Confetti Chicken Bake with Cheddar Biscuit Topping
This delicious and comforting chicken bake is a delightful and updated version of a childhood classic, minus the cream of chicken soup.
This delicious and comforting chicken bake is a delightful and updated version of a childhood classic, minus the cream of chicken soup.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup 2% milk
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 1/2 cup yellow onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves fine minced
- 1/2 cup red pepper diced
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shreadded
- Carbohydrate 26.2851140495199 g
- Cholesterol 1058.8748958594 mg
- Fat 180.434520316488 g
- Fiber 2.01281229658289 g
- Protein 237.171338752118 g
- Saturated Fat 76.7396728873005 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1042g)
- Sodium 1416.01159359055 mg
- Sugar 24.272301752937 g
- Trans Fat 15.2194031733785 g
- Calories 2726 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add them to the hot skillet.
- Cook the chicken, stirring every so often, until browned and cooked through, 5-6 minutes.
- Remove the chicken pieces to a plate.
- Add the butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion, garlic, and red pepper.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until the veggies are crisp tender but not cooked through all the way (they'll cook longer in the oven).
- Stir in the flour and whisk the mixture together, cooking over medium heat until the flour starts to turn golden, about 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, whisking vigorously to eliminate any lumps of flour on the vegetables.
- Continue adding the chicken broth and whisking and then do the same with the milk.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook until slightly thickened, 4-5 minutes.
- Add the salt and pepper (plus more to taste, if needed) and stir in the frozen peas and cooked chicken.
- Immediately transfer the mixture to a 9X13-inch baking dish.
- To make the biscuit mixture, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
- Stir in the eggs, milk and cheese, mixing just until evenly moistened.
- Scoop tablespoon-size portions of dough onto the top of the chicken/vegetable mixture.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through.
- Serve immediately.
Replacing canned cream soups with a scratch-made velouté thickened directly in the skillet builds a vastly superior foundation of flavor, bridging the savory pan-drippings from the browned poultry directly into the dairy-enriched sauce. Sautéing the onions, minced garlic, and diced red peppers just until crisp-tender prevents them from turning into mush during the final thirty-minute oven bake. Whisking the flour into the melted butter and cooking it until it turns golden eliminates the raw starch taste entirely, ensuring a smooth sauce when the chicken broth and milk are gradually introduced. Because the biscuit dough contains a high proportion of dairy and eggs, drop tablespoon-sized portions rapidly across the hot filling so the leavening agents do not prematurely exhaust themselves on the counter. While this casserole thrives when served straight from the oven, assembly can happen hours in advance if the unbaked dish is tightly sealed and refrigerated immediately. Leftovers maintain their structural integrity surprisingly well for up to three days, though the biscuits will soften noticeably as they absorb moisture from the surrounding sauce. Reheat individual portions gently in a 350 degrees F oven rather than a microwave to restore crispness to the cheddar crust without drying out the tender chicken breast meat below. Pair this rich, self-contained main course with a sharp, vinegar-dressed green salad to balance the heavy dairy fats in the biscuit topping and sauce.
