Easy Cheesy Make-Ahead Italian Chicken Pie
Tender chicken mixed with Italian herbs and spices in a delicious tomato base, all topped with a biscuit crust and TWO layers of melty cheesy? What is not to love about this Easy Cheesy Make-Ahead Italian Chicken Pie? Nothing. Nothing at all.
Easy Cheesy Italian Chicken Pie
This super-simple, super-cheesy Impossibly Easy Cheesy Make-Ahead Italian Chicken Pie is a recipe I got MANY years ago, from Betty Crocker.
It has been modified to be used as a freezer meal, and has been made MANY times by me in the ensuing years!
Honestly, it is one of my favorite freezer meals. I mean, picking a favorite freezer meal recipe is like trying to answer who is your favorite child. We love them all, and each is unique and has amazing qualities.
But this one is towards the top of the list of recipes that I repeatedly reach for over and over again.
Because it is THAT easy, THAT cheesy, and THAT good!!
The Cast of Characters (aka “Ingredients”)
Don’t let the long list fool you. This make-ahead Italian chicken pie recipe really IS impossibly easy to make.
You’ll need:
- shredded Parmesan cheese
- shredded cooked chicken (or if you want to kick the flavor up a notch, and you’ve got some on hand, use some diced Grilled Chicken from your freezer stash!)
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- dried oregano
- dried basil
- garlic powder
- tomato paste
- Bisquick mix
- milk
- salt & pepper
- eggs
Nothing out of the ordinary. But the combination is to die for!
I love that it has a pie “crust” but omits the hassle of making one from scratch or using a store-bought pie crust. The Bisquick baking mix on top cooks up to a beautiful toasty brown crust all on it’s own!
The Plot (aka “Process”)
Step 1: Spread shredded Parmesan cheese into greased pie plate.
Step 2: Place chicken, part of the mozzarella cheese, oregano, basil, garlic powder and tomato paste in a medium bowl. Stir gently to combine. Make sure everything is evenly mixed!
Step 3: Scoop chicken mixture carefully into pie plate on top of the Parmesan cheese and level as best you can.
Step 4: In another medium bowl, combine Bisquick, milk, salt, pepper, and eggs. Whisk to combine.
Step 5: Pour Bisquick mixture over chicken layer in prepared pie plate.
Step 6: Place layer of plastic wrap down on top of the pie plate and carefully press down until it is just barely touching the top of the ingredients. Then cover with a layer of aluminum foil. This helps protect your Italian Chicken Pie for life in the freezer.
Handy tip: Prepare Ahead!
To speed cleanup and save dish washing, prepare this Cheesy Italian Chicken Pie in a disposable aluminum pie tin. It can go right from freezer to oven (as long as you remove the cardboard lid and any plastic wrap you may have used)!
Step 8: Label your dish (I usually write on the foil with a Sharpie pen) and be sure to include the date it was made. You can also include baking directions if you’d like. Then you don’t have to go hunting for a recipe later to look it up…
Step 8: Place in freezer. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
Step 9: If you’re like me, now procrastinate cleaning up the mess and doing the dirty dishes… ha ha ha!
You can store the remaining 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese in a small freezer container or baggie along with the Italian Chicken Pie, or just be sure to have some on hand when it comes time to bake.
The Results (aka “Let’s eat!”)
When you’re ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor, remove your Easy Cheese Italian Chicken Pie freezer meal (and the extra cheese if you froze it) from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake your Chicken Pie for 30-35 minutes.
Sprinkle the remaining frozen mozzarella cheese (or 3/4 up fresh) on top and bake an additional 5-8 minutes until the cheese is all nice and melty and toasty brown.
Remove from oven and garnish (if desired) with fresh parsley or dust with a bit of dried parsley. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and then serve!
Serve with a simple green side salad, your favorited steamed vegetable, and/or my favorite, Easy Make-Ahead Freezer Garlic Bread (love that stuff)!
Pat yourself on the back – dinner is DONE! It really can be that easy.
Other great
Chicken Freezer Meal Recipes
Easy Cheesy Make-Ahead Italian Chicken Pie
INGREDIENTS
- 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1/2 cup Bisquick mix
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 eggs
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare a 9-inch pie plate or foil tin by spraying with non-stick spray.
- Sprinkle Parmesan cheese in bottom of pie plate.
- In medium bowl, mix together the shredded chicken, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and tomato paste.
- Spread chicken mixture carefully over Parmesan cheese in pie plate.
- In separate bowl, mix together Bisquick, milk, pepper, and eggs until well-blended. Pour over chicken mixture.
To freeze:
- Cover pie plate or aluminum tin with a layer of cling wrap and press it down lightly on the top of the Bisquick layer. This will help protect against freezer burn.
- Cover with a layer of aluminum foil (or if using a disposable aluminum tin, use the provided cardboard cover).
- Place remaining 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. (Or just ensure that you have 3/4 cup fresh mozzarella ready when you go to bake the dish.)
- Label pie plate or aluminum tin with name of dish and the date it was made.
- Place dish and remaining cheese (if freezing) into freezer.
To bake:
- The night before, remove dish and extra cheese (if frozen) from freezer and place in refrigerator to thaw overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove aluminum foil and plastic wrap from your pie plate or aluminum tin.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
- Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese on top. Return to oven and bake for 5-8 more minutes.
- Remove from oven once crust is fully baked and toasty brown.
- Garnish with fresh parsley (if desired) or dust lightly with dried parsley. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and then serve!
Love it – definitely a family favorite!