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Ah, January! Cold, windy, snowy, bitter.
You make me want to hunker down and pull a pile of warm blankets over my head for a few weeks. Unfortunately such behavior is frowned upon in our modern world – even if you do claim to be a hermit. That is where meals like Chicken Pot Pie with Buttermilk Biscuit Crust come in – it makes even the coldest person want to climb out of their blankets and come to the table and enjoy a warming meal.
You can, of course, top a pot pie with a normal pastry type crust – leaving out the sugar of course, but I really prefer these biscuits. Not only are they easier, they add a hearty touch to this stew that nothing else quite equals.
You don’t have to follow my exact ingredients either – I often use different vegetables, even leftovers if I have some that I need to use up. You should put in whatever your family will enjoy most or what you have on hand.
Sometimes I throw in a handful or two of frozen mixed veggies, or add some cubed rutabaga or potatoes. I usually tend to stay away from the starchier vegetables in it though, because the crust is enough carbs for me – I prefer this kind of dish to be packed with cauliflower and broccoli.
Chicken Pot Pie with Buttermilk Biscuit Crust
Ingredients
Cooking the Chicken
- Olive oil
- kosher salt & fresh cracked pepper
- 3 medium sized chicken thighs - bone in and skin on
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 large stalk celery cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1 large carrot cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1 medium onion cut in eights
- 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs thyme or 1 teaspoon dried whole leaves
- 1 small rosemary stalk
- 4 cups of water
Making the Filling
- 1 large stalk celery cut in small dice
- 1 small onion cut in small dice
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup chopped broccoli
- 1 cup chopped cauliflower
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- salt and pepper as needed
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Buttermilk Biscuit Crust
- 1 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 6 tablespoons very cold butter cut in small cubes
- 1 cup cold buttermilk
Instructions
Cook the Chicken
- Place a good glug of olive oil in a 5 quart having soup pot or dutch oven, and set over a medium high burner.
- Trim the chicken thighs of excess fat, and pat dry with paper towels.
- Sprinkle all side of the chicken thighs with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.
- Carefully place chicken, skin side down in the hot oil in the pot. Make sure they aren't touching each other.
- Allow to brown, without moving or turning, for about 5 minutes, until the skin has a nice deep color, then turn over, and cook the other side another 5 minutes.
- When you turn the chicken over, add the celery, carrot and onion to the pan as well, pushing into the empty spaces between the thighs so that as much of it as possible is touching the bottom of the pan.
- After 5 minutes,carefully add the white wine to pan, and leave over medium high heat, until slightly reduced.
- Add the garlic, thyme, rosemary and 4 cups of water to the pan and cover.
- Lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 to 40 minutes, until chicken is cooked though.
- Remove chicken to a plate to cool off. When cool, remove bones and skin and cut meat into 1 inch chunks, reserve - discard bones and skin.
- Carefully, strain the broth through a mesh strainer and set aside.
- Wipe out the pot and return to the stove.
The Filling
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the soup pot and add the celery and onion. Cook for 5 minutes over low heat, until the vegetables are softened.
- Add the strained broth back to the pot, along with the carrot, broccoli and cauliflower, thyme and poultry seasoning.
- Bring up to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are nearly tender.
- Add the chicken and bring back up to a simmer. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Stir the half and half and cornstarch together until smooth, and add to the filling, stirring constantly, until the mixture is back to a simmer and slightly thickened.
- Hold mixture at a low simmer while you prepare the crust.
- Turn the oven to 400º to get it heating up.
Crust
- Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.
- Use a pastry cutter or two knives, or your fingers to blend in the butter - it should resemble coarse crumbs when you have it mixed together.
- Stir in the buttermilk, just until combined.
- Dust the counter with flour and turn out the dough - knead for a minute or two until a smooth ball is formed, then roll to the size of the baking dish you are using.
- Remove the filling from the heat and spread in a 3 quart baking dish.
- Lay the biscuit crust on top of the filling, and brush lightly with a tablespoon or so of additional buttermilk, or melted butter.
- Place in the oven, and bake for about 20 minutes, until the top of the crust is nicely browned and the gravy at the edges is bubbly.
- Allow to cool for about 5 to 10 minutes, and then serve.
A very welcome sight on a day like this!
Grilled Buffalo Hot Wings
Smoky Turkey Chili
Five-Cheese, Fifteen-Minute Stovetop Mac n Cheese
Herb Grilled Chicken Thighs
Pork Loin Chops with Apples and Onions
Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Zucchini
Chipotle Maple Chicken
Buttermilk Sriracha Chicken Burgers
Turkey Stuffed Delicata Squash
Chuck Steak Chili
I’m halfway thru making this and it smells incredible!!! It looked complicated at first, but once you get going with everything, it’s pretty easy. I can’t wait for my family to try it tonight! Thanks SO much for a perfect winter day recipe!!!
Barbara – thanks for letting me know how the recipe is working for you. I hope you will come back to let me know how your family liked it!
Perfect weather for some comforting chicken pot pie. So much easier than traditional pies as you just put the delicious buttermilk biscuit on time. Best for warming you from the inside out!
Thanks Bam – it really is so easy!
A true comfort dish for winter. I don’t think anyone can resist a buttery crust hiding a layer of tender, creamy chicken.
Thank you Carolyn – I hope that you give it a try!
This looks so good. I wonder what my Aussie family would say if I put this in front of them? “Scones on a chicken pie?” LOL It would be perfect for me!
That is funny Maureen – just remind them they are SAVORY scones 😀
Hubby and I keep several fleece throws on the couch and are typically huddled under them during the cold months – no shame 🙂 This pot pie looks fantastic!
That is funny Jennifer – we have his and hers fleece throws too! it is a must-have in this weather 🙂
This looks so perfect for these way too cold days, and biscuit crust? How brilliant is that!
Thanks Gintare – that crust does make things a lot easier!
We had this last night and it was SO good!!! Everyone loved it and fought over the last serving. I’ll be making this again very soon. THANK YOU!!!
Barbara, I could not be happier than to hear how much you enjoyed this recipe – thanks so much for coming back to tell me!
Well, this sure is the time of year for a nice Chicken Pie, and this recipe sounds wonderful. I love the idea of a buttermilk biscuit crust. Yum!
Thank you Adri!
A good pot pie is so comforting! I love them. I haven’t made one for ages for some reason. But we’ve been having perfect pot pie weather lately – snowy and cold. Good stuff – thanks.
A great dish for the cold weather we’re having. Great comfort food! love the buttermilk biscuit topping!