Chicken Pot Pie Pasta

This simple, one-pot Chicken Pot Pie Pasta is packed with delicious ingredients including rotisserie chicken, tender veggies, and creamy orzo pasta. Plus: minimal chopping, minimal cleanup, and minimal hands-on time — we employ a few shortcuts to have this meal ready in 30 minutes or less!

We love easy pasta dishes! Be sure to try this Zucchini Pasta Sauce with spaghetti or this Olive Garden copycat Pasta e Fagioli next!

Chicken Pot Pie Pasta

My boys beg for Chicken Pot Pie (or this Ham Pot Pie) when the weather is cold, and they absolutely love this Chicken Pot Pie Soup. I’m not complaining– those are some of my favorite dishes too! That said, pot pies and even pot pie soup are fairly time-consuming recipes to make. And there’s a good amount of clean-up involved from making those recipes.

For this recipe, I aim to include all the components we know and love from pot pies in a quick recipe with minimal clean-up. So minimal, in fact, that there is only one dish to wash! That’s right; this is a recipe that can be made in ONE pot! (Wait! Is that you I hear cheering?!)

This ultra-filling dish is loaded with veggies, is creamy and hearty, and best of all, it is seriously tasty! And even though it’s creamy, we’re doing it in a lighter way — we’re actually not using all that much butter (2 tablespoons for the whole recipe!), plus no heavy creams or half-and-half. So, yes, it’s creamy, but in a lighter way than a typical Alfredo sauce.

So, if you aren’t already running to the grocery store to grab the ingredients, I’ll also mention here just how kid-friendly this dish is. My kids can’t seem to get enough of it!

How To Have This Dish Ready In 30 Minutes (Time-Saving Tips)

To truly ensure a 30-minute meal, we rely on some grocery store shortcuts that I’ll discuss below.

• Try freshly made mirepoix (a combination of finely chopped onions, celery, and carrots) from the produce section of the grocery store. You can even find it in the frozen vegetable section of the store; this is a huge time saver! If you don’t want to purchase this mix, you can use a food processor to quickly chop equal amounts of onion, carrot, and celery. Going the food processor route adds an extra dish, but isn’t too much more time consuming.
• Use pre-minced garlic (or a garlic press) as another time saver.
• We rely on a bag of frozen veggies to further add to the simplicity and minimize prep for this dish. We use a blend of carrots, corn, peas, and green beans to keep with the chicken pot pie theme.
• Rotisserie chicken. Pre-cooked and seasoned chicken is a total time saver on its own, but to save even more time on the chicken, you can purchase rotisserie chicken meat already pulled from the bones and shredded or diced — a lot of grocery stores sell this conveniently prepared chicken!
• Use room-temperature milk. If the milk isn’t straight from the fridge, it will heat much more quickly in this recipe. Before starting this Chicken Pot Pie Pasta, I measure the milk and then set it aside to come to room temperature.

Let’s talk pasta

The pasta portion of this Chicken Pot Pie Pasta is none other than orzo pasta!

Although orzo looks a bit like rice, it’s not a grain (it’s a common misconception that rice and orzo can be interchanged, but they are different and won’t cook the same in this recipe). Orzo is a type of short-cut pasta that merely looks like larger grains of rice. It also goes by the names risoni and risi, and they’re all the same thing: small pasta made from durum and semolina wheat. In Italian, orzo means barley…and that’s what it looks like, too! You’ll find orzo on the pasta aisle of most grocery stores.

I would not recommend any substitutes for orzo pasta in Chicken Pot Pie Pasta. The orzo takes on a risotto-type creamy consistency that is not well duplicated with different (larger) pastas.

Optional Biscuit Topping

Personally, the pastry part of a chicken pot pie is my favorite element! So, naturally, I had to come up with some way to add that into this dish–but shortcut style, of course! And that means store-bought biscuits. If you love flaky biscuits, you’ll love them with this Chicken Pot Pie Pasta.

They’re totally optional and not necessary, but a fun addition. Other alternatives — a crusty baguette or baked puff pastry dough.

To ensure ultra-easy and tasty biscuit topping, we use the air fryer. Lightly spritz the biscuits with cooking spray and air fry for 5-6 minutes — so simple! If you don’t have an air fryer, bake them in the oven according to the package directions.

 Recipe Tips

• Prep everything before you start cooking. This is a dish where the cooking goes pretty quickly, so you want to make sure to have everything ready to go before starting.
• Allow time for the mirepoix to get tender. We sauté the mirepoix at the beginning of dish preparation, but the onion, carrot, and celery don’t get much softer throughout the rest of the cooking, so take the time, in the beginning, to ensure it’s nice and tender!
• Choose high-quality stock or broth. The better the stock, the richer the dish will taste. We love Swanson’s Chicken Stock® best (not sponsored).
• Go with whole milk. While 1% or 2% milk will work, I highly recommend whole milk in this recipe — we don’t find it creamy or flavorful enough with lower fat percentages of milk.
• Cook in a large, nonstick pot and stir often. The orzo cooks up better when stirred frequently in a nonstick pot. Without stirring, it can catch and clump at the bottom of the pot.

 Tips, Continued

• Seasonings. This dish doesn’t have a whole lot of seasoning because it’s relying on the chicken stock (which has plenty of seasonings already), the Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. That said, you still might need a pinch extra at the end — don’t be afraid to add more salt and pepper until the flavors sing.
• Add some fresh herbs. This Chicken Pot Pie Pasta is rich and hearty, so it benefits from fresh herbs to cut through the richness. We love flat-leaf Italian parsley and/or fresh thyme best.
• If the dish ends up too thick, add an extra splash of milk.

Chicken Pot Pie Pasta Storage

• This dish keeps nicely for 4-5 days in an air-tight container in the fridge. 
• I don’t recommend freezing this dish because of the dairy and pasta in it. The milk solids will separate as the dish thaws, resulting in a grainy texture with separation. Additionally, the orzo doesn’t freeze and thaw very well.
• To reheat leftovers: Add Chicken Pot Pie Pasta to a pot and slowly increase the heat while stirring frequently. Add in a splash of milk to thin out the dish and increase the creaminess. You may also need to add a touch more seasoning. Don’t boil or reheat it at a high temperature; this may cause the ingredients to separate or become grainy.

More simple 30-minute meals

• Rotisserie Chicken Tacos in crispy corn tortillas
• Chipotle Chicken Salad with a sweet chipotle-lime vinaigrette
• BBQ Chicken Sandwich Recipe with rotisserie chicken
• Vegetarian Gyros with crispy chickpeas
• Ground Beef Naan Tacos with a simple cucumber sauce

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5 from 3 votes

Chicken Pot Pie Pasta

By Chelsea Lords

This simple, one-pot Chicken Pot Pie Pasta is packed with delicious ingredients, including rotisserie chicken, tender veggies, and creamy orzo pasta. Plus: minimal chopping, minimal cleanup, and minimal hands-on time -- we rely on a few shortcuts to have this meal ready in 30 minutes or less!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1½ tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 cups mirepoix (celery, onion, carrot) Note 1
• ▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ▢ Fine sea salt and pepper
• ▢ 1 bag (12 oz.) frozen diced vegetables (I use the blend of carrots, sweet peas, corn, & green beans)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 tablespoons white all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon EACH: dried thyme, dried parsley
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon celery seed, optional
• ▢ 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder Note 2
• ▢ 2 cups Swanson's chicken stock (or broth)
• ▢ 2¼ cups whole milk Note 3
• ▢ 1½ cups dry orzo pasta Note 4
• ▢ 2 cups diced rotisserie chicken
• ▢ ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping Note 5
• ▢ Optional: 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, 1 package biscuits (we use Pillsbury® Grands! Flaky Layers Butter Tastin' Biscuits) -- Note 6

Instructions 

• PREP: Set out all the ingredients-- the cooking goes quickly! Measure seasonings and set aside. Place a large nonstick pot over medium-high heat and heat the olive oil.
• COOK: Once the oil is hot, add in the mirepoix. Cook, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes or until turning golden and veggies are tender. (They won't get too much softer throughout the rest of the cooking.) Add in the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper here.) Add in the bag of frozen veggies (no need to thaw). Stir for 1-2 minutes or until veggies are thawed through. Transfer this entire mixture onto a plate or bowl and cover it with foil. Set aside for now.
• COOK CONT.: Return the pot to the burner, keeping the heat at medium high. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter, whisk in the 2 tablespoons flour, and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Add in the seasonings: 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon parsley, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder,¼ teaspoon celery seed, and 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder. Whisk. Gradually add in the 2 cups stock, whisking constantly. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add in the 2¼ cups milk and the 1½ cups uncooked orzo. Stir.
  
• FINISH COOKING: Bring the mixture to a simmer, and then lower the heat until it is just barely bubbling at the edges. Cook for 7-9 minutes without a lid, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan so the orzo does not stick. After 7-9 minutes the pasta should be tender (test it to be sure) yet the mixture in the pan should still be soupy. Add the set-aside veggies and 2 cups rotisserie chicken to the pot and gently stir to incorporate. Remove from heat. Add in the ¾ cup Parmesan and optional parsley. Gently stir until the cheese melts. Taste and season with any additional salt and pepper as needed. Don't be afraid to add a bit more-- the salt and pepper really pull all the flavors together. I typically add another 1/4 teaspoon pepper here.
  
• SERVE: The consistency should be very creamy and similar to risotto. Add a splash of milk if needed to thin the consistency a bit. If desired, top individual bowls with more Parmesan and cooked biscuits (See Note 6). Enjoy while hot.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Mirepoix: This is a combination of finely chopped onions, celery, and carrots. Many grocery stores offer this in the produce section of the store. You can even find it in the frozen vegetable section of the store; this is a huge time saver! If you prefer, you can use a food processor to quickly chop equal amounts of onion, carrot, and celery. Going the food processor route adds an extra dish, but isn't too much more time consuming.

Note 2: Seasonings: This dish needs a good amount of seasoning to make the flavors sing, but it can also end up too salty, depending on the specific brands used. Add salt and chicken bouillon slowly and to taste preference -- you may not want the entire 2 teaspoons here.

Note 3: Milk: I do not recommend skim milk or a dairy milk alternative. This is a creamy recipe, and the lower-fat choices just don't achieve that texture. We didn't find 1% or 2% milk to be creamy enough.

Note 4: Orzo: I do not recommend any substitutes for orzo pasta. The orzo takes on a risotto-type creamy consistency that is not well duplicated with different (larger) pastas.

Note 5:Parmesan: Use a block of Parmesan cheese and grate it on the small holes of the cheese grater. Measure loosely. I don't recommend jarred or canned cheese -- the flavor will be overpowering and too salty.

Note 6: Biscuits: The biscuit topping is totally optional and not necessary, but a fun addition. Other alternatives -- a crust baguette or baked puff pastry dough. To quickly cook the biscuits, lightly spritz biscuits with cooking spray and add in a single layer to an air fryer basket. (Don't overcrowd; I cook 4 at a time.) Air fry at 360 degrees F for 5-6 minutes. If you don't have an air fryer, bake according to package directions in the oven.

Nutrition information does not include the optional biscuit topping.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 830kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 1277mg | Potassium: 676mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 4899IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 439mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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