Pennsylvania Chicken Pot Pie
The best chicken pot pie comes from Lancaster County.
And this brothy Pennsylvania Dutch chicken pot pie recipe is a uniquely Lancaster County recipe with homemade pot pie noodles.
Lancaster County Amish
Lancaster County is a beautiful place to visit. It has lots of open farmland and is home to many Amish and Mennonites. Many of the farms and homesteads are neatly manicured and well taken care of.
Most of the Amish and Mennonites in that area pride themselves in keeping their farms in top-notch attractive condition, with beautiful flower gardens and landscaping all around them.
The ladies also pride themselves on serving top-quality delicious homemade food. Most of them spend a lot of time in the kitchen and are amazing cooks.
Lancaster County is also well known for some unique recipes. They serve some foods that you won't find in too many other places.
Shoo-fly pie is one of those unique recipes (Click here for the recipe). And Pennsylvania chicken pot pie is another dish that you won't find in too many other areas.
Pennsylvania Dutch Pot Pie
I grew up eating Amish chicken pot pie quite frequently, and I always associated it with a brothy noodle dish. It equals the perfect comfort food!
But one day, I was hanging out with an Amish friend from Holmes County, Ohio. And she said she was going to make chicken pot pie for our dinner.
I was surprised when she proceeded to make pie crust and discovered she was making what we called chicken pie. It was not crustless chicken pot pie.
What is the difference between chicken pot pie and chicken pie?
Well, the answer to that question is in its name. Chicken pot pie is made in a pot instead of a pie pan.
They both contain a lot of the same ingredients: chicken, broth, vegetables, flour, etc. However, chicken pie has a thicker broth filling (gravy) inside a pie crust. And chicken pot pie has more of a soup consistency with lots of delicious homemade pot pie noodles.
As a teenager, I worked in the deli kitchen at a local grocery store. We made chicken pot pie and chicken pies. They were both great sellers and are pretty popular dishes in that area.
Chicken and waffles (simply chicken in gravy served over warm waffles) is another well-known dish in Lancaster County.
How to make PA Dutch pot pie noodles
Making Amish pot pie noodles is really very easy. Whisk the eggs in a bowl, and add water and salt. Mix. Then add the flour and mix until it all comes together in a ball.
Sprinkle a thin layer of flour onto a clean spot on your countertop. Place your dough on the flour and spread it out a bit with your hands. Lift the dough and sprinkle more flour underneath and sprinkle flour over the top as well.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it's fairly thin.
I hadn't made this dish in a while and remembered that I left it too thick the last time. So I rolled it about as thin as I could get it. But sadly, this time it was too thin for my taste. Next time I'll get it just right! 🙂
But I would say, roll the dough to somewhere around an eighth inch thick.
If your dough wants to keep sticking to the countertop, just lift the edges and sprinkle more flour underneath.
After you have it rolled to the desired thickness, use a pizza cutter and slice it into about one-and-a-half-inch strips in both directions, to make little pot pie noodle squares.
Pot pie noodles Pennsylvania Dutch
I start by mixing my dough for the noodles first, then cover and set aside.
In a large cooking pot, melt a tablespoon of butter, and add the minced garlic clove, onion (if desired), and carrots. Saute over medium heat for a minute or two. Add water and broth, and bring to a boil.
While you are waiting for this to boil, roll out your dough and cut it into squares.
Once your broth has come to a full boil, add the noodle squares. It may take a minute or two to get them all into the pot, as you don't want to just dump them in.
You want to make sure that each noodle hits the boiling water. If you throw a whole clump in at a time, they will stick together.
You may need to use a spoon and push some of them aside as you add new ones.
Let it gently boil for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add peas, potatoes, chicken, and seasonings. Although, any of the veggies are totally optional. You can add or leave out anything you want.
Continue to boil for another ten minutes. (If your noodles are extra thick, you may need to boil them for a few additional minutes.)
Making a flour and water paste
Meanwhile, put the flour into a cup, and make a thin paste by slowly adding a little warm water, as you're vigorously stirring with a fork or whisk. (If you add too much water without stirring enough it will get lumpy.)
But if you add only a little bit of water, then immediately stir to make a paste, and slowly keep adding water until it's a liquid consistency, it should not get lumpy.
Or you can mix your flour and water in a gravy shaker. My mom-in-law always uses one of these to make her gravy thickener.
But I never found the need for using one, as I have mixed my gravy paste in a cup or bowl all my life, and it usually doesn't get lumpy.
But if you haven't learned the trick to getting your thickener nice and smooth, you may want to try a gravy shaker. Tupperware has a well-loved one. (I'm adding an affiliate link here, in case you're needing one.)
Once your homemade pot pie noodles have cooked for about twenty minutes, slowly add the flour paste as you're stirring to thicken it a bit.
It only needs to boil for another minute, then it should be done and ready to eat. And there you have chicken pot pie PA Dutch style!
This chicken pot pie can be served as a one-dish meal, or you can add a side salad. Homemade biscuits are also yummy served with this chicken pot pie (recipe here), if you're not too worried about eating a lot of carbs. 🙂
This is the best PA Dutch chicken pot pie recipe!
More PA Dutch Recipes
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Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 7 c. water
- 3 - 4 c. chicken broth
- 1 Tbs. butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
- 2 Tbs. onion, chopped (optional)
- 1 c. carrots, cut into small bite-sized pieces (optional)
- 1 1/2 - 2 c. potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks
- 1 c. green peas (optional)
- 1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
- 3/4 tsp. seasoning salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 - 2 c. chopped, cooked chicken
- 1 1/2 - 2 Tbs. flour and enough water to make a paste
For the noodle dough:
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 c. water
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 c. flour
Instructions
- If you don't already have some cooked chicken, you will need to cook chicken.
Making the noodle dough:
- Beat eggs in a small bowl. Add water and salt. Mix.2 large eggs, beaten, 1/2 c. water, 1 tsp. salt
- Add flour and mix until it comes together in a ball. If it seems too sticky just add a bit more flour.2 c. flour
- Cover and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Making the chicken pot pie:
- Put butter in a large cooking pot. Add minced garlic, onion (if desired) and carrots. Saute over medium high heat for a minute or two.1 Tbs. butter, 1 garlic clove, minced (optional), 2 Tbs. onion, chopped (optional), 1 c. carrots, cut into small bite-sized pieces (optional)
- Add water and broth to pot, and bring to a boil.7 c. water, 3 - 4 c. chicken broth
- As you're waiting for this to come to a boil, flour your surface and roll out your dough to about 1/8" thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut your dough into about 1 1/2" squares.
- Drop your dough into the boiling water/broth, making sure each piece hits the boiling liquid. If you pile to many in at once they will stick together. Stir.
- Boil the noodles for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add potatoes, peas, chicken, and seasonings. Boil for another 12 - 15 minutes.1 1/2 - 2 c. potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks, 1 c. green peas (optional), 1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste, 3/4 tsp. seasoning salt, 1 - 2 c. chopped, cooked chicken, 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- Make a paste with flour and water to slightly thicken the broth.1 1/2 - 2 Tbs. flour and enough water to make a paste
- When your chicken pot pie is finished cooking, slowly add your flour paste, stirring to get it incorporated. Boil for about 1 more minute.
- Refrigerate and reheat any leftovers.
Sue Yellets
Can I freeze Pennsylvania Dutch pot pie after its cooked?
Anna
I have never tried freezing PA pot pie. So I can't give you an answer based on experience. But I googled it to see what others say, and I found two PA Dutch pot pie posts that say it freezes well. I would recommend thawing it in the fridge though.
~Chrissie O.
Hi!! In my experience, the noodles become complete mush/glue if you freeze them! HOWEVER, I'VE had really good luck making the basic recipe (chicken/broth/vegetables) and freezing it. Then, after thawing and heating to a strong simmer, making/adding the "noodles." The raw flour in the noodles, themselves, will thicken the broth slightly, and the consistency will be thin, not quite like gravy, but not "soup." PS I've also done this where I've cooked the noodles in chicken broth and added to individual bowls as I've served it; then drained and put into ziploc bags to add to "leftover" servings. The consistency stays more broth-like, but if you add all the noodles and then put into the fridge overnight, the noodles will swell, absorbing all moisture, and becoming really mushy and unpleasant in texture... The recipe is absolutely delicious!!! I've grown up with similar. We called it chicken-n-noodles, cutting into strips, not squares - and NOT the thick, gravy-laden chicken and noodles I've seen in the midwest, but thicker than chicken noodle soup... until the following day when there was no liquid left and the noodles had disintegrated! lol Blessings!!
Anna
I've never actually tried freezing this dish. But, in my experience, it can be refrigerated for several days and the noodles have pretty much kept their same firm texture.
Jose
Nice Content! Thanks for sharing.
Cathie Morrison
My husband is from Harrisburg and he grew up eating this. I'm from Pgh and had never heard of it but learned how to make it after we got married. We both love it and I'm so happy I found your recipe that includes how to make the pot pie squares because we live in the southwest and you can't buy decent noodles out here. I'm going to make them myself today using your recipe!!
Anna
I hope you enjoy it!
Walter Green
Says this is Amish... I grew up in Baltimore Maryland never knew of the existence of Amish until we moved to Carroll County MD and visited Lancaster in Middle School, yet we used to have Slippery Pot Pie all the time. Just Like they say Scrapple is a Delaware thing, and Smearcase Cheese Cake.
Anna
Interesting...I call it more of a PA Dutch food, because it's not a common dish with a lot of Amish in other areas.
sandra mays
hi i love home amish cooking i like to join your news letter if i may thank you sandie
Anna
You can subscribe by adding your email into the subscribe box on my site.
Bette J Dahl
I want to make this for a church meal for 120 people. Can I make it ahead and rewarm it in a large electric roaster or will the noodles get mushy? I attend a Mennonite church and I'm sure this would be enjoyed by all!
Anna
I'm a little hesitant to answer this question, because I would really hate for you to be disappointed with a dish that's supposed to serve 120 people. However, at the little deli kitchen where I worked as an Amish girl, we made this and sold it to be reheated. And I have always enjoyed it as leftovers as well as freshly made. So, I think it should be fine. If you want to be sure that you'll like it after reheated, you could make some for yourself and eat it as leftover, before making the huge batch. Good luck.
Troy Slabaugh
I live in Holmes County - grew up eating this, and still do to this day (in fact we just made it last week). It's a regular in our home. Interestingly, this is the only chicken pot pie I know. Mentioning someone making chicken pie and being from here is news to me. This recipe is the only one I've ever known. I highly recommend it. The longer it cooks the more taste, and leftovers are just as good if not better. A couple of notes from my opinion, the amounts do not need followed exactly. It's kind of a "clean out the refrigerator" type recipe. More, or less of the chicken, noodles, veggies , and even broth amount won't hurt a thing. Tailor it to what you have available and what consistency you want. It will be good every time no matter what.
Anna
Hmm...interesting. I always thought it was just a Pennsylvania thing.
Anna
And yes, I tailor my recipes all the time. But most people like an exact recipe to follow.