Who Invented the Chicken Pot Pie?

Chicken pot pie is a comfort food favorite across America. This hearty pie features a flaky pastry crust filled with tender chicken, vegetables, and a creamy sauce. But who came up with this delicious recipe?

The Origins are Hard to Pinpoint

While we don’t know the exact inventor of the chicken pot pie, it likely evolved from old European cooking traditions. Pot pies date back to Roman times when they were called “artocreas” These early pies featured meat and vegetables in a pastry shell

When settlers came to America in the 1700s they brought pot pie recipes over from England and the Netherlands. Different regional and cultural influences shaped the development of the pot pie in America. So it’s hard to credit just one person for inventing the chicken pot pie.

Early American Cookbooks Point to England

Some of the earliest American cookbooks provide clues about the chicken pot pie’s origins. In 1796, the cookbook American Cookery by Amelia Simmons included a recipe for a baked pudding with a puff pastry crust.

While not a traditional pot pie this early recipe shows the use of puff pastry with chicken. It reflects cooking methods brought by English settlers.

Later in 1824, the cookbook The Virginia Housewife by Mary Randolph contained a recipe for chicken pie calling for a pie crust. This helps confirm the English roots of the American pot pie tradition.

The Dutch May Have Created the Name

The name “pot pie” itself may come from Dutch settlers in New York in the 1600s. The Dutch called their meat and veggie pies “pot pies.”

So while the English contributed the pie-making techniques, Dutch colonists perhaps coined the name pot pie. The term became widely used for meat pies cooked in pots in America.

Regional Traditions Emerged

Different regional American cuisines shaped pot pie styles over the years. New England pot pies emphasized simple ingredients like chicken and root vegetables. Pot pies in the South often included biscuit dough rather than pastry crust.

Pennsylvania Dutch versions called “bot boi” omitted the pie crust, using a biscuit topping instead. So pot pies evolved based on locally available ingredients and cultural cooking methods.

Factory Production Transformed Pot Pies

While initially a homemade dish, pot pies became mass-produced starting in the 1950s. Frozen pot pie brands like Swanson and Morton helped popularize the chicken pot pie across the nation.

These commercial pot pies transformed the humble home cooked dish into an American grocery store staple.

The Secret Inventor May Be Lost to History

While we don’t know the first person to put chicken in a flaky pie crust, pot pies clearly trace their roots to European settlers. The dish evolved from Old World cooking techniques combined with American regional flavors.

The true origins may forever remain a mystery. But this beloved meal continues to be a favorite family dinner, thanks to the anonymous inventors who had the bright idea to encase chicken in pastry. So next time you bite into a warm, hearty pot pie, thank these unknown culinary pioneers!