Our Family's Favorite Fall Dish Begins with Leftovers

Though saying goodbye to summer is tough, fall brings its own delights—cozy sweaters, vibrant leaves, and hearty comfort foods like stew, lasagna, and roast chicken. This weekend, with the crisp fall weather settling in, I prepared my first comforting meal of the season using ingredients I had carefully stored in the freezer over the summer.

I once came across a statistic that Americans waste nearly a third of the food they purchase. That's a significant amount of both food and money, especially given today's high grocery prices. To help prevent waste, I keep a freezer-safe container on hand, tossing in leftover veggies from dinner—like green beans, peas, or corn—whenever I have them. I also shred and freeze any leftover rotisserie chicken.

Shredded chicken and vegetables serve as the base for many comforting dishes, including chicken noodle soup, chicken and vegetable casseroles, and, of course, the classic chicken pot pie that brings my family together at the dinner table every time.

I've been planning for my first chicken pot pie of fall since summer, carefully freezing vegetables and chicken so I could make our favorite dish when the weather turned chilly. We enjoy chicken pot pie two ways: the traditional method with a pie crust top and bottom, or, for a quicker option, I top the filling with baked biscuits from a can—something my son affectionately calls 'Pot on Fluffy Buns' from when he was little.

Which Vegetables Are Best for Chicken Pot Pie?

Chicken pot pie is the perfect dish for showcasing a variety of vegetables. My family loves a mix of onions, carrots, peas, green beans, and corn, but you can get creative and use whatever vegetables you like. Broccoli, cubed potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, butternut squash, asparagus, and bell peppers all make great additions. Just be sure to cook your veggies beforehand, as the pie doesn't bake long enough to cook them through.

How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Using Leftovers

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) package double crust ready-to-use pie crusts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups leftover vegetables, thawed and chopped
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground marjoram
• 1 pinch dried shallots (optional)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup milk, whole or 2 percent
• 10 fluid ounces chicken broth
• 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C).
2. Fit one pie crust into the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish and bake for about 15 minutes until slightly golden.
3. While the crust is baking, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté any uncooked vegetables. Set them aside when done.
4. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, marjoram, dried shallots, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Slowly add milk and chicken broth, stirring after each addition. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly until it thickens. Lower the heat to medium-low.
5. Add the shredded chicken and vegetables. Let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes over medium-low heat.
6. Pour the filling into the partially baked bottom crust. Top with the second crust, seal the edges, and crimp them with a fork. Cut a few slits in the top to let the steam escape. Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is golden brown, about 25 minutes.

If using biscuits: Bake the biscuits according to the package instructions. Follow Steps 3 through 5. Split the biscuits in half, place them in a dish, pour the filling over, and you're all set!

Cook’s Tips

Use up any leftover vegetables from your freezer, those that are nearing the end of their freshness in the crisper, or even a bag of frozen mixed veggies. Be sure to chop the vegetable pieces into small bits.

I only sauté vegetables that haven’t already been cooked. For me, that’s usually the onion and often the last few baby carrots left in the crisper.

If we’re hosting guests, I like to brush an egg wash on top of the crust. But if it's just for my family, I skip that step.

This dish is hearty enough to stand alone, but I sometimes serve the pot pie with a side of cranberry sauce or sautéed apples.