Recipe: Sweet Potato-Topped Chicken Pot Pie

Last fall, I earmarked a recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens Magazine called Sweet Potato-Topped Turkey Pot Pie. After making it the first time, James and I nominated it onto our list of Top 5 favorite recipes. In the past year, I must have made a dozen batches of this recipe, often doubling or tripling it so I could build my freezer meal stash.

I’ve made several variations of this pot pie, some with coconut milk (dairy free), some with extra butter, some with gluten-free flour, some with paleo flours, some with chicken stock, some with chicken broth, some with chicken breasts, some with rotisserie chicken, some with smoked chicken. I’ll say that it’s a very forgiving recipe, because it’s hard to go wrong with veggies and meat.

But what I’m sharing with you is the version that I think is the best. Full-fat dairy makes for a much richer sauce, and rotisserie chicken (with a combination of white and dark meat) not only gives more flavor, but the meat is more tender. My version of this dish also yields a larger casserole, with at least twice the amount of veggies and meat.

Serve it alongside homemade cranberry sauce and it is the perfect comfort food for a crisp fall day (it’s finally fall y’all!). If you can find turkey on sale or have leftovers after Thanksgiving, I’m sure it’s just as good, if not better. Unfortunately, we never have 4 to 5 pounds of leftover turkey meat 🙂 I guess I could halve the recipe, but the point of casseroles is bulk!

Sweet Potato-Topped Chicken Pot Pie  (adapted from here)

Topping ingredients:

• 4 medium to large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 ¼ tsp sea salt, divided
• 4 tbsp butter
• ¼ tsp nutmeg

1. In large pot, cover sweet potatoes with 1 inch of water and bring to boil.

2. Add in salt, and boil 20 to 30 minutes, until soft.

3. Drain water immediately, or else potatoes will absorb it.

4. Using blender, beat in butter and nutmeg, then set aside.

Pie ingredients:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 4 medium carrots, diced (1 ½ to 2 cups)
• 2 cups diced celery
• ¾ tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp tapioca flour (gluten-free all purpose flour works, too)
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (4 to 5 cups)

1. In Dutch oven, saute onions, carrots and celery (along with salt) in butter for roughly 15 minutes on high heat.

2. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in tapioca flour. Continue stirring for 1 minute. The flour will absorb the moisture in the pot.

3. Stir in stock, cream and seasoning, and bring to low boil.

4. Turn off stovetop and stir in chicken.

5. Spread mixture in 3 quart or 13×9 inch casserole dish.

6. Drop spoonfuls of sweet potato mixture on top, the spread gently with wooden spoon or spatula.

7. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until pot pie is bubbling around the edges and edges of dish have browned. (Bake for 1 hour if casserole dish has been refrigerated or partially thawed from freezer.)