Guide Note

Chicken Pot Pie is a savory pie filled with a chicken stew. Since 1951, it has been a very common frozen meal.

Fast Facts

1. Traditionally made with carrots, peas, potatoes, celery and herbs.
2. Savory pie: Dates to the Middle Ages
3. 1839: Oldest American pot pie recipe
4. 1951: First frozen pot pie

Recipes for dishes similar to chicken pot pie date back to the medieval era. Savory pies were an important element of any royal chef's repertoire. Recipes for "chicken pie" can be found as early as 1796. The earliest recipe for a "pot pie" is found in 1839, and it is for a sweet, not savory, pie. The first chicken pot pie recipe is from 1877, although it is very likely the dish was prepared long before. Pot pies were baked in a deep pot lined with crust. The purpose of the crust was to protect the food from the flavor of the metal; initially, it was not eaten. The first frozen pot pie was made by Swanson in 1951.