Chicken Potpie Pasta

I love chicken potpie season. When cool weather sets in, it’s such a cozy, warming dish to dig into. I don’t always have time to make one from scratch, though, so this chicken potpie pasta is my newest comfort food go-to. And my family is just as psyched for it as I am!

This recipe combines tender chicken, spiral pasta and all the classic potpie veggies with a rich and creamy gravy. The whole dish comes together on the stovetop in less than an hour, which is even faster than our sheet-pan chicken potpie. It’s destined to become a new favorite in your collection of leftover chicken recipes.

Ingredients for Chicken Potpie Pasta

• Pasta: Choose a twisty or spiral noodle shape for this dish. I like the corkscrew shape of cavatappi, although rotini or egg noodles would also work.
• Chicken: Cooked, shredded chicken is warmed in the sauce at the end. You can use meat from a rotisserie chicken or dinner leftovers, or you can cook chicken especially for this creamy pasta.
• Mixed vegetables: It’s easy to add vegetables to this recipe—just grab a bag of mixed veggies from the freezer section! Let the veggies thaw at room temperature, or defrost them in the microwave and let them cool.
• Celery: Diced fresh celery sauteed in butter gives this pasta dish an authentic potpie flavor.
• Onion: Onions are also part of the flavorful sauce. Diced onion and celery are two of the three vegetables found in a classic mirepoix, a blend that creates a savory base for many recipes.
• Chicken broth: Use your favorite brand of chicken broth or your own homemade chicken broth to create the gravy for this dish.
• Heavy whipping cream: Heavy cream is also part of the rich sauce for this potpie pasta. I like to warm up the cream in the microwave before adding it. That way it blends smoothly into the hot broth without curdling.
• All-purpose flour: By stirring flour into the pot after sauteing the veggies in butter, you create an easy roux, which is the beginning of the creamy sauce.
• Butter: Use unsalted butter to saute the vegetables. When flour is blended in, the butter also helps thicken the liquid ingredients.
• Garlic: Mince your own garlic cloves easily with tools like a Microplane rasp or a food processor. Freshly grated garlic tastes much better than the jarred stuff.
• Seasonings: The recipe is seasoned with salt and pepper, of course, as well as plenty of dried thyme—a classic seasoning for savory dinner pies.
• Optional toppings: To give the pasta dish a real potpie feel, you can top servings with freshly-baked biscuits. A sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley is also a pretty and fragrant touch.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the pasta

Cook the cavatappi pasta according to the package directions. Strain the pasta and set it aside.

Editor’s Tip: Salt the pasta water the right way by waiting until the water has reached a rolling boil. Salted water adds flavor to the cooked noodles, and by extension makes for a more flavorful potpie pasta.

Step 2: Saute the vegetables

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the diced celery and onion. Cook them until they’re softened, for about 9 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the mixed vegetables, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook the mixture until the vegetables are soft, about four to five minutes.

Step 3: Make the sauce

Stir in the flour and cook it until it’s lightly browned, about two to three minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the mixture is thickened, five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 4: Finish the dish

Stir in the cooked pasta and cooked chicken. Cook them until they’re hot, four to five minutes, stirring occasionally. Season the pasta with extra salt and pepper to taste.

Step 5: Garnish and serve the pasta

Spoon the chicken potpie pasta into serving bowls. Top each dish with a sprinkle of optional chopped, fresh parsley and a freshly baked biscuit, if desired.

Chicken Potpie Pasta Variations

• Change up the vegetables: Bags of frozen mixed veggies often contain corn, peas, carrots and green beans. Feel free to leave out the ones your family doesn’t like, or add more of the ones they do. I recommend keeping the celery and onion, though; they create a flavorful base for the sauce.
• Make a turkey version: Substitute cooked, shredded turkey for the chicken in this dish. This variation is a fantastic dish to add to your collection of leftover Thanksgiving turkey recipes.
• Try it meat-free: Omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth to make a meat-free potpie pasta. If desired, jackfruit can be added to the dish to recreate the texture of the shredded meat.

How to Store Chicken Potpie Pasta

Once the chicken potpie pasta has cooled, transfer it to a large food storage container or several small portion containers for easy single servings. Cover the dish (or dishes) tightly and store the pasta in the refrigerator.

How long does chicken potpie pasta last?

Your leftover chicken potpie pasta will last for up to four days when kept in an airtight container in the fridge.

How should you reheat chicken potpie pasta?

The easiest way to reheat chicken potpie pasta is in the microwave. Loosely cover the pasta with storage wrap. Microwave it for 60 seconds then stir, repeating until the pasta is warmed through. You can also warm up the pasta in a saucepan set over medium-low heat. If the pasta needs loosening up, add a splash of chicken broth or heavy cream and stir.

Chicken Potpie Pasta Tips

How do you cook chicken for chicken potpie pasta?

If you don’t have leftover or rotisserie-cooked chicken to use in the chicken potpie pasta, there are many ways to cook up some chicken the same day. Our guide on how to cook chicken has seven methods to choose from. Some of the speediest methods are air-fried chicken and Instant Pot chicken. You can cook up chicken breasts, thighs or a combination of light and dark meats to use in chicken potpie pasta.

Can you use condensed soup for chicken potpie pasta?

Yes, you can make chicken potpie pasta with condensed soup as a shortcut to create the thick sauce. To do this, omit the chicken broth, cream and flour. Reduce the salt to a 1/2 teaspoon. After sauteing the vegetables and seasonings, add two cans of condensed cream of chicken soup and 1-1/2 cans of water. Stir to combine the ingredients, and simmer the vegetables and sauce until they’re warmed through. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash or two of water. Add more salt and pepper to taste at the end of the recipe.

What can you serve with chicken potpie pasta?

This chicken potpie pasta is perfect with freshly-baked biscuits. Ideally, spread the biscuits with plenty of butter. Use your favorite store-bought biscuit brand or make these easy two-ingredient biscuits from scratch. The pasta is also tasty with slices of garlic bread or rustic Dutch oven bread, or a green side salad.