The Chicken Pot Pie Era (AKA: My Meal Train Survival Strategy)
As much as we talk about doing life together around here and reading Scripture together, sometimes we like to EAT together. And sometimes there are days, or even weeks, when the people around us simply need a meal.
This has honestly been such a stressor for me. What do you take? What travels well? What will actually get eaten? But I finally feel like I have reached an adult milestone (badge? unlocked level? achievement award?) because I have officially figured out my GO TO. And friends, it is chicken pot pie.
Yes, the Chicken Pot Pie Era has dawned.
Why Chicken Pot Pie?
Because it checks every box:
Comforting without being pretentious (sorry quinoa).
Feels homemade but is actually easy.
Travels well in those disposable foil pie tins you can buy in bulk.
Freezes beautifully (so the new mom can reheat when she has finally remembered what day it is).
Also, it makes two pies at once. Which means you get to keep one for yourself. (This is important. If I am dropping dinner off three times a week, my family still wants to eat.)
Family Secrets (AKA: Mom + Aunt Wisdom)
This recipe is a Frankenstein mix of my mom’s recipe and my aunt’s. Together, they cracked the code for easy chicken pot pie. Nothing fancy, no rolling out pastry from scratch, just:
Chicken breasts boiled and shredded (forks, mixer, whatever keeps you sane).
A bag of frozen veggies.
Cream of chicken with herbs (wayyyyy better than just the plain cream of chicken, trust me).
Pre-made deep-dish pie shells.
A can of Pillsbury flaky biscuits for the topping (so you can peel back those buttery layers).
My aunt’s secret ingredient: sharp cheddar mixed right into the filling.
Why the Cheddar Matters
Look, the pie is already good. But the cheddar melts into the sauce, makes it creamy, and adds just the right amount of bite. It turns the whole thing from “yum, thanks for dinner” into “hold on, I need this recipe immediately.”
Trust me, the cheese is the clincher. Every time I have dropped it off, people text back about the cheddar before they even text about the pie.
My Pot Pie Track Record
In the last two weeks alone, I have made eight of these bad boys. Eight! Six went to friends (because apparently everyone decided to have babies at once), and we only got to keep two. Honestly, I feel like I need a punch card: Make 10 pot pies, get one free for yourself.
The Recipe Card
(Here is the version you will actually want to print, tape to your fridge, or text to your sister when she panics before her next meal train.)
Final Thoughts
I am not the world’s best meal planner. My freezer is full of bananas gone bad that are supposedly intended for smoothies or banana bread one day. (Let’s be honest, the odds are slim.) We even bought a used outdoor freezer off Facebook Marketplace and sometimes it feels like the bananas were the main reason for the purchase.
So no, I do not have it all together. But I am deeply proud of the fact that I have found my meal train recipe. It only took me forever (and multiple desperate grocery runs), but now I am the girl who shows up with chicken pot pie and 1 or 2 kids in tow. Martha Stewart era here I come (j/k).
