Easy Rotisserie Chicken Pot Pie Casserole With Crescent Rolls

Rotisserie Chicken Pot Pie with Crescent Roll Topping

A rotisserie chicken can become a pot pie casserole without making pastry or cooking chicken from scratch. Shred about 3 cups of meat, warm it with vegetables in a creamy sauce, and bake it under refrigerated crescent dough. The filling goes into the oven hot, so the topping can brown before the chicken dries out.

This recipe makes a family-size casserole in an 8-inch square baking dish. It uses one standard tube of crescent rolls, a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, and a sauce thickened with flour. The result is easy to serve with a spoon: tender chicken and vegetables beneath a golden, pull-apart crust.

Ingredients

Yield: About 6 servings
Prep time: About 20 minutes
Bake time: 20 to 25 minutes
Total time: About 45 minutes

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (42 g)
• 1 small onion, diced, about ¾ cup (110 g)
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (24 g)
• 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth (360 ml)
• ½ cup whole milk (120 ml)
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups shredded cooked rotisserie chicken, loosely packed (about 400 g)
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, such as peas, carrots, corn, and green beans (about 280 g)
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tube refrigerated crescent roll dough, about 8 ounces (226 g)

The chicken can be a mix of white and dark meat. Remove the skin and bones before shredding it, and cut any large pieces into bite-size portions. A typical store-bought bird may provide enough meat, but yields vary with its size. Measure the shredded chicken rather than counting on one bird to supply exactly 3 cups.

Make the filling and bake the casserole

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish.

2. Cook the onion. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until softened.

3. Thicken the sauce. Sprinkle the flour over the onion and stir for about 1 minute. Gradually pour in the broth while stirring or whisking to break up lumps. Add the milk, thyme, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens enough to coat a spoon.

4. Add the chicken and vegetables. Stir in the shredded chicken and frozen vegetables. Cook for a few minutes, until the vegetables have thawed and the filling is hot. Taste before adding salt; rotisserie chicken and broth can both be salty.

5. Fill the dish. Spoon the hot mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly. Open the crescent dough and separate it into triangles. Arrange the triangles over the filling, leaving small gaps where steam can escape. The pieces can overlap slightly, but avoid piling several layers of dough in one spot.

6. Bake. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any bubbling filling. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crescent topping is golden brown, cooked through, and the filling is bubbling near the edges. Let the casserole stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Getting the filling and topping right

The sauce should look a little looser in the skillet than you want it to look on the plate. It thickens further as the casserole bakes and rests. If it becomes very thick before you add the chicken, stir in a splash of broth. If it still looks thin after several minutes at a gentle simmer, give it another minute or two on the stove. Flour needs time at a simmer to thicken the liquid.

Keeping the filling hot before adding the dough helps the underside of the crescent pieces cook. A cold filling takes longer to heat through, leaving the topping exposed to oven heat while the dough underneath sits against a cool surface. For the same reason, this casserole works best in a dish with enough surface area for a fairly thin layer of filling. A deep, narrow dish can leave the center of the topping underbaked.

Crescent dough comes in different package sizes and shapes. An approximately 8-ounce tube of eight triangles fits an 8-inch square dish well. If your package contains a single dough sheet, lay it over the filling and cut a few short slits for steam. Check the package directions if you use a different product, then judge doneness by the dough itself: the top should be browned, and the thicker seams should no longer look raw.

Frozen mixed vegetables can go straight into the skillet. Warming them in the sauce before baking keeps the casserole’s oven time focused on cooking the topping. If you prefer fresh carrots or other firm vegetables, cook them until tender before adding the chicken. Peas need much less time, so they can go in near the end.

Using the chicken you have

Rotisserie chicken is convenient here because it is already seasoned and cooked, but other plain cooked chicken works too. Leftover roasted or poached chicken can be shredded or diced and added in the same amount. If the chicken is strongly seasoned, taste the filling before adding thyme or salt. Barbecue-flavored chicken, for example, will change the flavor of the pot pie considerably.

This is also a good way to use a mix of smaller leftovers. If you have only 2 cups of chicken, the casserole will still work, though each serving will contain less meat. Keep the sauce and vegetables at the listed amounts so the filling stays moist. Avoid adding much more than 3 cups of chicken without increasing the sauce; a crowded filling can turn dry and make the topping harder to arrange.

For the usual pot pie flavor, a frozen mix with peas and carrots is an easy choice. Corn and green beans fit comfortably alongside them. You can replace some of the mixed vegetables with cooked mushrooms or celery, but drain off excess liquid before adding them. Watery vegetables can thin the sauce after it has already thickened.

Make-ahead and leftovers

You can prepare the chicken filling ahead and refrigerate it in a covered container. Reheat it in a skillet until hot, adding a little broth if it has thickened in the refrigerator. Then transfer it to the baking dish, add the crescent dough, and bake. Keeping the dough separate until baking prevents it from sitting on a damp filling.

Refrigerate leftover casserole promptly in a covered container and use it within 3 to 4 days. Reheat portions until hot throughout; the USDA recommends 165°F (74°C) for reheated leftovers. An oven or toaster oven can help the topping regain some crispness, though it will be softer than it was on the first day. A microwave works for a quick serving, but the crescent crust will remain soft.

If the rotisserie chicken was already a leftover before you made the casserole, count its refrigerator time from when the chicken was first cooked or purchased, not from the day you assembled the pot pie. Cooked chicken should generally be refrigerated within 2 hours and used within 3 to 4 days. When that window is nearly up, freeze the shredded chicken for a later meal rather than making a casserole you cannot finish in time.

A warm dinner from cooked chicken

The useful shortcut in this rotisserie chicken pot pie is the cooked chicken, not a compromise in the filling. A few minutes on the stove give the vegetables a chance to heat through and the broth and milk time to become a sauce. Once the crescent dough is browned, the casserole is ready to rest briefly and serve.