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If you haven’t ever tried chicken pot pie with a homemade cream cheese crust, you are absolutely missing out! This crust takes regular ol’ comfort food up a whole notch!
Now here’s the deal: you can absolutely use store-bought pie crust instead of making your own crust, and this pot pie will whip together in no time at all — and it will still be super frugal! However, if you have a few extra minutes (like 10-15), please give this cream cheese crust a try at least once. You can’t taste the cream cheese, but you can certainly taste the YUM.
To save on time, I use a bag of frozen vegetables and skip adding any extra veggies that require chopping and/or peeling. However, feel free to chop away and add in whatever extra veggies your heart desires when you are frying the minced garlic in the butter (this could be onion, potato, etc).
I served this chicken pot pie with a simple fruit salad, but there are so many other possibilities. One of Crystal’s easy salad ideas would be another great side option!
This post is part of our $10 Dinner Ideas series, brought to you by Brigette on our team! Each week, she shares easy, delicious, and affordable family-friendly dinner ideas that cost less than $10 to make, use everyday ingredients, and are super quick meals.
Chicken Pot Pie Menu:
- Chicken Pot Pie with a Homemade Cream Cheese Crust
- Fruit Salad
Ingredients for Chicken Pot Pie and Fruit Salad:
- 2 cups flour (Aldi – $1.99 for 5 lbs) — $0.20
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese (Aldi) — $1.45
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup butter (Aldi — $0.85 per stick) — $1.55
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (Aldi — $1.75 for 3-ct pkg) — $0.12
- Salt, garlic powder, pepper to taste
- 3 cubes of chicken bouillon (Aldi — $1.79 for 25 cubes) — $0.21
- 2/3 cup milk (Aldi — $0.19 per cup) — $0.13
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (Aldi — $2.49/lb) — $2
- 1 10-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables (Aldi) — $0.89
- Fruit (I used strawberries, 1 apple and 3 oranges, all from Aldi) — $2
Total for Dinner: $8.55 (Serves 6)
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Add 1 2/3 cups flour, 1/3 cup of cold butter, 8 ounces of cold cream cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter or fork, blend until the consistency is coarse crumbs (alternatively, you can do this step in a food processor).
3. Using your hands, press the dough together until it sticks into a ball.
4. Divide the dough into two pieces, with one slightly bigger than the other. Roll the bigger piece into the bottom crust and place in a 9″ pie plate. Trim off any extra dough with scissors.
5. Wrap the remaining dough in cling wrap and stick both the bottom crust and the second piece of wrapped dough into the refrigerator while you make the pot pie filling. (This is important if you want a flaky pie crust!)
6. In a sauce pan, fry together 1/3 cup butter, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 3 chicken bouillon cubes until garlic is tender. Whisk in 1/3 cup flour. Add 1 1/2 cups warm water and 2/3 cups milk, and whisk until thick and smooth.
7. Stir in cooked chicken and the bag of frozen mixed veggies. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.
8. Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator and pour the hot filling into the bottom crust. Roll out the top crust and lay it on top of the filling. Seal the edges of the crust together and cut several slits in the crust.
9. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
10. While the pot pie is cooking, make the fruit salad.
Note: If you let the Chicken Pot Pie sit for a few minutes before serving it, the filling will thicken up better than if you cut into it immediately. If you just can’t wait, you may want to serve this in bowls, haha!
Chicken Pot Pie ($10 Family Dinner)
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour Aldi – $1.99 for 5 lbs — $0.20
- 1 8- ounce package cream cheese Aldi — $1.45
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup butter Aldi — $0.85 per stick — $1.55
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced (Aldi — $1.75 for 3-ct pkg) — $0.12
- Salt, garlic powder, and pepper to taste
- 3 cubes chicken bouillon Aldi — $1.79 for 25 cubes — $0.21
- 2/3 cup milk Aldi — $0.19 per cup — $0.13
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken Aldi — $2.49/lb — $2
- 1 10- ounce package frozen mixed vegetables Aldi — $0.89
- Fruit I used strawberries, 1 apple and 3 oranges, all from Aldi — $2
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Add 1 2/3 cups flour, 1/3 cup of cold butter, 8 ounces of cold cream cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter or fork, blend until the consistency is coarse crumbs (alternatively, you can do this step in a food processor).
- Using your hands, press the dough together until it sticks into a ball.
- Divide the dough into two pieces, with one slightly bigger than the other. Roll the bigger piece into the bottom crust and place in a 9″ pie plate. Trim off any extra dough with scissors.
- Wrap the remaining dough in cling wrap and stick both the bottom crust and the second piece of wrapped dough into the refrigerator while you make the pot pie filling.
- In a sauce pan, fry together 1/3 cup butter, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 3 chicken bouillon cubes until garlic is tender. Whisk in 1/3 cup flour. Add 1 1/2 cups warm water and 2/3 cups milk, and whisk until thick and smooth.
- Stir in cooked chicken and the bag of frozen mixed veggies. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.
- Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator and pour the hot filling into the bottom crust. Roll out the top crust and lay it on top of the filling. Seal the edges of the crust together and cut several slits in the crust.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes.
- While the pot pie is cooking, make the fruit salad.
- Let the Chicken Pot Pie sit for a few minutes before serving it so the filling will thicken up better than if you cut into it immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs about Chicken Pot Pie:
You should either cook the chicken before adding it to the sauce or cook it in the sauce before filling the crust. Otherwise it’s hard to get cooked just right.
I love serving chicken pie with a simple fresh fruit salad, but a side salad would also be delicious. For a heartier option, you could serve it with rolls.
I recommend you bake this chicken pot pie at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
To make a flaky crust, make sure all your crust ingredients stay cold. That’s why I suggest you stick the crust in the fridge while preparing the filling.
Yes! This is a great freezer meal. Freeze the pie after filling the crust and adding the top layer, but before baking.
For best results, place a slice on an oven-safe dish, tent it loosely with foil, and reheat it at 350-400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until heated through.
More Ideas for Family Dinners Under $10:
- Baked Chicken Chimichangas and Cilantro Rice
- Baked Potato Bar
- Whole Wheat Pancakes
- Chicken Alfredo and Roasted Carrots
- Breakfast Sandwiches
- Chicken Alfredo Soup and World’s Easiest Biscuits
- Lazy Lasagna Casserole
- Kielbasa and Cabbage Skillet
- Easy Chicken Noodle Soup with Easy 30 Minute Dinner Rolls
- Meat and Potato Crust Quiche with Flax Muffins
- Chicken Fried Rice
And, be sure to check out all our easy dinner recipes here!
If you make this easy family dinner, we’d love for you to leave a review and let us know how it turned out!
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