This heart healthy Chicken Pot Pie is a lighter take on a comforting recipe classic. Start with lean chicken breast and add fresh or frozen veggies and top with a flaky puff pastry. We make this a low sodium chicken pot pie recipe by using spices instead of salt and by reducing saturated fat and calories. It's the best pot pie recipe for a heart healthy diet and for people on a diabetic diet, too.
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This easy light chicken pot pie is delicious and nutritious, making it the ultimate healthy comfort food recipe. Low in both saturated fat (1g) and sodium (231mg), our heart-smart chicken pot pie is a great option if you’re following a heart-healthy diet. It’s also low in carbohydrates (28g), making it a diabetic-friendly chicken recipe as well. While many recipes for chicken pot pie are high in calories, this one contains just 290 calories per serving and it’s packed with 26 grams of protein, so you can indulge without guilt.
Chicken pot pie can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet with its rich flavors and hearty ingredients, but how healthy it is depends on how it’s made. While some versions of this classic dish contain a lot of fat, sodium and calories, our healthier version is one you can feel good feeding to the whole family.
This heart-healthy chicken recipe swaps out ingredients that typically contain a lot of fat, sodium and calories for lighter ingredients. To make this dish lower in fat, we use skim milk as the base for the creamy sauce. We also use boneless skinless chicken breasts. Low sodium broth cuts down on the amount of salt in the dish. Adding more vegetables adds fiber and nutrients and makes this a heartier and healthier dish for fewer calories. We use only a small amount of heart-healthy olive oil to saute the vegetables and the only butter is used to prepare the phyllo dough, which is lighter than traditional dough and we only cover the top of the dish.
Preparing chicken pot pie involves several steps but they’re relatively easy to do. You’ll have to cook the chicken and vegetables, add the ingredients to create a creamy sauce and then place the mixture in a baking dish before layering phyllo dough on top and baking until golden brown. If you want to cut out a step for even easier preparation, start with leftover chicken so you don’t need to take the time to cook the chicken before making the dish.
If you’re looking for a family-friendly low sodium chicken recipe, this chicken pot pie fits the bill. We lowered the sodium by using mostly reduced sodium broth and unsalted butter. There is no additional salt added to the dish. Instead, we used an assortment of herbs and spices to enhance flavor without increasing the sodium content. Another way to make chicken pot pie with less salt is to make your own homemade chicken broth instead of using canned broth so you can control the amount of salt that is added.
Recipe yields 8 servings
Preheat oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil; set aside. In a bowl, whisk 1/2 cup flour and broth; set aside. Lightly coat a large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a 13 x 9-inch baking dish and set aside.
Return the saucepan to medium heat and add oil. Add the leeks and carrots and sauté for 4 minutes, or until leeks are tender. Add the wine and simmer until it has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the flour-broth mixture, milk, and remaining 1/4 cup flour, and simmer until thick and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken, asparagus, peas, parsley and lemon zest, and return to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Season with sage, thyme and black pepper and transfer to the baking dish.
Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a clean work surface; cover the remaining phyllo sheets with a towel. Brush the phyllo sheet lightly with butter. Lay the phyllo on top of the filling. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets and butter, loosely stacking the phyllo over the chicken filling. Transfer the pie to the prepared baking sheet and bake until the phyllo is deep golden brown and crispy, and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs, if desired.