Even if you don’t like Chicken Potpie, you will love this recipe. How do I know this? Because I don’t like Chicken Potpie but I did love this meal. It takes all the things I hate about Chicken Potpie out of the recipe and replaces them with things that are…well, good. No pie crust, no frozen vegetable mix. Fresh vegetables and biscuits replace those odious components. Am I coming on a little strong with the negativity towards them? I’ve spent 33 years in avoidance of ever having to eat Chicken Potpie because of those two things. Old habits die hard.  So when I saw this recipe in my Food Network Kitchens Cookbook (and let’s be honest, it was the picture that drew my attention!) I was surprised that I felt the need to try it. But it just looked so GOOD!

This is a modified (and slightly re-named) version of that recipe. I originally had every intention of cooking up the chicken myself and making my own biscuit dough to place on top in those pretty diamond shapes like they have in their picture. However…Yesterday was not a particularly good day for me. Lilly and I were both sleep deprived and cranky. On top of it, I was really tired of fighting this dumb cold that won’t let go! I just wanted to get a good comforting dinner on the table with as little effort as possible. You’ve heard that necessity is the mother of invention? Well, sometimes mommy’s crankiness is the mother of invention. There was no way I was going to make a huge mess in my kitchen for home-made biscuit dough. So while Trinity was at ballet class, Lilly and I (spirits already lifting at my genius “Lazy Girl” recipe changes) made a jaunt to the store for a tube of buttermilk biscuits. This was the decision that turned my whole day around. Do you know my afternoon just got better and better from there? Lilly, who is typically not a great afternoon ‘errand runner’ was super cute and charming the pants off of everyone in the store. Then the girls were sweet to each other in the car ride home AND played together nicely leaving me with quiet, undisturbed time to make dinner. I pulled shredded rotisserie chicken out of my freezer and got to work. The results were so yummy, Trinity was still talking about it at breakfast this morning “Dinner was so good last night, mommy!”  I think I’ll make it this way every time. 🙂

Lazy Girl’s Chicken-n-Biscuits ‘Potpie’

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 -3 cups cooked, shredded chicken meat
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3-4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 7 button mushrooms quartered
• 1 rib celery cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 1 tsp dried thyme (the original recipe called for fresh dill but the store was out. I figured thyme would be a good flavor in this…plus I already had it on hand!)
• black pepper
• 1 tube of store bought biscuits. (I used 10 smaller ones but you could use whatever you like)
• milk (for brushing the biscuits)

1. Preheat the oven to whatever temperature your biscuits require for baking.
2. Melt the butter in a 9-inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat.This is the perfect start to a comfort-food meal after a bad day!
3. Add carrots, mushrooms, celery, and salt and cook until vegetables are light brown, about 4 minutes. Add the onions and cook about 1 minute more.
4. Stir the flour into the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly, stirring constantly, add the chicken broth and continue stirring until it comes to a boil.
5. Reduce heat slightly and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken, thyme, parsley, and a good pinch of freshly ground pepper. Stir until heated through. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
6. Place biscuits on top, brush with milk and put the skillet in the oven to bake until biscuits are golden brown. (Follow the time suggestion on the biscuits you used).