What's for Dinner? Biscuit Pot Pie!

So, now that it is getting colder out (okay, okay, it was 82 today, but this morning it was 65 and felt awesome!) I am starting to crave more comfort-y foods.  I haven't made this yet this year, so I thought it was a good time to pull it out.  This is one of our favorites.  It is a pot pie, except instead of a thick pie crust topping, it has biscuits.  It is healthier for you and simple to make.  You can make it even easier if you substitute half a rotisserie chicken for the raw chicken breasts (I did this tonight, and tomorrow will have another recipe using the rest of the chicken) and frozen veggies (I use fresh, but nothing wrong with cutting corners!).  Give it a try, it is perfect for fall, even if it is still warm out!  Enjoy!

Biscuit Pot Pie

Serves 5-6

• 2 T olive oil
• 3/4 lb boneless chicken breasts (OR 1/2 rotisserie chicken, white and dark meat, meat pulled from bones and skin and chopped)
• 2 T butter or spread
  1 medium onion, diced
  3 stalks celery, diced or thinly sliced
• 8 medium white mushrooms, quartered
  3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup frozen peas (if you want to make it a bit easier, omit fresh carrot and use a frozen veggie medley here)
  1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup half & half (or heavy cream or milk)
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4-5 dashes of Tabasco (optional)
• cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
• 1 can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (don't use the huge "Grands" ones...just regular size)

Preheat oven to 350. Heat 1 TBSP oil in skillet with an oven-proof handle.  Add chicken (may slice chicken before hand to reduce cooking time).  Sauté until chicken is cooked through.  Transfer to cutting board, let cool and chop (if using rotisserie chicken, omit this first part.) In same skillet, heat butter/oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion, celery, carrot and mushrooms and sauté until soft.  Add garlic and saute one minute more.  Sprinkle flour over veggies and cook for about a minute.  Slowly pour in chicken broth, stirring constantly.  Simmer until mixture is very thick, about 3-6 minutes.  Add in half & half. Add more chicken broth if necessary.  Add chicken and frozen peas into vegetable mixture and bring to a low boil.  Remove from heat (mixture should be thick).  Add salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, thyme, Tabasco and cayenne.  Place uncooked biscuits on top of mixture, evenly spaced, about ½-1 inch apart until top is fully covered.  Put skillet in oven (if no oven-proof skillet, pour mixture in a glass baking dish before topping with biscuits) and bake according to biscuit instructions until biscuits are cooked and brown on top and mixture is hot and bubbling (I found that it takes longer than the biscuit instructions...up to 10 minutes longer...just watch them!).

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