Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie

I love America’s Test kitchen, but at times I get frustrated because over time they’ll remake recipes, saying, “no, THIS is now the best pie crust”. I’m like, wasn’t it your whole job to ensure that the recipe you put out is the best version of each dish? How can there be another one now? I like to have just one of certain dishes, and this is my one and only chicken pot pie. It’s “scratch” in that you use homemade biscuit dough and no cans of cream of something soup, but it’s simple ingredients working together to make something wholesomely comforting and absolutely delicious. When I eat this I feel like Laura and Mary in a covered wagon. Pretty sure they just ate salt pork though.

I like giving away dinners that have the meat, veggies, grain etc all in one place, and Chicken pot pie is my favorite dish for folks who aren’t overly worried about their daily calorie intake. A bag of salad greens and a bottle of wine and they’re good to go! Though I give instructions below to cook your raw chicken, when I made it recently I just chopped up the meat of one whole Rotisserie chicken. Came to about four cups. Feel free to go this route – though you’ll still need two cups of chicken broth for the filling. This is the perfect dinner for these chilly winter nights, though perhaps save it for when your healthy eating resolution has tapped out.

Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 4-6

Biscuit Topping

2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 in. pieces

3/4 c. cold buttermilk

Filling

1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts *

2 c. chicken broth

1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped fine

4 medium carrots, peeled and diced

4 celery stalks, diced

1 1/4  tsp. salt, divided *

1/2 tsp. pepper, divided

4 tbsp. butter (1/2 a stick)

1/2 c. all purpose

1 1/2 c. milk

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

2 tbsp. dry sherry or cooking sherry

3/4 c. frozen peas

3 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

*If using cooked chicken (maybe Rotisserie), just chop and use about four cups. You’ll still need two cups chicken broth for the filling. 

1. Begin with biscuit topping. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

2. Cut in butter using pastry blender or fingertips. To cut in means to blend the solid fat with the dry ingredients. The finished product should look like coarse cornmeal with some larger chunks the size of peas. 

3. Stir in buttermilk until the dough gathers into moist clumps. Dump mixture onto floured counter and gently bring the dough together to a rough ball. Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough to 1/4 in. to 1/2 in. thick. Using a floured biscuit cutter (or a drinking glass), cut out 9 biscuit rounds (if cutting smaller biscuits, cut 12, making sure to have a number that will work in a rectangle).

4. Place rounds on a floured plate. Cover plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

5. Place broth in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Add chicken. Reduce heat to low and bare simmer for 10-15 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove chicken and save the broth in a large measuring cup or bowl.

6. Add oil to the now empty soup pot/dutch oven and put heat to medium high. Add onion, carrots and celery and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 tsp. of the salt and 1/4 tsp. of the pepper to veggies.

7. While veggies saute, measure out butter, milk, thyme, and flour. Mix the milk, broth and thyme ahead in a large glass measuring cup or bowl. Shred cooked chicken with a fork or chop it to bite sized pieces. Place cut chicken into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

8. Add sauteed veggies to the bowl with the chicken.

9. Add butter to now empty soup pot/dutch oven and melt over medium heat. Add flour and whisk continuously for about 1 to 2 minutes.

10. Add about 1 c. of your liquids and whisk continuously. As soon as liquid has been absorbed, add more until all the liquid (milk and broth) as well as thyme has been added. Simmer for a minute or two until thickened.

11. Add remaining salt and pepper (3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper) and taste. If needed, add more salt and pepper. Add sherry and stir.

12. Pour sauce over chicken and veggies in bowl and combine. Add peas and parsley and stir again, gently. Pour mixture into 9×12 in. dish. Remove biscuit rounds from fridge and arrange on top.

13. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until biscuits are golden and filling is bubbling. Serve