Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping

Growing up, I never had chicken pot pie that much, if I actually ever even did. My mother never made it because my father's ex had apparently served the frozen chicken pot pies on a fairly regular basis, claiming my father to proclaim that he "would never eat chicken pot pie again!" So thus, there was no need to bother making it in our household. Because I was never served it and because of my dad's strong aversion to it (remember, we're talking about frozen CPP, not homemade), I just assumed I didn't like it. That's the normal kid thing to do, right? If you've never tried it, obviously you don't like it. Anyways. I have since had a few chicken pot pies in my lifetime, but never anything overly impressive. It is certainly not a meal that I crave or would go out of my way to eat. Until now.

This chicken pot pie casserole was: Heavenly. Rich. Filling. Way better than a normal pot pie. It was downhome and traditional, but felt healthier than the average pot pie. It was like eating comfort food, but without the guilt. Basically, while it may be a little involved, the end result is really wonderful. Highly recommended for everyone to try! We also think that in the future we might use a variety of vegetables, because really, any combination would probably work. We also might attempt to make them in individual ramekans in order to help make them last longer!

Cooking Notes: The original recipe calls for leeks, which Will replaced with celery and also added kale. He also used 2 chicken breasts (about 1 pound worth), instead of measuring exactly 3 cups, like the original recipe calls for. The original recipe also calls for hard boiled eggs, which we definitely skipped.

Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping (adapted from The Kitchn; serves 6)
Filling
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup chopped onions, small dice
1 cup chopped carrots, small dice
1/2 bunch kale, leaves torn and stems diced into very small pieces
1 1/2 cups green beans, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups hot chicken stock
1 cup milk, warmed
2 tsp dry sherry
1 tsp sugar
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
Salt & pepper
Topping
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk

Begin by cooking the chicken breasts by boiling them for at least 15 minutes. You could also bake them. Then preheat oven to 425 F. For the filling, heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add the celery, onions, carrots, and kale stems, and saute until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the green beans in a pot of salted boiling water until tender and bright green, about 5-7 minutes. Drain the beans and set aside. Transfer the sauteed veggies to the same bowl as the green beans, season with salt, and set aside.

Melt the butter in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the flour and cook until a thick paste forms. Continue stirring for a minute or so. Add the chicken stock and milk, cook and whisk constantly until thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the sherry, sugar, and S&P to taste. Fold in the veggies, kale leaves, and cooked chicken into cream sauce. Season generously with S&P. Pour the filling into a 2-3 quart greased casserole dish.

For the topping, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and milk, whisking until combined. Pour the batter evenly over the casserole dish (it may appear runny). Bake the pot pie for 45 minutes, until the biscuit topping is light golden brown. remove from the oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe: The Kitchn: Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping