Frozen Pot Pies Are Having a Moment at Portland Bakeries

The absolute best pot pie in the game is, naturally, at Lauretta Jean’s.

Chicken Pot Pie (Grand Central Bakery)
By Andrea Damewood

As a child, the height of frozen dinner sophistication was a Marie Callender’s turkey pot pie, fresh out of the oven in my own personal-sized tin pan.

But that was the early ‘90s. Nowadays, there are tastier, less-processed options for everything, including frozen pot pies. They’re not well advertised, but you-bake pot pies are having a moment in Portland thanks to a handful of bakeries that stock them, and they’re a million times better than anything Mrs. Callender ever cooked up.

Grand Central Bakery’s freezers hold individually sized pot pies. Savory and plump with filling, they make a solid solo dinner come fall and winter since they’re a seasonal item. Throw in some frozen chocolate chip cookies and you’ve got yourself a date

Grand Central Bakery Photo courtesy of Grand Central Bakery.

Crema Coffee + Bakery, famous for its massive croissants and delectable chocolate espresso bread, also has pot pies, both veggie and chicken. You can get the small size ($15), but I recommend dishing out $27 for the large: The crust-to-filling ratio evens out for perfect pastry-to-stew bites.

But the absolute best pot pie in the game is, naturally, at Lauretta Jean’s. The city’s best pie shop uses that flaky crust to create individual veggie and chicken pot pies for $8 to $8.50 each, depending on whether you want meat. While Lauretta Jean’s could have rested on its crusty laurels, the filling is perfect: herby with large chunks of poultry and veg. Next time you’re in for a slice, grab a couple to go for a busy weeknight. Future you will be grateful.

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