The Secret Ingredients Martha Stewart Adds To Chicken Pot Pie

Tasting a savory mouthful of tender chicken, flavorful veggies, and the flaky crust of a classic pot pie is one of life's greatest pleasures. For celebrity chef Martha Stewart, "chicken potpie is the ultimate post-holiday comfort food," (via Yahoo! Life). Whether you love sticking to the basics when it comes to your chicken pot pie recipe, or you relish the opportunity to throw a bunch of your favorite veggies into the mix, there's never a shortage of creative flavors to blend.

Stewart likes to add two tasty additions to her recipe that turns the average pot pie into an even more tempting entrée. In an Instagram post, the culinary guru posted a photo of a massive, golden brown pot pie with all the trimmings, where she introduced her two secret ingredients. Fans were excited to try the new recipe, or already had, with one person calling the added ingredients a "game changer." 

The prep time is just over an hour to get Stewart's chicken pot pie filling just right, but the end result is sure to be nothing short of mouthwatering.

In Martha Stewart's chicken pot pie recipe, she first praises the use of almighty butter when making the flaky pie crust. She goes on to reveal that "butternut squash and cremini mushrooms give the usual chicken-and-vegetable filling extra oomph." Mushrooms are a no-brainer, but adding squash? It's an interesting proposition and certainly an unconventional choice. But the squash and mushroom combo will add even more complexity and richness to this hearty dish.

Cremini mushrooms basically go well with anything, and their savoriness adds the perfect touch of umami to pot pie. Delphine Fortin, of Del's Cooking Twist, had the same idea as Stewart, but one of her guests wasn't that keen on mushrooms, so she chose to add lentils and still achieved a delicious result. Since pot pies are a favorite meal typically enjoyed around fall and winter, it's the perfect time to stock up on butternut squash. Peak butternut squash season is toward summer's end and in the fall, but they can be easily stored and enjoyed year-round. With all those creamy flavors melding together, the squash brings a touch of sweetness to the dish.

You can give Stewart's pot pie a try yourself with her step-by-step video, as she walks fans through her full process with a few of her personal touches included.