This Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie is a homey and delicious stew made with chicken, vegetables, chicken broth, and chewy homemade pot pie noodles. Classic comfort food from Pennsylvania Dutch country, this version is known around the state and is unlike the more widely-known pie crust version.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Flavor & Texture - this pa dutch chicken pot pie is like chicken noodle soup on steroids. It's got all of the lovely aromatic flavors from the herb-infused chicken stock and is loaded with vegetables, moist chicken, and homemade dough squares.
Nostalgia - there's something so wonderful about making your own homemade noodles, which is what makes this recipe so special. Many Pennsylvania folks will have fond memories (myself included) of making the homemade dough with their families and eating this in the dead of winter, warming their souls! This was often enjoyed next to a salad with hot bacon dressing and finished off with a shoo-fly pie.
Make ahead - just like any soup or stew, this just gets better and more flavorful with time, making it an awesome dish to create ahead of time, and also freeze.
Serve this alongside my homemade pepperoni bread, which is another Pennsylvania staple recipe!
Pennsylvania Dutch Pot Pie History
This particular type of pot pie came about from the Lancaster county region, known for a large population of Amish, Mennonite, and the Pennsylvania dutch community filled with german traditions. The dish came about from a dish of broth and meat known as "bott boi," which in the PA dutch language (a mix of German and English), turned into pot pie.
So why is it called pot pie? Well, it's made in a pot! Unlike the pastry crust types of pot pie (like chicken pie or other meat pies) that are known in the rest of the United States, many folks from Pennsylvania will attribute this dish to the soup-like version in this recipe. Growing up, my family always called this dish "slippery noodle pot pie."
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Ingredients
- Chicken. I love to use chicken leg quarters. They're affordable and have a ton of meat, fat, and flavor.
- Vegetables. Carrots, celery, onion, garlic, potatoes, and peas.
- Herbs. Thyme, rosemary, parsley, and bay leaf.
- Flour. A standard all-purpose flour is used to create the square egg noodles.
- Eggs.
- Milk.
- Celery salt. This is always served on Pennsylvania Dutch chicken pot pie and adds a ton of extra flavor!
See the recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Make the broth with any type of chicken you prefer, such as chicken breasts. Note that bone-in options with more fat will produce a tastier stock.
- If you don't want to make your own stock, you can use store-bought and then add some herbs to boost the flavor.
- Use any type of vegetables you'd like. Growing up, we only used potatoes and onions, but I love to add extra veggies these days.
- The pot pie dough can be made in a bowl with a wooden spoon and squeezing with your hand (rather than using a stand mixer).
How to Make This Recipe
One: Add the chicken, vegetables, herbs, and aromatics to a large stockpot and cover with cold water.
Two: Bring the stock to a rapid boil, then reduce to a medium-low simmer. Use a spoon to scoop off any foam and impurities.
Three: After about two hours, remove the chicken and vegetables and strain the stock, adding it back into another stock pot.
Four: Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove it from the bones and pull it into bite-sized pieces.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Dough
Five: Mix together the flour, salt, eggs, and milk until a stiff dough forms. Add an additional tablespoon of milk at a time if there are a lot of dry spots.
Six: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it out to ⅛" thick.
Seven: Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into one to 2-inch squares.
Eight: Transfer the square noodles to a floured pan and cover them lightly with plastic wrap.
Nine: Add the chopped vegetables to the hot stock and boil for 10 minutes. Then, add the pot pie squares and cook for 8 minutes.
Ten: Add the reserved chicken and peas and low boil for another 5 minutes.
Scoop the PA Dutch chicken pot pie into bowls and top with fresh parsley, celery salt, and serve with a slice of crusty bread.
Expert Tips
- Keep the chicken covered with water, adding more as necessary during the stock-making process.
- Try to keep the dough to ⅛" thick. Rolling them too thin will make it feel like chicken noodle soup, and too thick will be cumbersome to eat.
- The noodles will absorb quite a bit of liquid during the cooking process, and will also thicken the pot pie. It should be thicker than soup, but thinner than stew. It will thicken further as it cools.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this can be frozen in a sealed container for up to six months.
No. While making your own according to the recipe will produce the best flavor, you can definitely use store-bought stock or broth. If using store-bought, I recommend boiling fresh herbs in it for a bit to impart some extra flavor.
Storage
Store the Pennsylvania Dutch chicken pot pie in a sealed container in the fridge for one week. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until hot. Note that you may need to add a touch more water or broth to loosen it up, as the noodles absorb a ton of liquid.
To freeze the pot pie, allow it to cool completely, then transfer to storage containers and freeze for up to six months. Allow it to thaw completely, then follow the same reheating methods as above.
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📖Recipe
Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie
Equipment
- Large stock pot two are helpful
- Stand mixer optional
- Rolling Pin
- Sharp knife or pizza cutter
- Sheet pan
Ingredients
Homemade Chicken Stock
- 4 chicken leg quarters
- 10 cups water 80 fl oz
- 3 carrots cut in 2-inch pieces
- 3 stalks celery cut in 2-inch pieces (with leaves are best)
- 1 large yellow onion quartered (with skins on)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 6 stems fresh parsley
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 8 whole peppercorns
Pot Pie Noodles
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 360g
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk 6 fl oz, only ⅔ cup may get used
Pot Pie Vegetables
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt can add more to taste
- 2 russet potatoes peeled, halved, and sliced ¼" thick
- 1 yellow onion peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 3 carrots peeled and sliced
- 3 stalks celery sliced (without leaves)
- ½ cup peas fresh, frozen, or canned
- fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
- celery salt for topping
Instructions
- Cut a slit in between the leg and thigh on the leg quarters, then layer them into a large stock pot. Add 10 cups of water, adding more if needed so the water is fully covering the chicken.4 chicken leg quarters, 10 cups water
- Add the carrots, celery, onion, thyme, rosemary, parsley bay leaves, and peppercorns and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a low simmer.3 carrots, 3 stalks celery, 1 large yellow onion, 4 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 6 stems fresh parsley, 2 dried bay leaves, 8 whole peppercorns
- Cook for about 2 hours until the meat is tender and falling off the bones. Skim any foam or chicken impurities off of the top with a spoon and discard during this time. Add water as needed to just keep the chicken covered, bringing it back to a low simmer each time.
- Remove the chicken and place them on a sheet pan to cool. Add a colander to another large pot and strain the liquid to separate the stock from the vegetables. Discard the vegetables once cool.
- Add the strained stock back onto the heat, keeping it on low, and stir in the salt. Taste the stock and add more salt, if desired.½ tablespoon kosher salt
Pot Pie Noodles
- Lightly flour a large sheet pan and set aside.
- Add the flour, salt and eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms.3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 large eggs
- Drizzle in ⅔ cup of the milk with the mixer running until it forms together. Drizzle in a bit more liquid if the mixture looks dry and crumbly.¾ cup whole milk
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and sprinkle flour onto the top of the dough and your rolling pin.
- Roll out the dough to ⅛" thick, keeping it roughly in a rectangle if you can.
- Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into 1-2" squares, then transfer the dough to the floured sheet pan. Do one layer (try not to let them overlap too much), sprinkle with more flour, then add the remaining noodles on top. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap to rest.
Vegetables, Chicken, and Assembly
- Bring the stock to a low boil. Peel and chop the vegetables, then add the vegetables (except the peas) to the stock and cook for 10 minutes.2 russet potatoes, 1 yellow onion, 3 carrots, 3 stalks celery, 2 cloves garlic
- Pick the cooled chicken off the bone, discarding the fat and bones. Pull the pieces into 1-2" chunks. Set aside.
- Add the noodles by the handful and give the pot pie a stir. Boil the noodles for 8 minutes, then add the chicken and peas and simmer for another 5 minutes.½ cup peas
- Spoon the chicken pot pie into bowls and top with fresh topped parsley and celery salt. A piece of crusty, buttered bread is also great alongside the dish.fresh parsley, celery salt
Collet
How much stock/broth do I need to use? I've already made chicken bone broth that is just waiting for this recipe. I couldn't find an amount for store bought or pre-made broth. Thank you.
Callan Wenner
Hi Collet, you'll need about 8 cups of broth or stock - the noodles soak up quite a bit of the liquid as they cook! If you need more liquid, you can add up to one cup more water without any noticeable changes in flavor.
Erin
Thank you for a great recipe my whole family enjoyed. I also appreciate how you include the ingredients within the recipe steps and just wanted to let you know that you accidentally forgot to list the garlic. Again, this was a wonderful recipe.
Callan Wenner
Hi Erin, thanks so much for the review, and glad you found the associated ingredients helpful. Appreciate the note on the garlic (whoops) - I've just gone in and added it!!
Elizabeth R
This recipe is fool-proof and fail-proof! Big, steaming bowls of comfort. My family loved it, and we still have some left for lunches this week. My noodles might have been a bit chunky, but I’ve never met a noodle I didn’t like.
Callan Wenner
Hi Elizabeth, thanks so much for the review, and glad you enjoyed them! The noodles do fatten up as they cook, so I'll add that as a note to the recipe card so other readers know and can roll them a bit thinner. Appreciate you trying this!