EASY CHEESY CHICKEN POT PIE WITH CHEDDAR CHIVE BISCUITS

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sliced or chopped baby carrot
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 1/2 cups diced red potato
1/2 cup diced celery
1 tsp salt
2 medium chicken breasts, cooked and diced (about 2 cups chicken, see note)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
3/4 cup whole milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used 2%)
1 cup frozen baby peas
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped chive
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tsp Salt
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used 2%)
4 tbsp cold butter cut into cubes
4 tbsp vegetable shortening
1 cup cold buttermilk
1 egg + 2 tsp. water

INSTRUCTIONS:

(READ RECIPE AND NOTES BEFORE PREPARING!) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 7×11 baking dish with non-stick spray or butter.

Heat a large skillet to a medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of butter. When butter melts, add chopped carrot, onion, potato, celery and 1 teaspoon salt. Sweat vegetables until softened, but still have a bite to them, about 8 minutes.

Add flour to vegetables, cook for 1 minute. Add in sherry, chicken stock and milk. Quickly stir the liquid with the vegetables to make sure no lumps form. Once the flour, veggies and liquid are incorporating, bring the mixture up to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add chicken, toss and then simmer until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.

Once thickened, turn the heat off and add cheese. Stir until cheese has completely melted. Add frozen peas, toss to coat. Season filling with salt and pepper. For my taste, I added about another 1/4-1/2 tsp salt. Keep in mind, every palate is different, so you may need less or more, taste before doing anything, then adjust! Continue to do so until it’s to your liking.

Transfer to prepared baking dish and top with biscuits. Brush with egg wash mixture. Bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and cooked through. Garnish with chopped chive.

For the biscuits: I highly recommend making these while the veggies cook, then pop them in the freezer until the filling is complete. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Add in chives and cheese. Stir with a fork to combine. Add in cubed butter and shortening. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the fat in to the flour mixture. It shouldn’t take long, you want there to be small, pea-sized chunks of fat distributed throughout the flour.

Once the fat is cut in, add half of the buttermilk. Use your fork to gently toss until evenly coated. Add the other half of the buttermilk and continue to stir until incorporated. DO NOT OVER MIX!

Dump dough out on to a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to gently form it into a (approximately) 6×8 rectangle. Fold the dough in half over itself and roll into another rectangle the same size. Repeat two more times. On the last once roll, the dough out so it’s about 1/4 inch inch tall. Use a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut 12 biscuits. If needed, reform scraps of dough to make all 12. Make sure you don’t twist the biscuit cutter into the dough, just go straight down forcefully and straight back up. To prevent the cutter from stick, dip in flour before you make each biscuit. Place the biscuits on a small baking sheet and place in the freezer until the filling is complete.

RECIPE NOTES:

If using raw chicken to begin with and not leftover or rotisserie chicken, speed up the cooking process by cooking the chicken first. Split each breast in half lengthwise so you have four thinner portions, season with salt and pepper on both sides and sear in a non-stick skillet with a little bit of olive oil. Prep your veggies as it cooks.
Also, while the vegetables cook, make your biscuits and then pop them in the freezer while you continue to make the filling. Utilizing idle time is the best way to efficiently make recipes! Also, keeping the biscuits in the freezer while everything else finishes up, ensures flaky biscuits!
The serves four people, easy, and six conservative eaters. If your family has big eaters in it, I’d double the filling, but keep the biscuits the same.

source: 07recipes.com