Take your favorite fruit crumble — but skip the apples, berries or stone fruit, and give it a hearty savory filling instead.

That’s just what this chicken pot pie is delightfully like.

That’s because “Chicken Pot Pie with Savory Crumble Topping” swaps out the usual puff pastry or buttery pie crust topper for crunchy, toasty, Parmesan-laced crumbles strewn over the top that act almost like croutons — adding bits of crispiness that also deliciously sop up the creamy sauce underneath.

This recipe is from “The Savory Baker” (2022), of which I received a review copy.

The cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen includes 150 recipes for baked items that lean savory, not sweet, such as “Manchego and Chorizo Muffins,” “Cast-Iron Skillet Calzone,” “Blue Cheese and Chive Popovers with Blue Cheese Butter,” and “Pizza Monkey Bread.”

If all you know is the mass-produced pot pies in your supermarket freezer case, this version will be a huge step-up.

The crumble is made with a flour-butter dough seasoned with black pepper, cayenne, grated Parmesan, and enriched with heavy cream. Once the dough comes together, use your fingers to break it into irregular pieces that get backed in the oven until lightly toasted.

The pot pie filling has a deep poultry taste, thanks to cooking boneless, skinless chicken in chicken broth, which intensifies the liquid’s flavor. Shred the chicken meat, and reserve the broth for the foundation of the pot pie’s sauce.

To make that, melt butter in a pot, stir in some flour, then whisk in that reserved broth along with milk and simmer until thickened and velvety. Add in sauteed carrots, celery, and onion. Then, cremini mushrooms that also have been sauteed with soy sauce and tomato paste to amplify their umami taste.

Transfer everything to a baking dish, scatter over the crumble, and bake until bubbly. Add a final flourish of chopped fresh parsley, and serve.

The crunchy, cheesy topping provides a perfect counterpoint to the rich, creamy filling that’s loaded with chicken and chunks of vegetables. If you’re used to pot pies that seem to be more sauce than substance, this one will surprise with its hefty amount of chicken and vegetables with just enough sauce tying them all together. In fact, while this recipe states it serves 6, it will do so very generously.

This is comfort food with real depth. It’s like a big hug not from someone you just met but from someone who means the world to you.

Chicken Pot Pie with Savory Crumble Topping

(Serves 6)

For crumble topping:

2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon table salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, fine grated (1/2 cup)

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

For chicken and filling:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs

3 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 onion, chopped fine

3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

2 small celery ribs, chopped fine

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

10 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon tomato paste

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk

2 teaspoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, divided

3/4 cup frozen baby peas

For the crumble: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Sprinkle butter over top of flour. Using your fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces ranging from 1/2 to 3/4 inch onto parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and starting to brown, 10 to 13 minutes. Set aside. (Crumble topping can be stored in zipper-lock bag at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Press out air before sealing bag.)

For the chicken and filling: Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until breasts register 160 degrees and/or thighs register 175 degrees, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces using 2 forks. Transfer chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl with chicken.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have released their juice, about 5 minutes. Uncover and stir in soy sauce and tomato paste. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated, mushrooms are well browned, and dark fond begins to form on bottom of pot, about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with chicken and vegetables.

Melt butter in now-empty pot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Bring to simmer and cook until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Off heat, stir in lemon juice and 2 tablespoons parsley.

Stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce. Pour mixture into 13-by-9-inch baking dish. (Dish can be wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.) Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and serve.

From “The Savory Baker” by America’s Test Kitchen

More Pot Pie-Like Dishes to Enjoy: Mushroom Ragout in A Savory Crust

And: Turkey-Andouille-Pinto Bean Tamale Potpie with Corn Bread