“Cozy” has been the theme of the week. The crisp fall air has rolled in, and the pumpkin beer has arrived. When Zach and I get home from work all we want are flannel pajamas, slippers, dim lighting, and lit candles… and of course a cozy, warm supper to match the ambiance.
Is there any meal cozier than chicken pot pie? Methinks not.
Even Oscar is hopping on the cozy bandwagon! However, he declined to partake in the pot pie. He is a cat, after all.
This was the best thing I’ve eaten all week. It’s so comforting, delicious, and warming. It comes together in a jiffy with a quick and easy whole wheat biscuit crust (no rolling out pie dough for this recipe!), making the meal 100% real/unprocessed, not counting a small amount of white flour used to thicken the gravy.*
And, it’s made in one pot! Just make sure you use a pot that can go from stovetop to oven. I used my Dutch oven, but you could use a cast iron skillet as well. It’s also really versatile- you can throw whatever veggies you have laying around in it (I added broccoli to mine) and any herbs or seasonings you want.
Use leftover roast chicken to make this, or any other pre-cooked shredded chicken. For mine, I cooked a whole chicken in the slow cooker all day when I was at work (with just salt and pepper for seasoning, and water added to the pot), so I had both cooked chicken AND chicken broth to use for this recipe when I got home. I left no waste behind- I actually went so far as to use the chicken fat to saute the veggies and add to the biscuit dough (as suggested in my original Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book). I definitely recommend trying this- not only was it amazingly tasty, but I got a ton of satisfaction knowing I was getting as much use out of the chicken as possible. (You can totally use butter too, though. No pressure. It will still be delicious!)
The meal can be prepped ahead of time as well: simply make the filling and keep in the fridge, and when you are ready to cook it mix up the biscuit topping, spoon on top of the filling, and bake! One more tip- As I was sitting down to eat the leftovers today at work, a coworker mentioned a brilliant idea. She makes her pot pies in individual ramekins, then freezes them for when she wants a quick and easy dinner for one. Genius!
Now, back to being cozy with my kitty, my husband, and my slippers. Ahhhhhh :-)
*A note about thickening the gravy- I’ve heard mixed things about using whole wheat flour for this purpose. I’ve never tried it so I can’t confirm or deny how well it works, but I tend to use white flour as a thickening agent without batting an eye, since it’s not the main event in the dish.
Chicken Pot Pie (with a whole wheat biscuit crust)
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion finely diced
- 2 ribs celery finely diced
- 2 carrots grated
- 1 cup chopped broccoli
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or parsley, thyme, and/or oregano
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock/broth
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken such as rotisserie
- 2 cups whole milk divided
- 1.5 cups whole wheat flour or 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Heat two tablespoons of the butter in a heavy dutch oven or cast iron skillet.
- Add onions, celery, carrots, broccoli, and rosemary and saute until tender (about 5 minutes).
- Add all-purpose flour (2 tablespoons); stir until vegetables are coated. Add peas (1 cup).
- Add chicken stock (2 cups) and stir (gravy should begin to thicken). Season with salt and pepper liberally.
- Add cooked chicken (2 cups) and 1 cup of the milk. Stir, heat through, and turn off heat once it is thickened.
- Meanwhile, mix together whole wheat flour (1.5 cups), baking powder (1 teaspoon), remaining 4 tablespoons butter (melted), and remaining 1 cup milk in a small bowl. Season with salt. Stir until combined.
- Spoon biscuit dough on top of chicken mixture (it does not have to be evenly spread- it will expand while cooking and float to the top).
- Bake in oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
Notes
- Chicken fat (schmaltz) can be used in place of the butter in the base and in the biscuits, if you have it available.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Alli Ryder-Holtz
Elizabeth, Allison here. Since I have this “efficiency” kitchen, I don’t have room to store so many things like wheat flour. Heck, I barely have room for a flour canister! What is your thought about using ready made (like Pillsbury) biscuits for the topping? Or just making biscuit dough instead of whole wheat flour biscuits?
Elizabeth Lindemann
You can certainly use biscuits, or biscuit dough, for the topping! Feel free to use regular flour too instead of whole wheat – just use about 2 tablespoons more in the mix. Hope that helps!
Liza
Hi, I want to make the filling without the biscuits on top. Do I need to cook the filling in the oven at all, or will the stovetop instructions suffice? Thanks.
Elizabeth Lindemann
The stovetop instructions are enough!
Summer
I don’t have any of these veggies but I have mixed veggies and a California blend veggies I have bought from aldi . How would I corporate this in the dish ? How much frozen should I use ? What is the serving size
Elizabeth Lindemann
Just toss 1-1.5 cups of the frozen veggies into the mix when you add the chicken stock, and heat up for a little until they defrost completely. That should work! I estimate the serving size to be about 2 cups.
Margaret Goshorn-Maroney
If I wanted to add potatoes, at what point should I do that?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Good question. Add them when you add the celery, carrots, and onions to the pot. Dice them up pretty small to ensure they cook all the way- I’d aim for no bigger than 1/2 of an inch. Hope that helps, and hope you like it!
Bethanni
Do you cook it in the oven with the lid on the Dutch oven or without a lid?
Elizabeth
Without! Good question ????
Margaret
When is the rosemary supposed to be used? It’s in your ingredients list but you don’t say when and where to use it.
Elizabeth
Omg, good catch! Sorry about that- editing the recipe now. Add it with the onions, celery, carrots, and broccoli in the beginning- unlike other herbs, rosemary is a bit tough uncooked, so I like to let it cook down as along as possible so it softens and so its flavor infuses into the recipe as much as possible.
Karla
Made this last weekend, and it turned out great! The crust is fantastic. Thanks for another great recipe! :-)
Elizabeth
Yay! Glad you liked it- it’s one of my faves!
Karla
Hello! Are the frozen peas to be thawed before you add them to the pot? Thanks!
Elizabeth
You can just add them in frozen!
Baking Magique
A very cozy dish indeed! perfect for autumn!
Lisa Lindemann
You’ve got “cozy” down. This looks delicious, and comforting. Got to try this.
Elizabeth
Thanks Lisa! :-)