So, I sent my husband to the store to get a pre-made pie crust. Unfortunately, he came home empty-handed... the store was out!
Time for plan B. I could make a pie crust (still not in the mood)... look for puff pastry in my freezer (no luck)... or... maybe a biscuit topping would work? And since I had never actually made biscuits before, that would be fun!
I decided that a simple drop biscuit topping would be best... and added a little cheese to the dough, just for kicks. :o) This combination was definitely a winner, and I will be making this again for sure!
Chicken Pot Pie with a Cheesy Biscuit Top Recipe
Ingredients:
for the filling:
3 chicken breasts, cooked* and chopped
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 large potato, diced
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
salt, pepper & crushed red pepper, to taste
for the biscuits:
1 cups flour
3/4 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Cook the potatoes and onions until soft. Add in the carrots and celery and continue to cook until they are just tender.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or so. Add in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, cooking until melted, and then dump in the flour, stirring well until it has absorbed the butter and started to brown.
Whisk in the chicken stock, stirring well until smooth, and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has thicken to your desired consistency.
Stir in the heavy cream, the cooked chicken and the seasonings. Dump this mixture into a greased 9" square baking dish (or 2 deep dish pie plates).
**You could stop at this point, cover well and put this in the fridge! When you're ready - just preheat the oven, whip up the biscuits, drop them on top and bake as usual.**
To make the biscuits: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tarter and salt. Cut in the butter with a fork, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add in the milk and cheese and stir lightly, just to combine and moisten. (Be careful not to over-mix the dough, or the biscuits will be tough!) Drop the biscuit dough by spoonfuls over the top of the filling in your baking dish.
Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden and cooked through and the filling is bubbling!
*I like to poach my chicken for recipes like this... just cover the chicken breasts (still frozen is fine!) with cold water and a bit of salt, bring to a boil and simmer until no longer pink in the middle!
