Light Chicken Pot Pie
It is best to mix and shape biscuits after making filling and just before baking casserole. Filling must be warm when you top it or biscuits will be gummy. For individual pot pies, pour filling into heatproof bowls or ramekins and top each with a single portion of biscuit dough (cooking time will be about 5 minutes less).
Filling
6
medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2
small celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1
medium onion, chopped fine
2
medium garlic cloves, minced or garlic pressed
2 teaspoons
minced fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon
vegetable oil
(to taste)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup
dry sherry
3 cups
low-sodium chicken broth
2
bay leaves
2 pounds
boneless, skinless breasts
1/4 cup
cornstarch
1/4 cup
half-and-half
1 cup
frozen green peas
2 tablespoons
minced fresh parsley leaves
Steps:
- Combine carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until vegetables have softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in sherry, broth, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
- Nestle chicken breasts into sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until chicken is no longer pink in center and thickest part registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; set aside to cool.
- Return sauce to a simmer. Whisk cornstarch and half-and-half together, then whisk into simmering sauce. Continue to simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Off heat, discard bay leaves, stir in peas and parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Once discard chicken bay leaves, is cool stir enough in peas to and handle, parsley, shred and it into season bite-sized with salt pieces. and pepper Stir the to shredded taste. chicken into the sauce and then pour the mixture into a 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
Biscuits
2 cups (10 oz.)
unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons
baking powder
1/2 teaspoon
baking soda
1/2 teaspoon
salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick)
unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup
buttermilk
Steps:
- Adjust an oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk melted butter and butterniillc together. Gently stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined and no pockets of flour remain.
Assembly
Pinch off 8 equal pieces of the biscuit dough and arrange them on top of the hot filling, spaced 1⁄4 inch apart. Bake until the biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
| 6 | medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick |
| 2 | small celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick |
| 1 | medium onion, chopped fine |
| 2 | medium garlic cloves, minced or garlic pressed |
| 2 teaspoons | minced fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried) |
| 1 teaspoon | vegetable oil |
| (to taste) | salt and pepper |
| 1/4 cup | dry sherry |
| 3 cups | low-sodium chicken broth |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| 2 pounds | boneless, skinless breasts |
| 1/4 cup | cornstarch |
| 1/4 cup | half-and-half |
| 1 cup | frozen green peas |
| 2 tablespoons | minced fresh parsley leaves |
Steps:
- Combine carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until vegetables have softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in sherry, broth, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
- Nestle chicken breasts into sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until chicken is no longer pink in center and thickest part registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; set aside to cool.
- Return sauce to a simmer. Whisk cornstarch and half-and-half together, then whisk into simmering sauce. Continue to simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Off heat, discard bay leaves, stir in peas and parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Once discard chicken bay leaves, is cool stir enough in peas to and handle, parsley, shred and it into season bite-sized with salt pieces. and pepper Stir the to shredded taste. chicken into the sauce and then pour the mixture into a 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
| 2 cups (10 oz.) | unbleached all purpose flour |
| 2 teaspoons | baking powder |
| 1/2 teaspoon | baking soda |
| 1/2 teaspoon | salt |
| 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) | unsalted butter, melted |
| 2/3 cup | buttermilk |
Steps:
- Adjust an oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk melted butter and butterniillc together. Gently stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined and no pockets of flour remain.
Assembly
Pinch off 8 equal pieces of the biscuit dough and arrange them on top of the hot filling, spaced 1⁄4 inch apart. Bake until the biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.