There's nothing wrong with a dessert pie, but for a warm, cozy meal on a wintery night, try one of our savory pie recipes. Sure, soothing soup recipes are great, but they don't have that decadent magic ingredient that soup lacks: a buttery pie crust or topping. "But pie crust is too hard to make," you lament. Au contraire!
Some of our recipes call for store-bought pie crust or puff pastry (how easy is that?) while others (namely the shepherd varieties) can be topped with a layer of store-bought or make-ahead mashed potatoes. A few of our recipes don't even have a pastry crust. (Yes, they're still pies.)
Is there anything better than sitting down to a meal of savory pie? We think not. If you agree, keep reading for our collection of savory pie recipes that are so good, you'll look forward to cold, blustery winter days.
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Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie
As far as savory pies go, chicken pot pie is the gold standard. This recipe pairs boneless, skinless chicken breasts with onions, carrots, and frozen peas surrounded by a white wine cream sauce. Top this classic with a flaky, store-bought pie crust.
Try It: Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie
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Mushroom Pot Pie
Whether it's Meatless Monday or meatless every day, this recipe gives you all the coziness of chicken pot pie without the chicken. Mushrooms (and plenty of them!) are joined by carrots, celery, onions, and peas. If you're not a fan of cream, you'll be happy to know this vegan recipe uses vegetable broth thickened with flour instead of dairy.
Try It: Mushroom Pot Pie
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Chicken Fricassee Pot Pie
While it might seem more complicated than most on this list, we promise this twist on a classic pot pie is worthy of a spot in your dinner rotation this winter. It takes less than an hour to make, is topped with crispy puff pastry, and is filled with mushrooms, carrots, and, scallions.
Try It: Chicken Fricassee Pot Pie
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Beef and Beer Pot Pie
This recipe calls for beef browned in a hot cast-iron skillet and then braised in beer, ensuring it'll be tender and flavorful. Butternut squash adds color and texture to this pie, as do chopped carrots and leeks. The best part of this recipe isn't the beer, but its flaky golden-brown puff pastry, placed directly atop the skillet before it's transferred to the oven.
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Skillet Spanako"pea"ta
This Greek-style pie is great if you're looking for an easy appetizer to serve to guests this winter. It's classically made with a spinach-feta mixture, as well as a generous serving of fresh spring peas. It's easier to make than a typical spanakopita because it's prepared in a skillet lined with phyllo dough.
Try It: Skillet Spanako"pea"ta
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Zucchini Pie
While great in winter, this crustless pie is salvation in the summer when there's a surplus of zucchini in the fridge. It's bright and savory thanks to fresh basil as well as grated provolone and Parmesan. If you're searching for a meat-free yet high-protein recipe, give this dish a whirl.
Try It: Zucchini Pie
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Classic Shepherd's Pie
Is there a better comfort food than shepherd's pie? This dish is perfect for a cold day, and not just because it's topped with buttery mashed potatoes. Inside, you'll find a mean vegetable-enriched ground beef filling (instead of the traditional lamb) featuring mushrooms, carrots, and peas.
Try It: Classic Shepherd's Pie
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Cauliflower Shepherd's Pie
Yes, it's hard to beat the ground lamb-and-mashed potato combo of a traditional shepherd's pie, but sometimes it's fun to switch (and lighten) things up. This lower-carb, lower-fat recipe calls for ground turkey and vegetables topped with mashed cauliflower.
Try It: Cauliflower Shepherd's Pie
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Eggplant Shepherd's Pie
Who says a shepherd's pie needs to be filled with meat? This recipe puts veggies front and center thanks to eggplant paired with onions and parsley. Its creaminess is courtesy of whole milk and pecorino cheese.
Try It: Eggplant Shepherd's Pie
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Italian Easter Pie
This holiday showpiece—packed with salami, prosciutto, hot capicola, sweet Italian sausage, and ham—is the epitome of a meat lover's pie, and manages cheese and vegetables, too. It's one of our favorite easy Easter dinner ideas. Feel free to serve this traditional Easter dish anytime you need to feed (and impress) a crowd.
Try It: Italian Easter Pie
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Cottage Pie
Consider this the British cousin of a shepherd's pie. It features a meaty stew topped with mashed potatoes but, unlike the popular Scottish fare, it's made with ground beef instead of ground lamb. A fine distinction? Yes. Just as delicious? Also yes.
Try It: Cottage Pie
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Quick and Easy Shepherd's Pie
Another shepherd's pie? Yes, and this one's the perfect weeknight dinner for four. Thanks to the convenience of premade mashed potatoes and frozen vegetables, this pie comes together in just 20 minutes.
Try It: Quick and Easy Shepherd's Pie
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Sheet Pan Frito Pie
You don't often see "sheet pan" and "pie" in the same recipe title, but here you go. This layered Tex-Mex crowd-pleaser pairs well with cold beer and the big game,
Try It: Sheet Pan Frito Pie
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Sausage and Fontina Spaghetti Pie
Filled with pasta and not a hint of pastry, let's not quibble: It's rich, decadent, comforting, round, and is topped with a "crust" of melted, slightly caramelized cheese on top, so that says "pie" to me. It's stuffed with Italian sausage, vodka sauce, ricotta, and fontina—an Italian-style creamy, melty cheese that will melt your cold-weather blues away.
Try It: Sausage and Fontina Spaghetti Pie
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Slow-Cooker Shepherd's Pie
Why do we need another shepherd's pie recipe? Two reasons: slow cooker and beer. The magic of slow cookery results in a satisfying meal with just 20 minutes hands-on prep. The beer spends all day tenderizing the beef and flavoring the vegetables to create a weeknight meal the whole family will love.
Try It: Slow-Cooker Shepherd's Pie
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Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pie
If shepherd's pie gets the slow-cooker treatment, why can't chicken pot pie? This recipe offers up a creamy, chunky pot pie with just 30 minutes of hands-on prep. The "pie" filling is topped with store-bought puff pastry rounds, giving you all the goodness of a pot pie without the hassle.
Try It: Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pie
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Creamy Chicken and Corn Pot Pie
Is there room for one more chicken pot pie recipe? Of course, especially this one that requires just 10 minutes of prep. "How?" you ask. This shortcut-laden recipe calls on rotisserie chicken, canned corn chowder, frozen peas, and store-bought puff pastry, that's how.
Try It: Creamy Chicken and Corn Pot Pie