New Years Revelations Part II: Chicken Pot Pie

Previously on Boilermaker Kitchen. Chicken Three Ways was quite a success for both me and my kitchen methods, yet the pot pie was by far the most complicated (and heavy) of the dishes. So I was looking for a dish that is hearty, comforting, and somewhat healthy.

The following dish takes place between work time and dinner time.

No crazy tricks with this recipe. It's more or less ripped straight from my new favorite practical cookbook, "The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook". It's easy, fun to make, delicious, and it only has 380 calories per serving. I am so there. The only thing I forgot was to take some pictures (smack), but I imagine this dish will be making the rounds again in the near future, so expect an update to this update. This recipe is slightly modified to work easier as well as serve 4 people.

Chicken Pot Pie

Filling

3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 rib celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 t dried thyme (or 1 t fresh)
1 t vegetable oil
salt
pepper
1/8 c dry sherry
2 C low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/8 C cornstarch
1/8 C half and half
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 T minced fresh parsley


Biscuits

2 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 T butter, melted and cooled
1/3 C buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large pot or dutch oven add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, oil, and ~1/2 t salt. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 12 minutes (this is a great way to cook vegetables with less oil). Once soft, stir in sherry, broth and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken breasts into the broth, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook the chicken until done (160°F), about 10-12 minutes. You will probably need to flip the chicken half way through.

Transfer chicken to a plate to cool. Return sauce to a simmer. Whisk cornstarch and half and half together and add to sauce, stirring until thickened, about 1 minute. If you find the sauce not thick enough, add 1T cornstarch to 2T water and add that. Once thick, remove from heat, remove bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Shred chicken and add to sauce. Pour the sauce into 4 ramekins or an 8x8 inch baking dish.

For the biscuits, whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl to combine. In a separate bowl combine the melted butter and buttermilk. Stir into the flour mixture until just combined and wet. If still dry add a bit more buttermilk. Divide dough into four parts and place over filling, spreading the dough out slightly. Bake until biscuits are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.