This chicken pot pie casserole has a creamy chicken and vegetable filling topped with golden, grain free biscuits. It has all the cozy flavor of chicken pot pie without rolling out a crust! Use leftover or rotisserie chicken to make the filling even easier. The recipe is gluten free and grain free, with a dairy free option.
*Originally published December 2021. Updated with re-edited photos, clearer instructions and additional cooking tips. The main recipe remains the same.
Chicken pot pie was one of my favorite comfort foods growing up, and I still love a creamy, savory filling with plenty of chicken and vegetables.
This casserole is my shortcut version: instead of making a pie crust, I spoon an almond flour and tapioca biscuit topping over the filling and bake everything together.
The biscuits brown on top while the gravy bubbles underneath. It’s a satisfying family dinner and a great way to use cooked chicken you already have.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
- A biscuit topping instead of pie crust: No rolling, chilling or crimping required.
- Creamy filling without wheat flour: Arrowroot or tapioca thickens the gravy.
- A convenient use for cooked chicken: Leftovers or compatible rotisserie chicken both work.
- Plenty of vegetables: Carrots, celery, mushrooms and peas give the filling classic pot pie flavor.
- Gluten and grain free: The biscuits are made with almond flour and tapioca flour.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the chicken filling: Ghee gives the vegetables a rich flavor. Carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms and garlic make the savory base, while fresh sage, rosemary and thyme add classic poultry seasoning. Arrowroot or tapioca flour thickens the gravy made with unsweetened dairy free milk and chicken broth. Mustard gives it a little depth without making it taste like mustard. Stir in fully cooked shredded or chopped chicken and frozen peas at the end.
For the biscuits: Blanched almond flour and tapioca flour make a tender grain free topping. Baking powder helps the biscuits rise; salt and pepper season them. Melted ghee, unsweetened dairy free milk and an egg bring the dough together.
Choose plain, unsweetened milk without vanilla. A creamy dairy free milk gives the richest filling; thin almond milk may make a lighter gravy. Check the broth, mustard, baking powder and cooked chicken ingredients if you need to meet a particular dietary standard.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
1. Cook the vegetables
Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cook the carrots, celery and onion in ghee in a large, deep skillet until they begin to soften. Add the mushrooms, garlic and fresh herbs and cook for another few minutes.
2. Make the gravy
Sprinkle the arrowroot or tapioca evenly over the vegetables and stir to coat. Slowly add the dairy free milk and broth while stirring. Add the mustard, then bring the mixture to a gentle simmer until it thickens. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cooked chicken and frozen peas. Transfer the filling to the prepared dish.
3. Mix the biscuits
Combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Stir in the melted ghee, milk and whisked egg until a thick dough forms. Let it stand for about two minutes to firm up.
4. Top and bake
With slightly damp hands, divide the dough into eight portions and shape each into a rough biscuit. Space them over the filling. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbling. Rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Tips for the Best Results
- Use cooked chicken. The oven time is designed to heat the filling and bake the biscuits; it isn’t sufficient for cooking raw chicken in the casserole.
- Add the liquid gradually. Stirring as you pour helps the starch disperse without lumps.
- Keep the gravy at a gentle simmer. Arrowroot and tapioca thicken quickly; prolonged hard boiling can affect the texture.
- Taste before assembling. Broth and prepared chicken vary widely in saltiness.
- Shape the biscuits with damp hands. The dough is softer and stickier than wheat biscuit dough.
- Look for visual doneness. The biscuit tops should be golden and the filling should bubble around the edges.
Substitutions and Dietary Notes
Dairy free: Ghee is clarified butter and may not meet everyone’s definition of dairy free. For a fully dairy free version, use a neutral cooking oil for the filling and refined coconut oil in place of the melted ghee in the biscuits. The oil version is a suggested substitution; the published biscuit recipe was made with ghee or butter, so expect a slightly different flavor and texture.
Peas and paleo: Peas are included in the original recipe and photos. If you avoid legumes on a strict paleo plan, use finely chopped green beans instead. They should be cooked until tender before the casserole is assembled. The recipe is not Whole30 because the biscuit topping is a baked good recreation.
Milk: Use an unflavored, unsweetened dairy free milk. For a richer sauce, a creamy milk works better than a very thin beverage. If you use dairy, regular milk and butter can replace the dairy free milk and ghee, but the result will no longer be dairy free or strictly paleo.
Starch: Arrowroot and tapioca both work in the filling. Keep the biscuit topping’s original tapioca amount for the most predictable result.
Chicken: Shredded leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken saves time. Use about 3–4 cups and avoid adding heavily seasoned chicken that would compete with the herb gravy.
Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating
For a head start, cook and shred the chicken and dice the vegetables up to two days ahead. You can also make the filling a day ahead and refrigerate it in a covered container. Reheat the filling gently until warm and loosen it with a splash of broth if needed, then make the biscuit dough fresh and bake as directed.
Refrigerate cooked leftovers in an airtight container for up to four days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or warm covered portions in a 350°F oven until heated through. The biscuits will soften in storage. I prefer refrigerating this casserole to freezing it because the gravy and biscuit topping may change texture after thawing.
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole FAQs
Can I make it with raw chicken?
No. Use fully cooked chicken. Raw chicken would change the moisture and cooking time, and the biscuits could brown before the chicken cooks through.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Yes. Remove the bones and skin, then shred or chop the meat. Taste the finished gravy before adding more salt because rotisserie chicken can already be well seasoned.
Can I use frozen vegetables?
The original recipe uses frozen peas. You can substitute other vegetables, but large frozen pieces may need to be cooked or thawed and drained first so they become tender and don’t water down the gravy.
How do I know the biscuits are done?
They should be golden on top and set through the center, with the filling visibly bubbling. If the tops brown too quickly, loosely tent the dish with foil while the filling finishes heating.
Is this casserole low carb or Whole30?
No. Almond flour and tapioca make the biscuits gluten and grain free, but tapioca contributes carbohydrates. The biscuit topping also means the casserole isn’t Whole30 compatible.
More Chicken Comfort Food Recipes
- Classic Paleo Chicken Pot Pie
- One Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Creamy Chicken Potato Casserole
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Chicken Stroganoff
- Creamy Garlic Herb Chicken
If you make this chicken pot pie casserole, leave a rating and let me know how it turned out! It’s one of my favorite ways to turn cooked chicken into a cozy dinner!
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole with Grain Free Biscuits
Ingredients
Creamy chicken filling:
- 1/4 cup ghee
- 3 carrots diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup arrowroot flour or tapioca flour
- 1 1/2 cups plain unsweetened dairy free milk
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 3 1/2 cups fully cooked chicken shredded or chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
Biscuit topping:
- 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons ghee melted (or grass-fed butter if you use dairy)
- 1/3 cup plain unsweetened dairy free milk
- 1 large egg whisked
Instructions
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Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt the 1/4 cup ghee. Add the carrots, celery and onion, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Add the mushrooms, garlic, sage, rosemary and thyme. Cook about 3 minutes more, until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
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Sprinkle the arrowroot or tapioca over the vegetables and stir until coated. Slowly pour in the milk and broth, stirring continuously, then stir in the mustard. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring, until the gravy thickens; simmer about 1 minute more. Remove from the heat. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
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Stir in the fully cooked chicken and frozen peas. Transfer the filling to the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly.
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In a large bowl, stir together the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Add the melted ghee, milk and whisked egg and stir until a thick dough forms. Let stand about 2 minutes.
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With slightly damp hands, divide the dough into 8 portions (roughly 3–4 tablespoons each) and shape into rough balls or mounds. Space the biscuits evenly on top of the filling.
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Bake about 25 minutes, until the biscuit tops are golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Let rest 5–10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Use fully cooked chicken.
For a strictly dairy free version, see the suggested oil substitutions in the post.
Peas are part of the original recipe; use precooked chopped green beans if you avoid legumes.
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I love Brenda Gantts White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits and I was looking for their recipe, and I found the following recipe
https://dqrecipes.com/brenda-gantts-white-lily-buttermilk-biscuits-recipe/
Can anyone please tell me if its the correct way to cook Brenda Gantts White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits.
Is it possible to use coconut or olive oil in place of the ghee? Thanks!