The Pantry Staple That Fixes Bland Store-Bought Chicken Pot Pie Crust

There's nothing quite as comforting as a serving of homemade chicken pot pie, but making one from scratch is a labor of love. Making pie dough, shredding chicken, cooking a flavorful filling, rolling out the dough, then assembling and baking the entire pot pie can take hours, not to mention some serious skills. While homemade is ideal, most of us don't have the time, making frozen and store-bought options ideal for busy folks. Those can be a bit lackluster, and some frozen chicken pot pie brands are better than others, but thankfully, there's a simple way to add a bit more life to a frozen meal, especially a bland crust.

The simplest way to improve the dull crust of a store-bought chicken pot pie is to add flavorful seasonings to the outside of the crust before baking. We recommend garlic powder or onion powder, or even a blend of the two. Depending on your preferences, you could also add a bit of smoked or plain paprika, or even a dash of cayenne pepper if you like a bit of heat. To help adhere the spices to the crust, we recommend using a pastry brush to spread a thin layer of melted butter all over the surface of the entire pot pie, or a more traditional egg wash on the pie crust. The layer of fat will help the spices cling to the crust, as well as boost the flavors of the spices a bit more than if they weren't baking in a bit of fat.

While you can absolutely just use your fingers to sprinkle the seasonings onto the pie dough, if you want more even distribution, use a small strainer or sifter to boost the flavor of the store-bought crust. First, if you're using more than one spice, mix the garlic and onion powder, or any other spice you're incorporating, into a small bowl until they're thoroughly integrated. Next, grab a small strainer or sifter and use a spoon to transfer the spice blend into the strainer, then gently tap the side of the strainer with the spoon to let the spices fall onto the pie crust, similar to how you'd dust a baked good with powdered sugar. 

Using the strainer as a sort of diffuser helps to evenly distribute the spices in a thin layer all over the surface of the dough, rather than using your fingers, which may wind up with some patches of highly concentrated flavoring and some patches without any seasoning. After the store-bought pot pie is done baking, you could always jazz it up a bit further by sprinkling freshly chopped herbs on top, like parsley and chives, for a bit of added freshness and notes of brightness. Check out our favorite ways to take store-bought chicken pot pie from good to great the next time you bring one home from the store.