One-pot Chicken Pot Pie Pasta—creamy orzo, rotisserie chicken, and tender veggies—all in 30 minutes with minimal chopping and cleanup!
Be sure to try Zucchini Pasta Sauce with spaghetti or Olive Garden copycat Pasta e Fagioli next!
Chicken Pot Pie Pasta
My boys beg for Chicken Pot Pie (or Ham Pot Pie) when it’s cold, and they love this Chicken Pot Pie Soup—so do I! But those take time and leave plenty of dishes.
This recipe packs all the pot pie flavors into a quick, one-pot meal—yes, just one dish to wash! It’s hearty, loaded with veggies, and irresistibly tasty. And while it’s creamy, it’s lighter with just 2 tablespoons of butter and no heavy cream.
Oh, and my kids can’t get enough!
How To Have This Ready In 30 Minutes
To keep this a 30-minute meal, we use a few grocery store shortcuts:
- Veggie mix: Pre-chopped onions, celery, and carrots from the produce or frozen section save time. Or use a food processor for quick chopping.
- Pre-minced garlic or a garlic press for easy prep.
- Rotisserie chicken: Buy it pre-shredded or diced for the ultimate time saver.
- Room-temperature milk: Let it sit out while prepping so it heats faster in the dish.
Let’s Talk Pasta
The pasta in Chicken Pot Pie Pasta is orzo!
Even though it looks like rice, orzo is actually a small pasta made from wheat.
I don’t recommend swapping it—bigger pasta won’t get as creamy as orzo does in this dish.
Quick Tip
You’ll only need part of the pasta box! Use the leftover orzo in these favorites: Creamy Pesto Orzo, Orzo Pasta Salad, or Lemon Chicken-Orzo Soup.
Optional Biscuit Topping
The crust is my favorite part of chicken pot pie, so I had to add it here—quick and easy! Store-bought biscuits work great, but they’re optional. Other ideas: a crunchy baguette or baked puff pastry.
For easy biscuits, spray with cooking oil and air fry for 5-6 minutes. No air fryer? Just bake as directed!
Chicken Pot Pie Pasta Tips
- Prep: This dish cooks fast, so have ingredients prepped before starting.
- Cook veggies until soft: Onion, carrot, and celery won’t soften much later, so take the time upfront.
- Whole milk: Lower-fat milk works, but whole milk makes it creamier and tastier.
- Use a big nonstick pot & stir often. Orzo sticks and clumps without frequent stirring.
- Adjust seasoning. Stock, Parmesan, salt, and pepper add flavor, but you may need a little more.
- Use fresh herbs. They lighten the dish—try parsley or thyme.
Storage
Chicken Pot Pie Pasta Storage
- Store: Keeps 4-5 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
- Don’t freeze: Dairy separates, and orzo gets mushy.
- Reheat: Warm slowly in a pot, stirring often. Add a little milk for creaminess and more seasoning if needed.
More Simple 30-Minute Meals
- Rotisserie Chicken Tacos in crispy corn tortillas
- Chipotle Chicken Salad with a sweet chipotle-lime dressing
- BBQ Chicken Sandwich Recipe with rotisserie chicken
- Vegetarian Gyros with crispy chickpeas
- Ground Beef Naan Tacos with a simple cucumber sauce
Chicken Pot Pie Pasta
This one-pot Chicken Pot Pie Pasta is loaded with rotisserie chicken, tender veggies, and creamy orzo—all ready in 30 minutes with minimal chopping and cleanup!
Equipment
- Large pot nonstick
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups mirepoix celery, onion, carrot; see note 1
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen diced vegetables I use the blend of carrots, sweet peas, corn, and green beans
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seed optional
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder see note 2
- 2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 2-1/4 cups whole milk see note 3
- 1-1/2 cups orzo pasta see note 4
- 2 cups diced rotisserie chicken
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for topping, see note 5
- Optional biscuit topping 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, 1 package biscuits (I use Pillsbury® Grands! Flaky Layers Butter Tastin' Biscuits); see note 6
Instructions
- Set out all the ingredients—cooking goes quickly! Measure seasonings and set aside. Place a large nonstick pot over medium-high heat and heat the olive oil.
- Once oil is hot, add mirepoix. Cook, stirring frequently, for 6–8 minutes or until turning golden and veggies are tender. (They won’t get much softer through the rest of the cooking.) Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.) Add 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 with foil. Set aside.
- Return the pot to the burner, keeping the heat at medium-high. Melt the butter, whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Add the seasonings: thyme, parsley, garlic powder, celery seed, and chicken bouillon powder. Whisk. Gradually add in stock, whisking constantly. Cook for 1–2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add in milk and uncooked orzo. Stir.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, 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. The pasta should be tender (test it to be sure), yet the mixture should still be soupy. Add the set-aside veggies and rotisserie chicken to the pot and gently stir to incorporate. Remove from heat. Add Parmesan and optional parsley. Gently stir until the cheese melts. Taste and season with any additional salt and pepper as needed—the salt and pepper really pull all the flavors together. I typically add another 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- 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 is a combination of finely chopped onions, celery, and carrots. Many grocery stores offer this in the produce section. You can even find it in the frozen vegetable section; 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.
Note 2: The saltiness of chicken bouillon varies by brand. Add salt and chicken bouillon slowly and to taste preference—you may not want the entire 2 teaspoons.
Note 3: I do not recommend skim milk, 1%, 2%, or a dairy milk alternative. This is a creamy recipe, and the lower-fat choices don’t achieve that texture.
Note 4: 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: Use a block of Parmesan cheese and grate it on the small holes of a grater. Measure loosely. I don’t recommend jarred or canned cheese—the flavor will be overpowering and too salty.
Note 6: The biscuit topping is an optional but fun addition. Other alternatives—a crusty 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°F for 5–6 minutes. If you don’t have an air fryer, bake according to package directions in the oven.
Nutrition Note: Nutrition information does not include the optional biscuit topping.
Storage: Store this dish for 4–5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing it.
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.
Once again Chelsea you knocked it out of the ball park !!! EVERYONE of your recipes is always spot on ! I am so glad I found you !!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thank you so much Victoria! 🙂
Everyone loved this! Even my husband took some to work the next day (he very seldom takes leftovers). It made a lot so I shared it with some friends. They thought I spent a lot of time ‘slaving’ over a hot stove to make it. Now everyone wants the recipe! 🙂
Yay! So thrilled to hear that, thank you so much for the comment and review 🙂
I made this for my kids and it was a winner winner chicken diviner night 🐔❤️🥇
Yay! So glad to hear that 🙂
will be making this soon can i use mushrooms vegan butter and parmesan as am a vegan i love pasta sooooooooooo much perfect for my after office meals will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya