This Corn Chowder Pot Pie channels all the best parts of Chicken Corn Chowder into an ultra-comforting and delicious pot pie! Sweet corn, crisp bacon, and tender chicken in a cheesy sauce all packaged under flaky puff pastry dough — what more could you want for a comfort-meal-type dinner?!
Try some of our other favorite pot pie recipes like this Chicken Pot Pie, Ham Pot Pie, or Ham and Potato Pot Pie.
Corn Chowder Pot Pie
Nothing screams comfort food like thick and hearty chowder or chicken-loaded pot pie. So for the ultimate comfort food why not combine the two?! Yes, we went there and you may never want to try one without the other again! ๐
This pot pie is deeply savory with a hint of sweetness from the corn and carrots. It’s got bacon and chicken, plus cheese — yum! And while it may all sound like a lot, you’ll be amazed how quickly it comes together, thanks to some kitchen shortcuts we’re relying on.
Shortcuts
Shortcut Ideas
- Pre-diced onions. Most grocery stores sell diced yellow onions in the produce section of the store. Alternatively, frozen diced onions are often found by the other frozen veggies and can be used in this recipe. Or, use a food processor to quickly chop an onion.
- Already minced garlic. We love Dorot® crushed garlic cubes, which you can keep handy in the freezer and pop into this (and other) recipes when needed. (Check if your local store carries them; they’re typically found with frozen veggies in the grocery store.) Another option is to use refrigerated minced garlic.
- 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. It’s a total lifesaver and game changer for busy cooks!
- Frozen veggies. Instead of chopping loads of veggies, we use pre-chopped and frozen produce — frozen corn!
Other Corn Chowder Pot Pie Ingredients
- Thick-sliced bacon. The thicker and more streaky the bacon — the more flavor! We also rely on the rendered bacon fat to cook the veggies in and infuse them with loads of flavor.
- Carrots. The carrots add a nice complementary texture, subtle balancing sweetness, and a bit more veggies into this pot pie.
- Yukon gold potatoes. Hands down our favorite potatoes in this pot pie are Yukon Golds which are sweet, buttery, and sturdy (they won’t disintegrate as they cook). They also have very delicate/thin skin so they don’t have to be peeled for this recipe.
- Whole milk. We tried this pot pie with different kinds of milk and didn’t find the consistency to work as nicely with lower fat percentages. The texture wasn’t as thick and creamy with lower fat percentages. While you can use 1 or 2% with slightly less creamy/thick results, we don’t recommend plant-based alternatives or skim milk in this recipe. On the other end, we also don’t recommend heavy cream, which will likely curdle in this recipe. If you are lactose-intolerant, we recommend Lactaid® whole milk (not sponsored) and lactose-free cheese for this recipe.
- Seasonings. Just a few seasonings go a long way — salt, pepper, chicken bouillon, and dried thyme. Salt slowly and to taste — depending on how salty the bacon and Parmesan cheese are, you may want to add less. Taste test the filling before adding it to the pie tin, if you don’t find the flavors “sing” feel free to add a pinch more salt or even more chicken bouillon.
- Flour and butter. These two ingredients thicken the filling.
- Cheeses. We recommend sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar, which has a richer and more poignant flavor. The Parmesan cheese adds such a nice savoriness and complementary flavor to the Cheddar.
- Puff pastry dough. More on this ingredient below.
Puff Pastry Dough
- The puff pastry I recommend in this recipe can be found in the freezer section of your grocery store. It’s a little tricky to find sometimes, so use a store app if your grocery store has one. We love and recommend Pepperidge Farm® puff pastry sheets (not sponsored).
- There are 2 sheets per package and we only use one for this recipe. Set out one to thaw and then tightly wrap up the other one and promptly return it to the freezer.
- Use the leftover puff pastry sheet in one of these tasty dessert recipes: Cronuts, Toaster Strudels, or Apple Turnovers!
- Brush with an egg wash. Quickly whisk an egg with a fork and brush it generously over the puff pastry to get a deeply golden-brown crust. The egg also ensures the puff pastry is even that much more flavorful.
- Don’t forget to vent the pie. Cut a few slits in the top of the puff pastry to let the steam release as the Corn Chowder Pot Pie bakes.
Quick Tip
If you prefer, top this pie with a crust instead — either store-bought or try this homemade pie crust. If you opt for a pie crust instead of puff pastry, bake the pot pie at 400 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until the crust is a nice golden brown.
Storage
Corn Chowder Pot Pie Storage
Once baked, Corn Chowder Pot Pie is best enjoyed promptly. Leftovers store okay, but the puff pastry will lose texture and soften. Cover leftovers and keep them in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F, covered with foil for about 20-25 minutes.
To prepare ahead of time, make the filling right up to the point of adding the puff pastry on top; instead, let it cool completely to room temperature. Cover the cooled filling in a pie tin and refrigerate. When ready to assemble, top with thawed puff pastry dough and then bake. You may need to add an additional 10-15 minutes to the bake time since the filling is chilled. Cover pot pie with foil if the pastry dough is browning too quickly.
Corn Chowder Pot Pie Recipe Tips
- If there is too much bacon grease, drain some off. To do this, line a small cup or bowl with heavy-duty foil. Carefully pour the bacon fat into the lined cup/bowl immediately after removing the bacon. Let this bowl/cup stand at room temperature until the bacon grease is solidified. At this point, you can fold the foil around the solidified fat and discard it or save it to use in future recipes.
- If using Yukon gold potatoes, I usually leave the skins on the potatoes because I don’t find it worth the trouble to peel them. If you are using a different variety of potatoes, you will likely want to peel the potatoes first.
- Finely dice the veggies and take your time to sufficiently saute them. The veggies won’t soften much more after the initial sautéing so be sure they are all fork tender at this point. To ensure tender veggies that don’t take too long to get tender, be sure to finely dice the veggies into small and even-sized pieces.
- Before adding the filling to the pie dish, make sure it is thickened to your desired consistency. The sauce doesn’t thicken much (if at all) once the puff pastry is added on, so if needed, keep cooking the filling until you have a nice and creamy consistency you are happy with — it should not be watery or the pot pie will end up watery! On the other end, if it ends up too thick, you may want to add a splash more of milk.
Quick Tip
This recipe is created to be simple, but the one thing we highly recommend is grating your own cheese. Not only will you get the most accurate measurement (which is especially important with the Parmesan cheese, so your pot pie doesn’t end up too salty or overpowering), but you’ll also ensure a nice and even melt. Pre-grated cheese contains preservatives that keep the shreds from clumping together in the bag, but they also keep the cheese from melting smoothly in this recipe.
More hearty chicken dinners
- Creamy Chicken Pasta with Boursin cheese
- Chicken Curry Soup with potatoes and sweet peas
- Baked Chicken Tacos with a creamy cilantro-lime sauce
- Chicken Chili made in the slow cooker
- Chicken and Yellow Rice with a sun-dried tomato sauce
Corn Chowder Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 3 slices thick-sliced bacon
- 1 cup diced yellow onion Note 1
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced Yukon Gold potatoes unpeeled (unless using a different variety)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons white flour
- 1-3/4 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon each: chicken bouillon powder, dried thyme
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated Note 2
- 1-1/2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 sheet puff pastry dough Note 3
- 1 large egg
- Optional: fresh thyme, fine sea salt & pepper
Instructions
- PREP: Follow package directions to thaw 1 sheet of puff pastry dough. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a glass 9- or 10-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- BACON: Thinly slice bacon and add to a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden and use a slotted spoon to remove to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside. Leave grease in the pot (drain off some if there is more than 2 tablespoons). To the bacon grease, add the diced onion, carrots, and potatoes. Saute, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes. They won't get too much more tender throughout cooking so take your time here. Add garlic, saute for another minute or until fragrant.
- ROUX: Press veggies to the edges of the pot and add the butter into the center of the pot. Once melted, add in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds to a minute. Gradually pour in the milk while stirring constantly. Cook until slightly thickened and add in the seasonings -- chicken bouillon powder, dried thyme, and salt & pepper to taste (I add 1/2 teaspoon of each, but you may want less depending on how salty bacon and Parmesan cheese are-- also note I use fine sea salt which is different from table salt). Mix in seasonings. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. (Note 4)
- ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS: Stir in the corn and chopped rotisserie chicken. Mix to heat through, about 1-2 minutes. Remove pot from heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of the sharp Cheddar cheese. Gently stir until melted. Finally, stir in the reserved bacon. Transfer contents of the pot into prepared pie pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese on top.
- BAKE POT PIE: In a small bowl, whisk the egg with a fork until smooth. Using a pastry brush, brush egg wash around the edges of the pie tin. Place thawed puff pastry on top of the pie and gently press down around corners. Generously brush entire puff pastry with egg wash. Use a knife to cut several vents in the top. Place pot pie on a baking sheet and bake for 35-45 minutes or until deeply golden on top and pot pie is bubbling at the edges. Remove and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh thyme if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tasty recipe. I used “chicken of the woods” (mushroom) in place of the chicken and didn’t use the chicken bouillon. Because it would lack some flavor not using the chicken products I did add some additional seasoning. I’m making it again today as it was delicious.
Delish! I’m so glad this was a hit! Thanks Chris! ๐
We love chicken pot pie and corn chowder.This was a delicious mix of both!Definately a new family favorite
So happy to hear that! Thank you Jane!
Excellent! Was so good! The instructions are well written and easy to follow. Whoโs family loved it.
So glad to hear that! Thank you Lisa ๐
As your sister I have to say…I have never in my life had a better pot pie. Mind = blown!