Busy weeknights still require a delicious meal. I find myself relying on one-pot meals more and more, especially as my energy-filled toddler starts to get antsy toward dinnertime. We love chicken pot pie in my home, so I figured why not turn it into a one-pot pasta meal? This one-pot chicken pot pie pasta tastes just like the traditional chicken pot pie filling you’re used to, but pasta is substituted for the pie crust. If you want to really get crazy, you could unroll a store-bought piecrust and bake it in the oven. Then, once the pasta and pie crust are done, you could crumble some on top. But I’m going to be honest, I’ve yet to try that method only because that takes extra time. However, the idea has crossed my mind a few times, and I think it would be divine if you had it readily available!

For this meal, I started by sweating the carrots, onions and celery until cooked halfway through. I like to sweat the vegetables in chicken fat if I have it on hand. I typically get the excess chicken drippings when I buy a rotisserie chicken at the store. If I don’t use it right then, I’ll freeze the drippings and use it for another meal. I like the chicken fat method because I feel it adds a depth of flavor to the meal that you just can’t achieve with traditional butter. But don’t fret; if you don’t have the chicken fat on hand, you can use butter. Your dinner will still taste amazing. I promise (I’ve made it both ways).

So, let’s get back to cooking. After your veggies start to cook, add in the spices, chopped mushrooms and pasta. Give everything one big stir, then pour in the chicken stock, place the lid on the skillet and let it cook for 20 minutes. You’ll want to add in the frozen green peas during the last five minutes of cooking. I like to add the peas in frozen. I’ll also give the pot of pasta an occasional stir to avoid the pasta from sticking.

While the pasta cooks, in a small bowl I’ll mix together the heavy cream and cornstarch and set that to the side. Then, once the pasta is done cooking, I’ll turn off the heat and add in the cooked, chopped rotisserie chicken. Then I’ll mix in the heavy cream mixture and let it stand in the skillet for at least five minutes with the lid on. I’ve let it rest for up to a half an hour before, and it was still delicious. The sauce will be thicker instead of a thinner consistency. If you happen to reheat the one-pot chicken pot pie pasta the next day, pour a little heavy cream on top to keep the pasta moist and saucy! Trust me, you’ll be happy you took my advice. If you’re looking for a new dinnertime favorite, try my recipe for one-pot chicken pot pie pasta.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1/4 cup rendered chicken fat or 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1/2 cup baby portabella mushrooms, chopped
1 box penne pasta
1 32-ounce box low sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large skillet, melt the chicken fat (or butter) on high heat. Add the carrots, celery and onions and cover with a lid. Sweat the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If using butter, you might need to add a little chicken stock to the pan for additional liquid to sweat.
Add in the poultry seasoning, mushrooms and penne pasta. Mix well and add the chicken broth. Cook on medium heat with lid on for 20 minutes until pasta is tender. Add in the frozen green peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
While pasta cooks, mix together the heavy cream and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set to the side.
Once the pasta is done cooking, turn off the heat and add in the chopped chicken. Mix in the heavy cream mixture and let stand for at least 5 minutes with the lid on. Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!