Pennsylvania Pot Pie

Pennsylvania pot pie is a Pennsylvania Dutch soup, consisting of meat, vegetables, and squares of pie crust.

Ingredients

Dumplings/noodles

  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 cup shortening
  • ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp cold water

Soup

  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 can green beans
  • 1–3 lb stewing chicken
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
Pennsylvania Pot Pie

Photo: Internet Archive Book Images / Wikimedia Commons / No restrictions

Procedure

  1. Boil chicken in water until tender.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare noodle dough following the first 5 steps of the Flaky Pie Crust procedure, using the ingredients above. Sugar and butter are replaced with pepper and shortening, respectively.
  3. On a floured board, roll dough about twice as thick as ordinary pie crust (about a 9-inch circle or 8 x 10-inch rectangle).
  4. Cut dough into roughly 2-inch squares.
  5. Remove chicken from broth. Shred chicken, discarding bones and skin.
  6. Stir pot pie squares into boiling broth a few at a time, being careful not to let them stick together. Simmer 6 minutes.
  7. Add chicken and green beans. Simmer for 10–15 minutes.
  8. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Notes, tips, and variations

  • Note: Pot pie squares will dissolve into the broth around the edges, but remain relatively firm in their centers. This is normal.
  • A range of fresh vegetables including fresh green beans, cubed potatoes, finely diced carrots, onions, etc. can be added after the chicken if cooking times are planned carefully.
  • Cooked chicken or turkey, or bite-sized pieces of ham can be substituted for the raw chicken. In this case, substitute chicken broth for water.