enough to unroll and shape without tearing. If you take a long time to prepare the filling, you can pop the pastry into the fridge while you work.

3. Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems. Chop them into big pieces. Set aside.

4. Dice the onion and set aside.

5. Mince the garlic. Set aside.

6. Chop the herbs, removing the stems from the thyme and rosemary.

7. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper on each side.

8. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

9. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

10. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, turning the meat over a few times so they cook evenly. The meat should be almost, but not quite, cooked through, because you will be putting it in the oven. This should take 7-10 minutes depending on the the thickness of the meat. 

11. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.

12. Add 2 tbsp of butter and the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms begin to soften, 8-10 minutes. Remove the mushrooms to a large bowl and set aside.

13. Place 2 more tbsp of butter in the skillet and add the onions. Cook until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.

14. Add the garlic and herbs to the onions and cook until fragrant, about one minute.

15. Remove the onions, garlic, and herbs, adding them to the mushrooms. Set aside.

16. Measure out the chicken broth and set aside.

17. Melt 2 tbsp butter in the skillet over medium heat. 

18. Add 2 tbsp of flour to the butter and whisk continually until completely combined.

19. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring with the whisk.

20. Pour in the heavy cream in a steady stream, whisking continually.

21. Stir the sauce, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until thickened, 2-3 minutes.

22. Return the chicken, mushrooms, and onion mixture to the skillet. Toss with the sauce and allow to combine over low heat. Lightly salt and pepper to taste.

23. Tear a sheet of parchment paper slightly larger than the pie dish.

24. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry on the parchment paper. You can add a little bit of flour to keep it from sticking, but the parchment paper should be sufficient. You should roll the dough to be about 1 1/2 inches larger than the pie dish.

25. Invert the pie dish and cut out a circle of dough about one inch larger than the dish.

​26. Repeat with the other sheet of puff pastry, making the circle of dough a bit larger than the first circle.

27. Beat together one egg and one tbsp of water.

28. Place one circle of dough, ON THE PARCHMENT PAPER, into the pie dish and prick the bottom of the dough with a fork.

29. Pour the chicken and mushroom filling onto the dough in the pie dish.

30. Top with the second, slightly larger circle of puff pastry, folding the top edge under the lower edge and firmly pressing together. I like to crimp it like a pie but you can also use a fork.

31. Use a pastry brush to coat the dough in the egg wash.

32. Cut slits in the crust to allow steam to escape.

33. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden.

34. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Check out the complete step-by-step directions for Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pie with Puff Pastry on the recipe card, below.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container, or wrapping the pie dish in aluminum foil, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheat leftovers by covering loosely covering with aluminum foil and placing them on a baking sheet (or in the pie dish) in a 350 degree F oven for about 20 minutes. Do not reheat the leftovers in a microwave since the puff pastry will get soggy.

Tips & Tricks

Puff pastry needs to be thawed enough to unfold without cracking and to roll out, but not overly soft. If it gets too gooey, place it on a dinner plate in the fridge until it chills up a bit.

Mushrooms get squishy when you run them under water, so just wipe them clean with a damp paper towel.

Make sure the parchment paper hangs a bit over the edges of the pie dish so that you can lift it out easily.

I am the queen of French-ish? French adjacent cooking? Well, modifying French recipes for ease and American ingredients while maintaining taste. Here are some of my favorites:

One Pot Meal: French Roast Chicken (Poulet Rôti)

Caramelized Onion Quiche with Bacon & Gruyère Cheese

Easy Oven Roasted Ratatouille with Herbes de Provence

Easy French Comfort Food: Creamy Potatoes & Pancetta (Tartiflette)

Easy French Almond Cake Recipe (Amandier)