Chicken Pot Pie

If chicken pot pie is your comfort food - this blog post is for you.  These individually sized, biscuit topped pot pies are heavenly.  They're warm and comforting and oozing with rich, hearty chicken flavor.  You might just be surprised how simple they are to make too.

Chicken Pie with Biscuits
Filling
3 cups cooked chicken

6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups (20 ounces) chicken broth (canned is fine, or make your own)
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups (10 to 12 ounces) milk or half and half; use the lesser amount for a thicker sauce
1 1/2 cups (8 ounces, half a 1-pound bag) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons dry sherry (optional)

Biscuit Topping
4 cups (17 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter
1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups (10 3/8 to 12 ounces) cold milk or half and half

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a 2- to 3-quart casserole dish, 9" x 13" baking pan, or equivalent.  I used some small corning ware bowls to make individual servings.

 

Filling: Heat the butter over medium heat till it's melted. 

 

Add the flour and salt, and stir to combine. 

Gradually pour in the 2 1/2 cups broth, whisking constantly. Cook and stir the sauce over medium heat till it comes to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer it for 5 minutes. 

 

While the sauce is simmering, remove the skin (if any) from the chicken, and tear it into 1-inch pieces. 

When the sauce is ready, add 1 1/4 cups of the milk or half and half, the chicken, vegetables, salt, pepper, thyme, and sherry. Stir to combine. 

 

 

Understanding that the sauce will thicken a bit as the pie cooks, add additional milk or cream, if desired, till it's the thickness you like. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then spoon the filling into the prepared dish. Place the dish in the oven, and let it cook as you prepare the biscuits.  

 

To prepare the biscuits: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

 

Work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly, using a pastry fork or pastry blender, your fingers, or a mixer. 

Add 1 1/3 cups of the milk all at once, stirring quickly to make a cohesive dough; if the dough seems too dry, add the remaining milk. 

 

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface, and knead it 5 or 6 times to smooth it out. 

 

 

 

Roll and pat the dough about 3/4" thick. 

Cut it into about 10 circles, squares, or whatever shape you like.

Remove the pan from the oven, and place the biscuits atop the chicken and vegetables, gently pressing them down a bit. 

Bake the pie for 15 to 18 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbly. 

Check to make sure the biscuits are done inside. If they're not (or if the filling doesn't seem hot enough), tent the pan with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, till the biscuits are cooked through, and the filling is hot. Remove the pie from the oven, and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

This recipe came from the King Arthur Flour website.  (I love their flour and I love their recipes just as much.)  I made my pot pies in the afternoon, covered them and put them in the frig until dinnertime. 

If chicken pot pie is not your comfort food yet - just wait until you try these.

Ciao!

Chicken Pie with Biscuits
Filling
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups (20 ounces) chicken broth (canned is fine, or make your own)
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups (10 to 12 ounces) milk or half and half; use the lesser amount for a thicker sauce
1 1/2 cups (8 ounces, half a 1-pound bag) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons dry sherry (optional)

Biscuit Topping
4 cups (17 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter
1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups (10 3/8 to 12 ounces) cold milk or half and half

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a 2- to 3-quart casserole dish, 9" x 13" baking pan, or equivalent.

Filling: Heat the butter over medium heat till it's melted. Add the flour and salt, and stir to combine. Gradually pour in the 2 1/2 cups broth, whisking constantly. Cook and stir the sauce over medium heat till it comes to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer it for 5 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, remove the skin (if any) from the chicken, and tear it into 1-inch pieces. When the sauce is ready, add 1 1/4 cups of the milk or half and half, the chicken, vegetables, salt, pepper, thyme, and sherry. Stir to combine. Understanding that the sauce will thicken a bit as the pie cooks, add additional milk or cream, if desired, till it's the thickness you like. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then spoon the filling into the prepared dish. Place the dish in the oven, and let it cook as you prepare the biscuits.

To prepare the biscuits: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly, using a pastry fork or pastry blender, your fingers, or a mixer. Add 1 1/3 cups of the milk all at once, stirring quickly to make a cohesive dough; if the dough seems too dry, add the remaining milk. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface, and knead it 5 or 6 times to smooth it out. Roll and pat the dough about 3/4" thick. Cut it into about 10 circles, squares, or whatever shape you like; our hexagon cutter makes short work of this task.

Remove the pan from the oven, and place the biscuits atop the chicken and vegetables, gently pressing them down a bit. Bake the pie for 15 to 18 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Check to make sure the biscuits are done inside. If they're not (or if the filling doesn't seem hot enough), tent the pan with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, till the biscuits are cooked through, and the filling is hot. Remove the pie from the oven, and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.