Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuit Crust
This is the chicken pot pie recipe I use as our standard. It is from cookbook. If making the whole recipe, use the large white oblong casserole dish. If halving the recipe, use the round white casserole dish. The recipe says that this dish may also be made in individual pies. Use single-serving ramekins and shorten the cooking time to 15 minutes. Can also use leftover cooked chicken breast or turkey. For variety, try adding ham or mushrooms to the filling.
This is the chicken pot pie recipe I use as our standard. It is from cookbook. If making the whole recipe, use the large white oblong casserole dish. If halving the recipe, use the round white casserole dish. The recipe says that this dish may also be made in individual pies. Use single-serving ramekins and shorten the cooking time to 15 minutes. Can also use leftover cooked chicken breast or turkey. For variety, try adding ham or mushrooms to the filling.
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- crust
- filling
- 3 cups chicken broth low-salt
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast halves
- 3 carrots diced
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 cup onions peeled and chopped
- 4 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup frozen peas or more
- 1/4 cup corn kernels (or more) fresh canned or frozen
- salt-and-pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cold butter cut into bits
- 1/3 cups sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- egg wash (1 egg yolk +1 tablespoon milk)
- Carbohydrate 38.7375196282051 g
- Cholesterol 87.369 mg
- Fat 19.6782358283166 g
- Fiber 4.25164999580824 g
- Protein 11.2577560156076 g
- Saturated Fat 11.9958006793478 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (260g)
- Sodium 284.834250923216 mg
- Sugar 34.4858696323969 g
- Trans Fat 1.58534875557413 g
- Calories 373 calories
Step-by-step
- To make the filling, bring the stock to a low simmer in the Le Creuset.
- Add the chicken and put the heat on low (never allowing to boil) for about 20 to 30 min.
- Ensure the meat no longer pink when cut.
- Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.
- Add the carrots, potatoes and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 5 min+.
- Dice the meat.
- Drain and reserve the stock and set the vegetables aside.
- Melt the butter in the same Dutch oven and cook the chopped onions, stirring over medium heat until they are soft, then sprinkle in the flour and cook some more, stirring, about 3 to 5 min.
- Add the milk and 2 cups of the reserved chicken stock used to cook the vegetables in a stream, stirring, and bring to a boil.
- Add the thyme and nutmeg, and cook about 5 min.
- The mixture should be thick.
- Add the peas and corn, taste and adjust the seasoning.
- (Takes a fair amount of kosher salt and pepper.
- I have also added white wine vinegar and porcini mushroom powder).
- Add the diced chicken and the cooked carrots, potatoes to the pot and stir to combine.
- Turn the mixture into a casserole dish and make the crust.
- To make the crust, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cut in the butter until the dough resembles coarse meal then toss in the grated cheese.
- Food processor can be used to do this.
- Whisk the egg with buttermilk.
- Add this to the flour mixture and gently stir (or pulse) to make a soft dough with adding additional flour as needed.
- Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured board or the Silpat.
- Pat or roll it into a large round.
- Can cut the dough into 2 1/2 inch circles by using a glass or have also added the entire crust to generally fit the shape of the baking dish.
- Place the biscuits (or entire crust) on top of the chicken filling and brush with the egg wash.
- Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 20 to 25 min. or until the crust is golden brown.
Poaching raw poultry gently at 180 degrees Fahrenheit prevents muscle fibers from seizing, yielding tender chunks that hold their moisture even after a second round of baking inside a hot oven. Professional kitchens routinely exploit this gentle cooking method for roasted or stewed meats, ensuring proteins remain succulent rather than dry and stringy. Building the velouté sauce requires cooking the flour and butter roux for at least four minutes to eliminate any raw starch taste before whisking in the warm stock and dairy. Cold butter cut into the dry ingredients creates pockets of steam as it melts in a 425-degree oven, guaranteeing a flaky texture throughout the cheddar-infused biscuit topping.
Adapting for Second-Day Proteins and Freezing
Leftover roasted turkey or previously cooked chicken breast can entirely replace the raw poaching step, cutting active preparation time down significantly when using pre-cooked ingredients. Portioning the unbaked assembly into individual ramekins requires shortening the baking time to precisely fifteen minutes to match the smaller volume of filling. Unbaked pies tolerate freezing for up to two months when wrapped tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil, though thawing them completely in the refrigerator for twenty-four hours before baking prevents the bottom crust from becoming soggy.
- Thickening agents fail when starches are added to boiling liquids; always whisk flour into melted butter over moderate heat before introducing liquids.
- Dough becomes tough when overworked, so fold the buttermilk and egg mixture into the flour until just combined with visible bits of butter remaining.
- Soggy bottom crusts result from putting hot filling directly under raw dough; cool the vegetable and meat mixture slightly before topping.
