Marie Callender’s is synonymous with pies, both sweet and savory. In Tasting Table’s March 2025 ranking of Marie Callender’s frozen meals, chicken pot pie was one of our favorites. And, when we compared it to other frozen chicken pot pie brands in February 2024, it came in second. But fans have noticed a drastic decline in what was once a treasured frozen staple.
Reviews from long-standing Marie Callender’s customers on the brand’s website argue that it’s just not the same anymore. Most of the reviews begin by stating that they have been loyal customers, and that they’d been eating chicken pot pies for years because “they were convenient, reasonably priced and consistently delicious.” But the pot pie has proven a major disappointment over the last year or so, starting with the price and size, which one customer said “skyrocketed by 50%” as the pies themselves shrank.
The main complaints that every customer shares are the decline in quality, taste, and texture. A once flaky crust is now described as cardboard, gummy, or disintegrating into dust. Likewise, a once meaty, creamy, flavorful chicken filling has transformed into a thick, pasty, tasteless goop with rubbery processed meat — a sad excuse for chicken. One scathing review theorized the downfall was due to being bought out by ConAgra, who they claimed cheapened the product by “downsizing the portions, using cheaper ingredients…[and] upping the sodium content to compensate for lack of seasonings.”
Better pot pies from Marie Callender’s and other brands
Fans were quick to denounce the poor taste and quality of its current chicken pot pie recipe on Marie Callender’s website. But, other fans took to Reddit with hopeful reviews of the brand’s other pot pie offerings. For example, the beef pot pie was described as having “tender and flavorful” beef chunks and a “phenomenal gravy” that was “deep, rich, [and] complex.” Meanwhile, the creamy mushroom chicken pot pie got a 10/10 on Reddit, with “Lotsa crust, big chunks of chicken and vegetables [and] creamy sauce.”
If you’re looking for a better classic frozen chicken pot pie, Reddit customers recommended Banquet Chicken Pot Pie despite our most recent comparison between Marie Callender’s vs Banquet. We ranked Kardea Brown’s chicken pot pie as our favorite of the 12 frozen chicken pot pie brands we tasted. Redditors also suggested that heating Marie Callender’s pot pies, or any pot pies for that matter, in the oven is crucial to obtaining a flaky, crispy pastry crust.
