Chicken pot pie is one of my family’s very favorite foods. It’s definitely a labor of love, so I don’t make it often. (I have two very busy kids.) But Reese Witherspoon’s recipe for chicken pot pie casserole evokes the same vibes of the original, but with much less labor and time.
The recipe comes out of her book Whiskey in a Tea Cup. The recipe stands alone, but it’s the essay on “do-gooding” that accompanies it that really drives home this casserole’s purpose. Reese describes the Southern tradition of community: spaghetti potlucks, charity drives, scholarship funds. Her grandfather was an active member of every local organization, and it’s where she learned how to “do good.” When someone you know is going through a transition — whether celebrating a new baby or house, or experiencing a loss or divorce — “you have to go. You have to be there for them however you can.”
For Reese, that means this casserole.
How to Make Reese Witherspoon’s Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
My Honest Review of Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
This recipe was comforting and familiar, but the best part about it was how easy it was to put together. Making this was way simpler than a traditional chicken pot pie. Both prep and cleanup time came in at under 30 minutes. I’m not normally one for kitchen shortcuts, but, considering the minimal effort that went into this recipe, I was impressed by the payoff. It’s delicious!
I also liked how vegetable-forward it was. The ratio of vegetables to chicken was high, which I think helped offset the richness of the pastry. The potato “crust” on the bottom doesn’t get crispy at all, but that’s OK. I like that it’s a comfy layer of carbs that isn’t loaded with dairy. The casserole is comfort food for sure, but not overwhelmingly rich, which I appreciated. My only note is the amount of black pepper called for is fairly high (she calls for 2 teaspoons!). I’d cut it in half if you’re not a huge fan or if you’re making this for someone else.
While the ease of this recipe is great on a random school night, the context of Reese’s memoir is the most important part of this recipe. You could very easily make an extra casserole anytime someone in your circle is in need of a 9×9-inch pan of love. Sure, made-from-scratch pastry and homemade broth plus hand-pulled chicken and freshly shucked peas are wonderful. But so is this recipe, and the thought and intention that comes from, “I see you and figured you could use something to eat.” When you’ve got a lot going on but still want to show up for someone you care about, the answer is always to do what you can with the resources that you have. Sometimes those resources are a bag of hash browns, a can of mushroom soup, and a disposable aluminum pan.
