Summer will be in the rearview before we know it, so, naturally, we have comfort food on the mind. Specifically, the savory combination of buttery puff pastry, tender chicken, veggies and decadent cream sauce known as pot pie. Now, some might say that chicken pot pie is a meal unto itself, but the truth is that you can have too much of a good thing, which is why an appropriate side dish is always a nice addition to your plate. We came up with 20 ideas for what to serve with chicken pot pie, including obvious pairings (make-ahead mashed potatoes, anyone?), refreshing slaws like this cabbage and fennel number and tasty roasted squash sides that celebrate the season. Read on and dig in.
Wondering What to Serve with Chicken Pot Pie? These 20 Side Dishes Check All the Boxes
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Published Sep 1, 2023
Katherine Gillen
Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
1. Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd pleaser, kid-friendly, gluten-free, make ahead
That chicken pot pie filling will be like gravy for this classic and oh-so creamy make-ahead mash.
Aran Goyoaga/Cannelle et Vanille
2. Roasted Squash Salad with White Beans, Bread Crumbs and Preserved Lemons
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, vegan, crowd-pleaser
Eat this hearty fall salad of buttery roasted squash and cannellini beans as a pot pie side (and also as a stand-alone lunch) every day until sweater season ends.
Katherine Gillen
3. Blistered Green Beans with Bacon Vinaigrette
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <500 calories, crowd-pleaser
The only thing your chicken pot pie is missing is a side of bacon…er, green beans. But seriously, we haven’t met a green vegetable we wouldn’t dress with this salty, tangy vinaigrette.
Nico Schinco/Styling: Heath Goldman
4. Crispy Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
A fine side for pot pie and a brilliant party app—you’ll never feel the same way about Brussels sprouts again after tasting them wrapped up in crispy bacon.
Kristin Perers/Round Ours
5. Smoky Barbecued Corn
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, <500 calories
Regardless of whether or not you have corn in your pot pie filling, it’s a natural accompaniment to the dish that truly shines when charred and served Mexican street style.
Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
6. Swedish Hasselback Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: gluten-free, vegetarian, <10 ingredients
This exceedingly simple spud side, courtesy of PureWow’s favorite Swede, is highly customizable and just as aesthetically pleasing as you’d expect from a Scandinavian twist on a classic.
Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
7. Asparagus Caesar Salad
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, low carb
Feel free to skip the croutons here—the flaky, buttery pie crust already has that covered—but you really can’t go wrong with a chicken pot pie side that features a favorite green veggie, generously coated with homemade Caesar dressing.
Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
8. Crispy Roasted Artichokes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, low carb, vegetarian
Artichokes can be intimidating…unless you’re using an air fryer or oven to transform the meaty, canned variety into perfectly crisped morsels of goodness with minimal effort. Then, you’re golden.
Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
9. Zucchini Salad with Lemon and Parmesan
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <500 calories, <30 minutes, low carb, no cook, vegetarian, gluten-free
Zucchini pairs well with everything and chicken pot pie is no exception. That said, this minimalist side dish is particularly delicious if you use high-quality olive oil and make it when said summer squash is in season.
Cook Beautiful
10. Delicata Squash Agrodolce
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten-free, <10 ingredients, <500 calories
Sweet and sour, honey-roasted delicata squash is an autumnal side that plays oh-so nicely with the creamy and savory richness of chicken pot pie when temperatures start to drop.
Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
11. Cauliflower ‘Potato’ Salad
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: low sugar, low carb, gluten-free, <500 calories
This low-carb alternative to a classic potato salad uses Greek yogurt and sour cream instead of mayo for a lighter side that nicely offsets the richness of the main event.
Katherine Gillen
12. Cacio e Pepe Zucchini
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
We already mentioned that zucchini pairs well with just about anything. In case you needed more proof of its versatility, here’s a fresh take on the cheesy Italian classic featuring summer squash as a stand-in for pasta.
Ana Cuba/The Modern Cook’s Year
13. Kale and Brussels Sprout Caesar Slaw
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegan
A pot pie dinner is a guilt-free indulgence when you also have a healthy slaw flavored with vegan Caesar dressing on your plate. (Psst: Feel free to experiment with a variety of winter greens and even cabbage here.)
Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
14. Pimento Cheese Stuffed Shishito Peppers
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Shishito peppers and pot pie are a perfect match even when the former is simply blistered and salted, but stuff ‘em with creamy pimento cheese and you’ll have a swoon-worthy flavor bomb on the side.
Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
15. Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian
Skip the fried egg garnish and this cauliflower fried rice recipe, a healthier version of the take-out favorite, will harmonize beautifully with your creamy pot pie (and sop up all that luscious sauce, too).
Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
16. Hasselback Butternut Squash
- Time Commitment: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
Hasselback potato fans (i.e., everyone with taste buds) should know that the same technique works beautifully on butternut squash. Add fresh herbs and honey butter to the equation and you have a cold weather side that tastes like sweet success.
Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
17. Crispy Green Bean ‘Fries’
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, baking sheet recipe
Pretty much all you need is a hot oven and a dash of paprika to make crispy legumes that are every bit as appealing as French fries.
Colin Price/Dinner Then Dessert
18. Balsamic-Brown Sugar Carrots
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Blessedly easy to make, these bright orange beauties are steamed, not roasted, for a crisp-tender result that’s a far cry from the sickly sweet and mushy glazed carrots of the past.
KRISTIN TEIG/SALAD SEASONS: VEGETABLE-FORWARD DISHES ALL YEAR
19. Arugula Salad with Whole Lemon Vinaigrette
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
This very lightly dressed arugula salad is a fuss-free way to put a peppery serving of greens on your plate. In other words, it’s just what you need after whipping up a main that involves working with puff pastry.
Katherine Gillen
20. Cabbage-Fennel Salad with Honeycrisp Apples
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, one bowl
Sweet, tangy and with a pleasant crunch, thanks to the addition of fall’s most delicious apple, this cabbage slaw is a palate cleansing winner that plays nicely with creamy pot pie.
