Lies, Lies, Lies and Chicken Pot Pies!!

These are the best biscuits I ever made!

Okay, so I really am bad at blogging.  Well, I kind of have a good reason...Dell.  My computer has been acting up.  It just shuts off right in the middle of everything.  Extremely frustrating.  Anyway, I think we will promise to do this...Post the Frat Menu on Sunday Night along with a recipe or two.  Then, if possible, I will add recipes during the week. 

 

Here's the Menu

 

Monday
Lunch-Chop Chop Chicken Cobb Salad with Potato Soup
Dinner-Roasted Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Green Beans, Homemade Rolls
Tuesday
Lunch-Chicken Salad on Croissants, Fresh Fruit, Chips, Yogurt
Dinner-Brie & Brisket Quesadillas, Cucumber & Onion Salad
Wednesday
Lunch-Grilled Ham & Cheese, Tomato Soup
Formal Dinner-Chicken Marsala, Spinach & Berry Salad, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Bread
Thursday
Lunch-Crepes with Fruit Compote, Sausage Links, Fresh Fruit Salad
Dinner-Meatball Subs, Corn, Green Salad
Friday
Lunch-Boneless Chicken Wings, Baked Fries, Fresh Veggies and Dip
Desserts-Double Chocolate Chip Cookies ~ Cream Cheese Brownies ~ Fresh Made Eclair

 

Last week we had some great food.  Chicken Pot Pie was a huge hit. 


We made this completely from scratch! This ain't no canned soup recipe!

 Frankly Friends, I am having a devil of time posting recipes! You know why?  Cuz I never use the darn things! This one is particularly hard since I wing it every time.  But here's my best effort...

 

The chicken ~ you can use any kind of chicken you want, but my favorite way to make this is by using fresh skinless chicken breast on the bone that has been cooked in a pressure cooker.  It cooks fast, retains lots of flavor and leaves you with a nice chicken broth.  The meat falls right off the bone.  Many folks prefer the dark meat, so use the whole chicken if you like.  It's much less expensive as well.

 

The biscuits ~ I used a recipe from Country Living that you will find below.  I recommend doubling it so you have enough for the topping as well as for some butter and honey! I also recommend making the biscuits first.  Only roll out 1/2 the dough and leave the rest for topping the pot pie. See if you can get someone else to make the biscuit dough while you work on the filling.  Don't forget to lower the oven temp down to 400 after baking the biscuits.

 

Classic Biscuit Recipe
The following recipe is the best recipe for biscuits I have ever made.  It is from Country Living Magazine
 http://www.countryliving.com/recipefinder/classic-biscuit-recipe

 

1/2 cup(s) unsalted butter
2 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour (sifted twice before measuring)
1 tablespoon(s) baking powder
1 teaspoon(s) salt
1 cup(s) cold buttermilk
2 tablespoon(s) cold buttermilk
1 tablespoon(s) melted butter

 

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Directions

1. Heat oven to 475 degrees F. Cut butter into small cubes and freeze 15 minutes. Stir dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Cut in butter using either a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers until mixture resembles a coarse meal.
3. Stir in buttermilk using a fork just until dough forms. Knead 3 to 4 turns on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- by 10-inch rectangle. Cut out biscuits using a 3-inch cutter (gathering scraps until all dough is used).
4. Place 2 inches apart on a baking pan. Brush tops with melted butter.
5. Bake on top shelf of oven 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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The Filling
Oven 400
4 tbsp butter
1 large onion chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
5 carrots, peeled and cut in 1/2 inch slices on the bias
1 cup mushrooms, sliced thin
4 cups shredded chicken
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cups skimmed broth, divided
1 16 oz bag mixed veggies or...
1 cup frozen corn or corn cut off the cobb
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup chopped frozen or fresh green beans (not canned!)
2 cups milk, or cream

 

Into a large saucepot, add butter, onion, celery, & carrots.  Cook until onions are soft.  Add mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are tender.  Add the chicken, cook for 1 minute, add the water and bay leaves. Let this simmer on low while you make the roux.
In a bowl, add the flour, poultry seasoning , salt and pepper.  Slowly pour about 1/4 -1/2 cup of the broth into flour while stirring with a whisk until it makes a thick paste or roux.  After the roux is formed, slowly add the remaining broth stirring until there are no lumps and it is liquid.  While stirring the chicken mixture, add the roux to the pan.
Now add the remaining veggies and milk or cream. Cover and cook on low until it thickens.
Pour filling into a buttered/sprayed baking dish.  Top the filling with 1 inch balls of biscuit dough with a small space in between.  When baking, since the filling is fully cooked, once the biscuit topping is brown, it's done.
Should be about 15 minutes.

 

 



We made this completely from scratch! This ain't no canned soup recipe!