When I first went low-carb, I’ll admit I had no intention of giving up my favorite meal — rich chicken pot pie with a buttery pastry crust — for any significant stretch of time. Thankfully, I stumbled upon the recipe below and didn’t have to give up my pet pot pie. It's now my go-to comfort food meal, featuring juicy chunks of chicken in a rich gravy topped with a buttery, golden brown crust. You're going to love it too!

During the colder months, I make this dish almost every Sunday night, but it stays in the rotation year around. All you need to add is a side salad or some roasted broccoli or Brussels sprouts to round out the meal.

For the filling:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup fresh or frozen peas
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the topping:
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 tablespoons cream cheese
3/4 cup almond flour
1 large egg
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.

3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and add it to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over.

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir in the onion, celery and carrots.

5. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about three minutes. Add the garlic, and cook one minute more. Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the broth, and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let simmer until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.

6. Stir in the cream and peas, and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the mixture thickens.

7. To make the crust, in a large, microwave-safe bowl, stir together the mozzarella and cream cheese. Heat in the microwave for one minute, stir, and heat in the microwave for one minute more. Stir until smooth. Add the almond flour, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Spread the mixture on a piece of parchment paper. Add another piece of parchment on top and spread the dough out into a 10- to 12-inch circle.

8. Transfer the filling mixture to the prepared pie pan. Peel the top piece of parchment off of the crust dough, and then invert the dough over the filling, crimping any overhang around the edge of the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Serve hot.

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