Chicken Pot Pie

Is there anything more American, more comforting than Chicken Pot Pie?  This is such a basic dish but it is always so comforting, so tasty.  For this chicken pot pie, I made it in a big casserole dish and topped with homemade biscuits instead of a traditional pastry crust.  I love biscuits and I really like the way this looks.  It is a good change up if you want to put a slightly different flavor profile and appearance for your chicken pot pie.  I looked up the origin of pot pie and it probably comes from Britain.  The primary difference the American version has adapted is making more of a gravy in its composition.

Ingredients (adapted from Ina Garten):
4 chicken bone in, skin on breasts
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Lawry’s Season Salt
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tbsp chicken base
1 stick unsalted butter
2 yellow onions, chopped
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup non-fat half and half
2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
10-ounce frozen peas
10-ounces frozen corn
2 jars of small whole (pearl) onions
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Biscuits

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken on a broiling pan and rub them generously with the salt, pepper and season salt.  Roast for 35 to 50 minutes, or until cooked through.  Set aside and let cool.  Once cooled, pull the meat from the bones using your hands.  Throw away the skin unless you plan to make some stock.  The chicken should be pulled into oblong bite size pieces.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock.  Also, add the water and the chicken base – bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

You want to soften the onions, not brown them.  Add the flour to create a roux.

This should take a couple of minutes.  Next, add the hot chicken stock into the roux.  Simmer over low heat for a couple of minutes, stirring so the sauce/gravy becomes thick.

Add the salt, pepper, and half and half.  Add the chicken, carrots, corn, peas, onions

and parsley.

Mix well.  Pour in to a casserole dish and set aside.  30 minutes before you plan to eat, put the casserole into a 350 degree oven to warm.  In the last 10 minutes of cooking, top with the biscuits so they too come out warm.

Serve and enjoy!