Many years ago, while attending university, I used to work part-time at the post office located inside huge drug mart. I never brought dinner to work because there were freezers full of chicken pot pies for $0.99. Why would I bother to cook if there was so much cheap food at work. I’d rather get enough beauty sleep for my next Russian party. Yes, who needs to cook when you are busy partying (and studying)?!
Then, after I had kids, I transitioned to a Betty Crocker chicken pot pie. One day I made a discovery of the year aka a box of Bisquick and on the back there was a recipe for an easy and cheap chicken pot pie. Who needs to cook when you got 2 little kids?!
Times have changed again, thankfully, and now I make healthy chicken pot pie from scratch. Full of veggies, chicken and of course delicious creamy sauce. But instead of puff pastry dough or a Bisquick mix, even better, I came up with quinoa “pie crust”. Why not?! Quinoa is a whole grain full of complete protein and complex carbs. After playing around with Cauliflower Pizza Crust and Cauliflower Breadsticks, I thought I would try a quinoa crust. It worked like a charm.
This quinoa chicken pot pie is more of a casserole dish. But isn’t any chicken pot pie a casserole?!
This quinoa chicken pot pie casserole is made from scratch and is so healthy. No canned soup or baking mix. And it came out delicious! The veggies stayed crisp and not overcooked. I do not like overcooked peas that turn yellow green. The amount of sauce was spot on – enough to coat the chicken and veggies, adding flavour and moisture to the dish without making it too runny. Yay for the right amount of flour and milk. And the crust didn’t fall apart. I like to eat my chicken pot pie this way – a fair amount of filling with a slice of the crust, always.
It took me 50 minutes, from start to finish, to have lunch ready on the table while Alex took kids to the park. Kids approved the casserole in a heartbeat. I never worry about Alex anymore, he is versatile and likes most of my creations. I hope your kids love it too! And your waistline will thank me.:)
Quinoa Chicken Pot Pie
Quinoa Chicken Pot Pie Recipe – healthy casserole with veggies, tender chicken breast, light creamy sauce and nutty quinoa crust. Healthy chicken pot pie.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 43 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
Quinoa Crust:
- 2 eggs, large
- 1/4 cup egg whites
- 1 tsp thyme, dried
- 2/3 cups mozzarella cheese, low fat
- 3 cups quinoa, cooked
Filling:
- 2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- 1/2 cup milk, 1%
- 1/4 cup flour, whole wheat
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper, ground
- 10 white mushrooms, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 cups frozen peas, carrots & corn mix, thawed
- 3 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
- Cooking spray (I use Misto)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and egg whites for 30 seconds. Add thyme, cheese, quinoa and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk chicken broth, milk, flour, salt, pepper and set aside.
- Preheat large non-stick skillet on medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add mushrooms and cook until golden brown, stirring frequently. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Return skillet to medium heat and spray with cooking spray again. Add garlic and onion, saute until translucent. Slowly pour slurry (broth and milk mixture) into a skillet, whisking and making sure no flour is left at the bottom of the bowl. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook until sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove from heat and add mushrooms, vegetables, chicken and stir to combine.
- Transfer to a 9 x 13 baking dish and flatten with a spatula. Drop spoonfuls of quinoa mixture on top and spread with a spatula to cover the filling evenly. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 – 10 minutes, cut into 8 portions and serve hot.
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
Freeze: Assemble, tightly wrap with plastic and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as per instructions + 15 minutes.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
I made this recipe and it turned great
I wanted to send my picture but has no option to paste in the comments section
No, unfortunately not on website. On any social media, please share and just tag me @ifoodreal. 🙂 Would love to see it!
tried tonight and was delish!! Dont miss the crust at all with this ingenious healthy substitute
Right?! Glad to hear, Alana.
Before I start I would like to know how many eggs I will need in total. On recipe it says I need 2 eggs (including egg whites) and how many more to make up for the 1/4 cup of egg whites?
thanks
4 eggs. You can use all eggs or as recipe states.
I made this last night and it was so good. I actually ended up having to refrigerate it overnight, so ii had to cook it for another 20 minutes with the last 15 minutes set to broil so the crust would crisp up. It was super yummy, though! Thanks!!
You are very welcome, Kayla!!!
Hi! This looks so good, but I have a few questions. 1. I only have almond milk (unsweetened) do you think this will taste ok instead of milk? 2. I want to pre make this for tomorrow night’s dinner, Is it ok to prepare everything and then refrigerate it tonight? I want to be able to put it in the oven as soon as I get home from work.
Yes and yes.
Made this for dinner tonight. Turned out great! thanks!
You are welcome, Kate.
Fabulous recipe! Love all the whole foods and how closely it tastes to the real thing 🙂 Totally sharing with others!
Thank you so much for sharing, Sammi! I noticed recipes that resemble childhood favourites with a healthy twist are very popular on my blog.
Do you freeze it before or after baking? And do you defrost overnight or bake from frozen?
Would you freeze this casserole before or after baking? And how about thawing, do you thaw overnight or just bake from frozen?
I would freeze it before baking and bake from frozen increasing bake time by 15 minutes or so.
Could I substitute the flour with almond flour? If yes, would it be the same amount?
No, it wouldn’t do anything. Flour is added to thicken the filling. You could use 2 tbsp cornstarch instead or some arrowroot powder to make it gluten free.
I’m sorry!! Autocorrect on my iPad!! *it not icy. I just froze this casserole since we are having a baby Sunday and I’ll let you know how it is once we have it for dinner!! I might make with half as much pepper next time, but it might just be perfect with the addition of the quinoa on top 🙂 thanks for the quick response!! Looking forward to eating it!!
Good luck with the baby!!!:)
A whole teaspoon of pepper?? I just added icy and when I tasted it my mouth was on fire!! Is that correct??
I couldn’t really understand what you said about icy. Sorry. Ground black pepper isn’t that spicy actually. 1 tsp per such a big casserole is perfectly fine but you can add less.
If I use “regular” flour instead of the whole wheat, would I use the same amount?
Yes.
How did you cook the chicken? Would putting it in the crock pot work?
Sure! I usually poach mine for 30 minutes or so and then make a soup with the stock.:) Extending the food.:)
Hi Olena,
I had this recipe all made up and ready to be put into the oven when I was invited to dinner. Do you think it would be okay to sit in the fridge overnight and bake tomorrow or should I go ahead and bake it and refrigerate the leftovers. I kind of hate heating the oven twice and waiting for it to cool just to stick it in the fridge. Can’t wait to try this dish!! Thank you! 🙂
I think it should be fine if you keep it overnight in the fridge and bake tomorrow. Just wrap up with plastic.
Love ur website!!
My son is allergic to egg and i am wondering if what would u suggest to replace the egg with? Thanks a bunch!
Thank you, Iris! Replace egg with extra cheese, I would say 1/2 cup.
Recipe was great! I have become obsessed with everything Bison, so instead of chicken I added ground bison and did water chestnuts, peas and corn – instead of carots (just what I had on hand). Fantastic!
I am gluten free. How about arrowroot instead of flour?
Yes, or cornstarch.:)
Actually never mind , i can see in the recipie it says cooked chicken 🙂
Haha. Enjoy! It’s a great recipe!!!
Hey i am really goning to try this recipie,i was wondering if you cook the.chicken before hand?
The photo shows corn in the Pot Pie but there is not any listed in the ingredients. I’m planning to make this today so will “wing it” but others may appreciate an addendum. This recipe looks fabulous!
Hi Mindy. Corn is listed together with peas and carrots on the Ingredients list. Hope you enjoy this recipe.:)
I belong to Weight Watcher do you know the point value or would please forward me the nutritional information. Thank you
It is located right below the recipe.
Hi Olena,
I am extremely excited to try this recipe out tonight but was curious if the eggs in the quinoa mixture give off a quiche taste/texture? My boyfriend and I are both not egg eaters but love chicken pot pie, quinoa and finding healthy options for great dishes. Let me know as this looks delicious and I’d love to have a healthier option to this great classic.
Hi Kristy. No, I didn’t find the crust tasting like quiche. Eggs help to bind the crust. I’m sure you could skip the eggs and use only egg whites and more cheese, about 1 + 1/4 cups. Let me know how it turns out.
I’ve never actually had chicken pot pie before 🙂 Mostly because the usual recipe is so unhealthy…. this looks amazing though! I will have to give it a try.
I wonder if you can use quinoa crust in a dessert type recipe; like maybe a silken tofu/chocolate pudding with a quinoa/cinnamon crust or something… hmmm. Great idea to use it as a crust!
I tried quinoa in sweet recipes and didn’t like the prominent nutty flavour it has. I’ve seen quinoa cakes but they were chocolate. I think you really have to mask the quinoa flavour in dessert recipes.
I just stumbled upon this website and recipe. I’m in love! Thank u for the great recipe!!!
That quinoa crust looks great Olena. Had never thought of doing it like that. Will definitely try this. Thanks for the recipe.
Oh yum! Now I really need to make a pot pie. It’s almost midnight over here, and you’re making me really hungry. LOL. 😉
LOL. You are like me. I watch Food network at night and browse Pinterest at same time. I’m so hungry by the time I go to bed. My husband said no more watching triple DDDs.
What a creative spin on chicken pot pie! I love quinoa, will have to give this a try!
Quinoa is amazing. You can make anything with it – from appetizers to a cake. I hope you like it! I tried to create a healthy version of a chicken pot pie without going too crazy overboard.
This looks so good and different! I need to make it one day, I’ve actually never made pot pie!
Thank you! Um, I never actually made a traditional pot pie either LOL. I just know how the filling is supposed to taste and made my own tasty version. Chicken, veggies and creamy sauce – just make the sauce tasty and everything else will follow.:)
I grew up with homemade chicken pot pies with flaky pastry – tastes like childhood! Since we don’t eat that way anymore, I was so excited to see your awesome healthy makeover! P.S. I’m new to your site, (found you through your income reports) and I love your no-nonsense creative and healthy recipes!
Hi Kari. It is interesting how what you guys grew up with is completely new to me. I have to re-discover cooking in a way which is so much fun. I think our lives are busy enough and with a family who has time to make walnut encrusted enchiladas with lime yogurt vinaigrette and chocolate chips?! Honestly, simple is best! Hope you like this healthy version of a chicken pot pie.:)