My chicken pot pie for two has easily become one of the most-made recipes on the blog. Every time I check the comments, someone’s made it again, doubled it, or tried it with leftover turkey. So I knew if I was going to mess with it, it had to be worth it. This is that same creamy, herby filling, but instead of puff pastry on top, it’s crowned with cheddar bay biscuits.

Think fluffy, cheesy, garlicky biscuits baked right on top of the filling. The tops get golden and a little crisp, the bottoms soak up the sauce underneath, and the whole thing gets brushed with garlic herb butter and parmesan the second it comes out of the oven. It’s still scaled down for two, so there’s no giant casserole dish and no mountain of leftovers.

What Makes This One Special

It’s the biscuits. Puff pastry gives you crisp, flaky layers. These biscuits give you something completely different: a soft, tender, almost dumpling-like bottom where the dough meets the filling, and a golden, cheesy top with crispy edges. You get both textures in every bite.

The dough is packed with flavor before it even hits the oven. Garlic powder, dried oregano, dried parsley, and a pinch of cayenne go right into the dry mix, and a full cup of sharp cheddar gets folded in at the end. Then that garlic herb butter goes on last, soaking into every crack and crevice of the hot biscuits.

And the filling underneath is the same one you might have tried and loved in the original recipe. Caramelized veggies, fresh herbs, a creamy sauce with smoked paprika and a little kick from red pepper flakes, plus tender rotisserie chicken and peas.

What You’ll Need

For the chicken filling, you’ll need:

Butter, carrots, yellow onion, and celery for the veggie base
Garlic plus fresh sage, thyme, and a pinch of rosemary for that earthy, cozy flavor
Flour, chicken broth, and half and half to build the creamy sauce
Salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, yellow mustard, turmeric, and nutmeg for seasoning
Shredded rotisserie chicken and frozen baby peas

For the biscuit dough, you’ll need:

All-purpose flour, granulated white sugar, baking powder, and salt
Garlic powder, dried oregano, dried parsley, and a pinch of cayenne for that cheddar bay flavor
Very cold unsalted butter, buttermilk, and sharp cheddar

For the garlic & herb butter, you’ll need:

Melted butter, fresh parsley, minced garlic, and grated parmesan
A pinch of salt and black pepper

How To Make It

Chill the Butter First

Before you do anything else, pop the butter for the biscuit dough into the freezer. It needs to be very cold so it grates easily, and it’ll have plenty of time to firm up while you make the filling.

🤎 MORIBYAN TIP: Don’t skip this step. Cold butter is what makes these biscuits fluffy. As it bakes, the little shreds of butter melt and release steam, creating pockets in the dough. Warm butter just blends in and gives you a denser, flatter biscuit.

Then preheat your oven to 400°F.

Cook the Veggies

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and toss in the carrots, onion, and celery. Let them cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring every so often, until they’re soft and starting to brown around the edges.

Don’t rush this part. That little bit of caramelization brings out the natural sweetness in the veggies and builds so much flavor into the base of the filling.

Once they’re golden, stir in the garlic, sage, thyme, and rosemary and cook for about 1 minute, just until everything smells amazing.

Build the Creamy Sauce

Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir until everything is coated. Let it cook for 1 minute to get rid of that raw flour taste.

Now slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking the whole time. Going slow and whisking constantly is what keeps the sauce smooth and lump-free. Then pour in the half and half and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

🤎 MORIBYAN TIP: I like the filling on the thicker side here, since the biscuits sit right on top and you don’t want them sinking. If it gets too thick, a small splash of broth or milk will loosen it right up.

Season and Add the Chicken

Season the sauce with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, mustard, turmeric, and nutmeg. Give it a taste and adjust from there.

Each one plays a role. The smoked paprika adds warmth, the mustard brings a little tang, the nutmeg adds a subtle sweetness, and the red pepper flakes give it just enough kick to balance out all that creaminess.

Fold in the shredded chicken and peas and let everything simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until it’s heated through. Then take it off the heat.

Divide the filling between two individual skillets, or spread it into one large baking dish. Set them on a baking sheet so it’s easier to move them in and out of the oven, and it’ll catch anything that bubbles over.

Make the Biscuit Dough

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, oregano, parsley, and cayenne until everything is evenly mixed.

Grab your butter from the freezer and grate it right into the bowl using the large holes of a box grater. Toss the shreds around with a rubber spatula so each piece is coated in flour. You can also use your hands but just work quickly so the heat from your hands doesn’t melt the butter.

Pour in the buttermilk and fold until it’s mostly combined. Then sprinkle in the cheddar and fold just until a cohesive dough forms.

Scoop and Bake

Use a cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop to drop 3 to 4 rounds of dough over the filling in each skillet. If you’re using a large baking dish, scoop on enough rounds to almost cover the entire top, leaving a few small gaps for steam to escape.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the biscuits are golden and fully cooked through. Then if needed, switch the oven to high broil for 1 to 2 minutes to get the tops deep golden.

🤎 MORIBYAN TIP: Stay right by the oven while it broils. It goes from golden to burnt in a matter of seconds.

Brush with Garlic Herb Butter

While the pot pies bake, stir together the melted butter, parsley, garlic, parmesan, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

As soon as the skillets come out of the oven, brush the garlic herb butter all over the hot biscuits with a pastry brush. Go generous here. The biscuits soak it right up.

Let them cool for 5 minutes before digging in. The filling is molten, and that rest gives the sauce a chance to settle.

Tips & Variations

Once you’ve got the base down, this one is easy to make your own. Here are a few ways to switch it up depending on what you have.

Leftover roasted chicken or turkey works just as well as rotisserie chicken.
Not a fan of peas? Swap in frozen corn or chopped broccoli.
For more heat, add diced jalapeños to the veggies or bump up the cayenne in the biscuit dough.
Mix up the cheese with sharp white cheddar, pepper jack, or a combination of cheddar and gruyère.

Make Ahead & Storing Leftovers

The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead. Let it cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, warm it up slightly before scooping the biscuit dough on top.

The biscuit dough is best made fresh, right before baking, so the butter stays cold and the baking powder stays active. To get a head start, you can whisk the dry ingredients together a day ahead and keep them covered at room temperature.

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat them in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes so the biscuits crisp back up. The microwave will work in a pinch, but the biscuits will turn soft.

You can also freeze the filling on its own in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then top it with fresh biscuit dough and bake as directed.

Craving More Like This? Try These Recipes Out!

Chicken Pot Pie For Two — The original version of this recipe, topped with golden, flaky puff pastry squares.
Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Crust Chicken Pot Pie — Creamy chicken pot pie filling baked under a cheesy, slightly spicy cornbread crust.
Chicken Pot Pie Orzo — All the flavors of chicken pot pie in a creamy orzo you can eat straight from the bowl.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken — Tender chicken simmered in a rich, creamy sauce that’s perfect for a cozy weeknight.
Lasagna Soup — Everything you love about lasagna, turned into a hearty soup that’s made for cold nights.

If you make this recipe, make sure to leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out — I love hearing from you! And if you snap a photo, don’t forget to tag me over on Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations too.

You can also find this recipe and so many more on my Pinterest — perfect for saving to your board for later. And if you’re more of a visual learner, check out my YouTube channel, where I walk you through recipes step-by-step just like this one.