Chicken potpie is the ultimate comfort food. It has all the components of a stick to your ribs, make-you-feel-like-everything’s-going-to-be-okay meal. The creamy gravy, vegetables, and chicken all combine to create a perfect combo of carbs, nutrients, and protein — and the flaky pie crust that holds it all together is just good for the soul.
A classic chicken potpie is amazing as it is, but there is one simple ingredient swap that will upgrade it in a surprisingly noticeable way. Substituting some milk for sour cream in your filling adds a subtle tang that makes the chicken and vegetable flavors pop while lending an extra level of creaminess to your potpie gravy.
No matter how tried-and-true a dish is, it’s normal to develop a little recipe ennui and want to shake things up a bit. The beautiful thing about chicken potpie is that it’s easy to diversify with different fillings, like in a chicken, mushroom, and winter squash potpie recipe. When swapping in sour cream for milk, you can tailor your veggie mix to include ingredients that pair well with its tangy, fresh flavor.
How should sour cream be used in chicken potpie?
The key to a perfect sour cream potpie sauce is to use high-quality, full-fat sour cream. This is not the moment to go for light or low-fat versions. Though they will add some tang, without the high fat content you will not achieve peak levels of creaminess. When making chicken potpie, the first step is creating a gravy or roux. This is done by combining equal parts flour and fat (usually butter) to create a thick sauce as your base.
The next step involves slowly adding a broth that includes milk or cream. This is where you will want to do the swap. When the broth calls for milk or cream, simply swap a portion of it for sour cream instead. Make sure not to do a 1:1 swap, as you want the sour cream flavor to enhance the pie, not overtake it. Instead, try using ¼ cup of sour cream for every ¾ cup of milk or cream. That way, you’re sure to hit those creamy, tangy notes in your filling without overdoing it.
If you don’t have sour cream, there are substitutes that will do just as well in your creamy potpie. Greek yogurt or crème fraiche are perfect stand-ins for sour cream, as long as they are not the low-fat variety. Another way to use sour cream in your pie is to incorporate it into your crust (if you are making it from scratch). Swapping sour cream for water results in a softer more tender crust. Together, these swaps can help elevate your next potpie to delicious.
