Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie
Pennsylvania Dutch chicken pot pie features thick egg noodles simmered in a rich broth of chicken full fresh veggie flavor, studded with onion, potato, celery, peas, and carrots. This is a regional dish that deserves to be shared with the masses since it is so comforting and delicious!
When you think of chicken pot pie, what comes to mind?
Let me guess.
Images of creamy chicken and vegetable filling sandwiched between two layers of buttery, flaky pie crust.
That is, indeed, chicken pot pie, but not the Pennsylvania Dutch chicken pot pie, aka Pennsylvania Dutch chicken and dumplings.
This pot pie has such thick, square noodles that they not only appease all carb lovers but they negate the need for a crust.
Let that sink in for a moment.
The noodles are so thick, in fact, that they are more like what most people in the States would consider dumplings.
What is Pennsylvania Dutch chicken pot pie?
So, now you know it doesn’t have crust and has a really thick noodle dumpling situation.
Those thick noodles cook in broth with veggies and tender chicken sort of like chicken noodle soup, but way heavier on the noodles.
This dish like originated in Europe as a way to make sure all the leftovers got used.
Pennsylvania Dutch, who aren’t actually Dutch but are typically of German or sometimes Swiss descent, brought this dish over and added the thick egg noodles to the broth, which really perfects it if we are being honest.
Ingredients
Let’s break this down into a set of ingredients for the egg noodle dumplings and another set for the pot pie itself.
For the noodle dough you’ll need:
- Flour– All purpose
- Eggs– To hold the dough together
- Salt
- Water– To moisten the dough enough to be pliable
And for the pot pie itself you’ll need:
- Chicken broth– You really can’t substitute another variety of broth like vegetable for the chicken broth but you could use chicken stock. If needed, you could also use lower sodium broth.
- Chicken– Chopped rotisserie chicken
- Veggies– Thinly sliced celery, diced white onion, peeled and diced carrots and potatoes, and sweet peas
- Parsley– Fresh
- Salt and pepper– To taste
- Slurry ingredients– Cornstarch and water to thicken the broth
How to Make
Making Pennsylvania Dutch chicken pot pie isn’t difficult if you break it down.
To start, make the noodle dough by mixing the flour, eggs, salt, and small amounts of water until the dough comes together and forms a ball.
Put flour down on a clean counter and roll out the dough on the floured surface until the dough is 1/2″ thick.
Cut the dough into 1 1/2″ squares.
Set the noodles aside.
Then add the broth, celery, peas, carrots, potatoes, onion, and parsley to a stock pot set over medium high heat.
Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
Once the stock boils, add the noodles in one at a time to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Reduce the mixture to a simmer, and let the noodles cook for 25 minutes or until tender.
After 25 minutes, whisk together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth.
Stir the slurry into the soup mixture.
Let the mixture keep simmering until it thickens or about 3 to 5 minutes.
When the mixture is nice and thick, stir in the chicken and season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers covered in the stock pot in the fridge or transfer them to an airtight container and store in the fridge.
The pot pie will keep for about 4 days, though the noodles will absorb the broth as it sits.
To reheat this, heat it on the stove top over medium heat, stirring in more broth until the soup reaches your desired consistency.
Tips and Tricks
- Just add a little water at a time to the noodle dough, maybe a teaspoon to tablespoon at a time. The dough is hydrated enough when it holds together and is pliable.
- Don’t overwork the dough. You don’t want the noodles to be tough.
- When you drop the noodles into the pot, do not be tempted to drop them all in at once. They will stick together. Take your time and drop them in one by one.
Other Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Pennsylvania Dutch chicken pot pie is at its heart a cozy, satisfying chicken and dumplings recipe that will be beloved by all who try it!
Make it today and enjoy!
Looking for other chicken and dumplings recipes?
Try these:
- Chicken And Dumpling Casserole
- Slow Cooker Chicken And Dumplings
- Chicken And Gnocchi Dumpling Skillet
- Instant Pot Chicken And Dumplings
If you’ve tried this PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH CHICKEN POT PIE, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
For The Noodle Dough
- 3 cups flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- water, as needed
For The Broth
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups chopped, rotisserie chicken
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 4 potatoes peeled & diced
- 2 cups sweet peas
- 1-2 carrot peeled, and diced
- 2 tsp parsley
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
To Make The Noodle Dough
- Add to a large mixing bowl the flour, eggs, and salt. Mix together, and add small amounts of water until the dough comes together and forms a ball.3 cups flour, 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp salt, water, as needed
- Flour a counter-top, then roll out the dough on top, until the dough is 1/2" thick. Cut the dough into 1 1/2" squares.
To Make The Broth
- To a stock pot add the broth, celery, peas, carrots, potatoes, onion, and parsley.8 cups chicken broth, 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced, 1 medium white onion, diced, 4 potatoes peeled & diced, 2 cups sweet peas, 1-2 carrot peeled, and diced, 2 tsp parsley
- Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then add the noodles in one at a time- to prevent sticking. Reduce the mixture to a simmer, and let the noodles cook for 25 minutes, or until tender.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water together until smooth. Stir the slurry into the soup mixture.1 tbsp cornstarch, 1/4 cup water
- Continue to simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, until thickened (3-5 minutes). When thickened, stir in the chicken. Salt & pepper, the soup- to taste.3 cups chopped, rotisserie chicken, salt & pepper, to taste
Notes
- Just add a little water at a time to the noodle dough, maybe a teaspoon to tablespoon at a time. The dough is hydrated enough when it holds together and is pliable.
- Don't overwork the dough. You don't want the noodles to be tough.
- When you drop the noodles into the pot, do not be tempted to drop them all in at once. They will stick together. Take your time and drop them in one by one.
Nutrition
This looks so delicious and comforting.. Thanks for sharing on Fiesta Friday party!
Oh I love these! These sounds so delicious & tempting that one almost starts drooling. Thanks for sharing this at Fiesta Friday!
I can still see my “Nana” mixing and rolling out the dough and cutting the squares. She was always careful to lay each square into the boiling broth before adding the next. I must say that the better way(but not as quick) is to cook your own chicken, I think the rotisserie chicken changes the flavor of this dish. And in southeaster PA, we always called it chicken pot pie when I was a kid. It is yummy, just the thing to eat during the upcoming snow storm predicted for this weekend.
I do know the recipe goes by different connotations depending on the area- chicken pot pie being one of them. For the thought in central VA, pot pie’s a similar mixture but much thicker and always sandwiched between two layers of pie crusts. I love that this can be simplified with the use of pre cooked chicken, but if you have the time- yes, everything’s always better & a bit more flavorful when made completely from scratch.
4SONSRUS, the one you are talking about much thicker and with pie crust is what my mom used to make . using a fresh chicken and all. I wish I would of paid better attention to my mom making this because now she is gone and I have been craving this sooo much just like you mentioned and I cannot find that exact recipe. :-(
Chicken pot pie between crusts isn’t even the same as PA Dutch chicken pot pie. I grew up in SE PA and mother made it a lot and taught me how to make it. Potatoes and onions were the only vegetables added – never peas or carrots. I realize every area is different and has different versions but the crusted pot pie is not anything like the regular pot pie. Thanks for letting me spout.
Happy to hear your thoughts Jeanne, but I do feel that I go into detail and differentiate the two. They have common roots after all. And everybody has their own spin on things. I’d love if you could share your family recipe! I very much enjoy learning different takes on things from different regions.
Got bad news for you but this is not Pennsylvania Dutch. PA Dutch dumplings are free-formed and pillowy, not square-cut noodles. This is a southern dumpling recipe.
Matt, I moved from Lancaster a really long time ago, my mother and all the neighbors made the drop dumplings too. It was an art to make an airy biscuit like dumpling. I’m not familiar with the flat noodle version but willing to give it a go. I remember when a wife would introduce a different version of a dish all the women would whisper.
My mom made this every year after Thanksgiving using the left over turkey. I don’t care what you call it- my mom called it pot pie. It tasted just like hers! So good!
I added a rounded teaspoon of poultry seasoning like my Grandma to deepen the flavor and use chicken broth in the noodle making.
Oh my heavens! I cannot wait to give this a go! It sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing it… just in time for Fall weather!
I grew up on chicken pot pie. My family’s recipe is different than yours, and goes back at least 6 generations. Here’s how I was told to make it:when I was 12:
Lard, about the size of a walnut
Flour
Salt
Ice water
Combine lard, flour & salt and work it till the lard coats the flour and it looks crumbly. Begin adding ice water until a dough forms. Not to sticky & not to dry. Let rest for awhile, 30 minutes or so. Should feel silky. Using a bench scraper divide dough so it’s manageable to troll out. Roll dough not to thin & not to thick cut into squares and drip into boiling chicken stock, cook approximately 20 minutes.
When my grandkids were 2 I started letting them roll it out, cut it and help drop it. As you can imagine the shapes were quite interesting. They have all been able to make it since they were 8-10 years old. They know the recipe by heart.
They love it made with ham & beans and cornbread on the side.
Your recipe sounds close to mine. My mom made chicken pot pie and when we would go to church dinners in Williamsport, Pa. they would have this. Also sometimes they would have Chicken and Waffles which was chicken and gravy served over waffles (people couldn’t believe as a child how much I consumed of this). Now when I make the Chicken Pot Pie I use boneless chicken thighs because I think they have more flavor and buy the chicken broth or use Better than Boullion. Glad to see other people like this and know for us Chicken Pot Pie us not with pie crust.
100% agree, not all pot pie includes are crust :)