Marie Callender's Frozen Pot Pies Are Filled With Chicken Or Beef. Which One Is Worth It?

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Frozen meals are convenient, but often, they feel like a punishment to eat. Thankfully, Marie Callender's is one trusted frozen entree brand that consistently delivers on both flavor and texture. Still, even within the brand's oeuvre, some offerings are better than others. In Tasting Table's ranking of 16 Marie Callender's frozen meals, we ranked the chicken pot pie higher than the beef pot pie. Out of 16 frozen entrees, the beef pot pie placed 7th and the chicken pot pie placed 2nd (only after the roasted turkey breast and stuffing).

While we loved the beef pie's lush, dimensional gravy (a hallmark of ultra-savory beef pot pies over their creamy chicken counterpart), this pie's chief sin was that there just weren't enough veggies or beef in the filling. Still, it wasn't bad. As we mentioned in our review, "Was this beef pot pie better than a chicken pot pie? No, but it was still pretty tasty, and if you tend to prefer beef over chicken anyway, then you really can't go wrong with this option."

Ultimately, Marie Callender's is a famously big name in the chicken pot pie game for a reason, and here at Tasting Table, we've long been singing its praises. When paired side-by-side, Marie Callender's ultra-creamy, comforting chicken pot pie is a timeless classic that just trumps the beef. Quoth our reviewer, the crust "offers that perfect buttery, doughy, flaky contrast alongside the creamy filling," which is loaded with enough chicken and veggies to leave us satisfied.

A Reddit thread dedicated to Marie Callender's chicken pot pies raves, "[T]hese are my favorite. Always keep a few in the freezer." Multiple commenters also praise the brand's pot pies generally, not exclusive to one flavor ("[Y]ou can't go wrong with the pot pies, they are an absolute home run"). One fan chimes in, "All really tasty. I enjoy the beef one the most," to which other foodies agree, "Yeah, I've heard the chicken and beef ones are the best." Indeed, we didn't think Marie Callender's beef pot pie was lousy — it just wasn't as good as the chicken. Elsewhere online, another post in r/frozendinners echoes our feedback, rating Marie Callender's beef pot pie 5/10. The top comment supports the mixed review: "The Marie Callender's turkey and chicken pot pies are really decent. I agree with you about the beef. Bought it once, but never again." 

Target customer reviews similarly give the chicken pot pie four stars, and the beef pot pie a three-star average by comparison. Beefy Target reviews lament, "This pot pie tastes horrible! Will never buy again. Stick with the chicken pot pie instead," and "My go to is the Chicken Pot Pie, which was out of stock. I figured the Chicken was good, the Beef should be good as well. Wrong." At least the price is right. Both 15-ounce Marie Callender's frozen pie flavors run for $3.59 at a Target in Chicago.