These Chicken Pot Pie “Soupy Toasts” Are Pure Winter Comfort Food

They’re easy to make and fun to eat.

By
Lou Perseghin
Lou Perseghin
Lou Perseghin
Lou Perseghin is a stay-at-home Dad, a home cook with 15+ years of experience, and a culinary content creator. His work is featured on Simply Recipes.
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Published January 27, 2026
Lou Perseghin
Two slices of toasted bread topped with a creamy mixture of vegetables and chicken

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
  • With this easy recipe, you get all the creamy, cozy flavors of chicken pot pie, but served on crispy olive oil toast instead of having to deal with pie crust.
  • Using instant gravy packets and frozen veggies speeds up prep without losing out on comforting flavor.
  • Each toast is topped with cheddar and finished under the broiler for bubbly, melty goodness.

Chicken pot pie is a quintessential wintertime warmer. It’s rich and savory and can be as simple as a one-pot meal or as deeply involved as an all-afternoon project with homemade pie crust. 

Lately, I’ve been on a significant “toast” tour, experimenting with adapting classic dishes to a handheld format. Toasting bread in rich olive oil before topping it ensures a firm foundation that holds up to whatever saucy toppings you can imagine. 

So, I decided to give chicken pot pie this “soupy toasts” treatment, and I’m so glad I did. This version of the classic dish features a quickly- cooked filling that turns into a toast topping, maintaining the saucy gravy setup in an easy-to-assemble meal.

Chicken pot pie toasts with peas carrots and melted cheese on bread slices served on a plate

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

A Note on Gravy

For the gravy in this recipe, I love the basic McCormick gravy packets to keep things quick and easy. There are a few varieties, and you can use any packet your palate prefers: chicken, turkey, brown, onion, etc. I love the mushroom version, but you can use any other flavor without adjustments.

When adding the gravy packets, you may need to add a few tablespoons of additional water, depending on how much fat your chicken had and how much liquid your vegetables released. If it looks dry, add a little more. Also keep in mind that gravy packets already contain a lot of sodium, so very little salt is added to this recipe. If the only packets available are the low-sodium kind, you may want to add up to 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.

Easy Swaps and Substitutions

  • Instead of cooking chicken breasts, 2 cups of shredded leftover cooked or rotisserie chicken would work well here. If that’s your move, sauté the onions, then add the chicken and vegetables together to warm through. 
  • If you can’t find a bag of combined peas and carrots, up to 2 1/2 cups of any frozen vegetables will also work. 
  • I love frozen vegetables for their ease, but you could just as easily make this with fresh vegetables, small-dicing 2 1/2 cups of your favorites and sautéeing until cooked through.
A plate with slices of toast topped with a chicken pot pie filling of vegetables and sauce

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

More Comfort Classics Made Simple

Chicken Pot Pie Toasts

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 5 to 10 servings
Yield 10 toasts
Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

  • 1 large loaf Italian bread, cut into 10 slices, 1/2 to 1-inch thick

  • 3/4 cup olive oil, divided

  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

  • 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1/4-inch chunks (1 pound total)

  • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt or kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

  • 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen peas and carrots

  • 2 (0.87-ounce) chicken gravy packets

  • 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed

  • 10 deli slices cheddar cheese

Method

  1.  Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

    Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.

  2. Toast the bread:

    Brush 1 tablespoon of the olive oil evenly and generously onto each slice of bread, covering both sides (10 tablespoons total). Lay the slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

    Bake the bread until golden brown on one side, 7 to 10 minutes. Flip the slices and continue to bake until golden brown on the second side, 3 to 5 minutes. The bread should be crispy and toasted but not overly browned. Remove from the oven and leave the toasts on the pan to cool. (Don't turn off the oven.)

  3. Meanwhile, make the topping:

    While the toast bakes, in a 2-quart saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat, then add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to turn translucent and soft, about 3 minutes. 

    Add the chicken, celery salt or kosher salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the peas and carrots and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes more.

  4. Add the gravy:

    Stir the gravy packets into the chicken mixture. Gradually add the water, stirring constantly until the gravy powder is fully incorporated. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is thickened, about 3 minutes. If the pan looks dry, add a few more tablespoons of water as needed.

    Remove the pan from the heat. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.

  5. Top the toasts:

    Portion the chicken and vegetable mixture evenly over each piece of toast, about 1/3 cup per slice. Top each with a slice of cheddar. 

    Simple Tip!

    When laying the cheese on top of the chicken mixture, try to cover as much of it as possible. I typically rip the slices in half and lay them on diagonally.

  6. Broil and serve:

    Set the oven to broil. Return the toasts on the baking sheet to the oven and broil until the cheese is melty, browned and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm in an oven set to 350°F for 7 to 10 minutes. Toasts can be frozen for up to 1 month.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

    Two chicken pot pie toasts served on a white plate accompanied by a knife and fork on the side

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
491 Calories
29g Fat
32g Carbs
26g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 491
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 8g 41%
Cholesterol 66mg 22%
Sodium 759mg 33%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 11%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 26g
Vitamin C 4mg 18%
Calcium 267mg 21%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 273mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.