chicken pot pie

I have never made chicken pot pie for my kids.  I don't know why, I just haven't.  But as I mentioned two posts ago, I had to scrounge around for recipes this paycheck.  I had an extra pie crust in the refrigerator left over from Thanksgiving (bought on sale and with a coupon, of course!).  If I didn't have one, I would have made a crust from scratch.  I then combined a can of cream of chicken soup, a couple of diced chicken breasts (cooked), a can of drained corn and a can of french cutgreen  beans.  They weren't my first choice for vegetables, but they were actually pretty tasty!  I poured them into my crust and then dropped a biscuit mixture on top (recipe follows).  I then cooked it at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.   Because this was a new recipe, my kids weren't anxious to try it...but they did.  It wasn't their favorite, and I think that next time I try it, I will add some different vegetables.  I told them to just pick out the parts of the dinner that they wanted to eat.  It usually takes about 3-4 times of exposing my kids to a new dish before they start to eat it without complaining.  I have found that if we offer a dessert afterwards, they are more willing to eat it.  They also eat for an extra glass of kool-aid.  If they don't eat, we don't offer them anything else.  This cuts down on pickiness and we don't waste food and I don't have to spend time preparing double meals for them. 

Here's the recipe.  I had already had chicken pot pie on the menu, but then saw Elmo cooking on the Nate Berkus show.  He just happened to be making chicken pot pie and he put this biscuit recipe on top.  I didn't have any whole wheat flour, so I just used white flour.  It's in his B is for Baking cookbook. 

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 T. cold butter, cut in pieces
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoon olive oil

In large bowl, whisk flour, wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add butter pieces and mix the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers until crumbly. Stir in parmesan cheese. Stir in buttermilk and oil just until mixed. 

My kids LOVED the biscuit part.  Here is Elmo's full recipe if you have a few more ingredients on hand (and if your kids aren't fans of cream of chicken soup).  Maybe one day I will try it. 

Elmo’s Chicken Pot Pie
Filling
1 cup cremini or white mushrooms, stems removed
1 T. olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 small celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 small potato, peeled and finely diced
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup vegetable broth or bouillon
3/4 cup low-fat milk
1 c. diced cooked chicken
1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed
1/2 c. frozen corn kernels, thawed
Buttermilk biscuit topping
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 T. cold butter, cut in pieces
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoon olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With the help of an adult, use a plastic knife to slice the mushrooms, or use your fingers to break them into small pieces.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in mushrooms and cook 3 minutes longer.
Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir to dissolve. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir broth and milk into the vegetable mixture until a smooth sauce forms. Cook on low heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in chicken, peas and corn. Pour mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish.
In large bowl, whisk flour, wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add butter pieces and mix the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers until crumbly. Stir in parmesan cheese. Stir in buttermilk and oil just until mixed.
Scoop the biscuit dough with a big spoon, drop on top of the vegetable filling and spread all around the edges of the dish.
Place dish on a baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes, or until biscuit topping is golden brown and the filling bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.