Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie

I have the hardest time coming up with Things to Make for Supper. It's not like it's actually hard to make tasty dinners; but I usually wait until Helen's second nap (around 2:30) to even begin to contemplate supper, and by that time it's pretty much too late to take any meat out of the freezer. Then Helen wakes up and I need to feed her, change her diaper and get her in a good mood so she doesn't scream at me while I'm chopping vegetables. And it's 4:30 and I'm wracking my brain for something to make.

Enough was enough. I decided to start A Planned Menu.

I consulted with Reuben and came up with 2 week rotating menu. Somehow just knowing what I need to cook makes me get it done. I know to plan ahead and buy the food I need for the week and take meat out of the freezer the night before. So far I'm loving it.

This chicken pot pie is one of my favorite suppers on the rotation. It's delicious and so so easy. You needn't fuss over a pie crust: the carbs come in the form of easy-peasy drop biscuits. 

Confession: I dislike cutting butter into flour. It feels like so much work, slicing the butter into small pieces and working it into the flour with a pastry cutter. So I cheated with these biscuits: I melted the butter and added it to the flour along with the sour cream. I really couldn't tell the difference!

Do you ever cheat in the kitchen to make your life easier?

PS: Let me know if you guys would be interested in seeing my two-week-rotating-menu.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie with Sour Cream Biscuits

adapted from Ellie Krieger | makes 6 servings | PRINTABLE PAGE

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 of a medium onion (more if desired), chopped fine
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
• 2 stalks of celery, sliced thin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or chopped fine
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups liquid (I used 1/2 cup cream and 2 cups chicken broth, but you can use a combination of milk and any broth you wish)
• 4 cups cooked chicken
• 2 cups frozen peas

For the biscuits:

• 1/2 cup sprouted spelt flour
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

For the filling:

1) In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Once it's nice and hot, add the onion and cook until softened and transparent. Add the carrots and celery and cover; cook until tender. Add the garlic, salt and pepper to taste and thyme and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

2) Slowly add the broth and milk or cream, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken and peas. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Pour into a baking dish (mine was 7" x 9" but you could use a square pan as well).

For the biscuits:

1) Meanwhile, as the filling is coming to a boil, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the melted butter and sour cream and mix just until combined. 

3) Scoop the biscuits over the prepared filling in 6 large lumps. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the biscuits are golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.