Chicken Pot Pie – Easy Cracker Barrel Copycat

This Cracker Barrel Chicken Pot Pie is a creamy, cozy dish packed with tender chicken, soft veggies, and a buttery golden crust on top. It’s solid comfort food and super doable on a weeknight. No weird ingredients, no fuss — just warm and filling and hits the spot.

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Quick Summary

• Prep time: 25 minutes
• Cook time: 50 minutes
• Flavor: Creamy, savory, kinda nostalgic
• Great for: Family dinner, lazy Sundays, meal prep

Why I Like This Recipe

Honestly? It’s one of those dinners that feels fancier than it is. You just throw things in a skillet, stir, dump it in a pie crust, bake — done. Plus, it makes your kitchen smell like someone knows what they’re doing. (Even if you’re winging it like I was.)

Ingredients

• 1 small potato, peeled and diced
• 3 tbsp butter
• ½ cup diced onion
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp poultry seasoning
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp dried thyme
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 14.5 oz chicken broth
• 1½ cups half and half
• 2 cups cooked chicken (shredded or diced)
• ½ cup frozen peas & carrots
• 2 refrigerated pie crusts
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp water

How To Make Chicken Pot Pie 

1. Boil the potato: Toss the diced potato in a pot of water, bring to a boil. Let it go about 10 mins till soft. Drain and set aside.
2. Cook the veggies: Melt butter in a skillet, then add the onion, celery, salt, pepper, thyme, and poultry seasoning. Cook till soft — like 5 mins.
3. Make the sauce: Sprinkle in the flour and stir so it coats everything. Turn heat down a bit. Slowly whisk in broth and half and half. Keep whisking till it thickens and looks like, well, sauce.
4. Mix the filling: Stir in your cooked chicken, potatoes, peas, and carrots. It’ll look like pot pie filling now — almost done.
5. Assemble the pie: Spray your pie dish. Press one crust into the bottom. Dump in the filling. Lay the second crust over the top, let it hang a bit over the sides. Cut a few slits in the middle.
6. Egg wash & bake: Beat the egg with a splash of water. Brush it over the top. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 50 minutes till golden brown. Let it rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing. Or don’t. Your call.

Tips for Success

• Use cold crusts — warm ones go limp and weird.
• Keep whisking that sauce. If you walk away, it might clump or burn.
• Slits in the crust matter. They let steam out, or the pie might overflow.
• Don’t skip pre-boiling the potato — baking alone won’t cut it.
• Let it sit before cutting. The filling thickens and won’t slide everywhere.

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge: Let it cool first, then cover the pie dish or toss slices in a container. Keeps for 3 days.
• Freezer: Wrap slices or the whole pie in foil, stick in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze up to 2 months.
• Reheat: Oven’s best — 175°C (350°F) till warmed through. Microwave works too but softens the crust.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I use rotisserie chicken?
  Yup. Saves time and still tastes great.
• Can I make this ahead?
  Yeah, assemble and refrigerate. Just add 5–10 mins extra baking time if it’s cold.
• Is half and half required?
  Nah. Use a mix of milk and cream if needed. It’s flexible.
• Can I make this crustless?
  Sure, just pour the filling in a casserole dish and top with biscuits or puff pastry.
• What size pie dish do I need?
  A 9-inch deep dish works best — you’ll want the extra room.

Common Mistakes and How to Dodge Them

• Using warm filling: If it’s too hot when you add it to the crust, it’ll melt the dough. Let it cool a little first.
• Too much sauce, not enough thickening: If your filling’s soupy, keep simmering it. Or add a spoon of flour in cold water and whisk it in.
• Undercooked bottom crust: To avoid that soggy-bottom situation, you can blind bake the bottom crust for 5–10 mins before filling.
• Crust burns before pie is done: Cover the edges with foil halfway through baking if they brown too fast.
• Forgetting to rest the pie: Cut too soon and it’s gonna ooze everywhere. Let it chill a few mins first.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

• Calories: 441 kcal
• Total Fat: 26g
• Saturated Fat: 11g
• Cholesterol: 75mg
• Sodium: 798mg
• Potassium: 361mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 37g
• Dietary Fiber: 3g
• Sugars: 3g
• Protein: 16g

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