Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Crust

We’ve got two months left in the year and lots of holidays between now and then. Statistics say some of you set resolutions to lose weight this year or improve your health by eating better.  Are you one of them? How have you done so far this year? You’ve still got two whole months left to beat the rush for the next year resolution setting.

You’ve probably convinced yourself that it needs to be tough going and flavorless. Well that’s not entirely true. You can opt for the chicken breast and broccoli route if you choose, but you don’t necessarily have to give up the fun stuff. You can even have comfort foods like pot pie if you get a little bit creative. I decided to put together a chicken pot pie and used a biscuit crust instead of your  typical pie crust.

It still had that crunchiness to it and buttery flavor but I was able to use less of it since I didn’t cover the entire top of the pie. If you want, you can also leave off the crust completely and just bake the filling or serve the filling over rice or pasta. I had trouble keeping The Kid out of the filling while I was making the biscuits. She kept coming in and picking at it so it’s definitely a hit with the younger crowd. 😉

Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Crust 

• 1 cup (160g) onions, chopped
• 2/3 cup (81g) celery, chopped
• 2/3 cup (78g) carrots, chopped
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup (.75 oz) all purpose flour
• 2 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 16 oz cooked chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2/3 cup (89g) frozen peas, thawed
• 1 1/2 tsp dried poultry seasoning

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray and add the onions, celery and carrots. Cook for about 4 – 5 minutes until the celery and onions soften and the carrots are slightly cooked. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook for another minute.

Sprinkle the flour over top of the veggies and heat for about a minute. Pour in the chicken broth while whisking to combine the broth with the flour. Whisking prevents lumps from forming. If you do end up with some lumps, just mash them with a fork to break them up. No worries.

Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat slightly. Simmer for about 7 or 8 until the sauce thickens a bit. Stir in the chicken pieces and peas. Simmer for another 5 minutes and remove from heat. Mix in the poultry seasoning. Pour the mixture into a 2 quart baking dish and prepare the crust.

Biscuit Crust

• 3 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup (3 oz) all purpose flour
• 2/3 tsp baking soda (slightly rounded 1/2 tsp)
• 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp non-dairy butter

Combine the vinegar and milk in a small bowl and sit aside for a couple minutes to sour. Combine the flour and baking soda in a bowl and add the butter. Mix the flour and butter with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Add the sour milk and mix just until combined.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured piece of waxed paper, and knead just slightly with your hands into a ball. Press with your fingers into a circle that is just a little bit smaller than the top of your baking dish. Flip the dough onto the top of your pot pie and remove the waxed paper.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes until the biscuit topping is golden. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving. Makes 4 servings:

Pot Pie Filling is approximately 179 calories per serving – 24g protein, 14g carbs, and 3g fat.
Biscuit Topping is approximately 127 calories per serving – 2g protein, 13g carbs, and 7g fat.

Notes

• I use almond milk and dairy free butter because of The Kid’s dairy allergy. You can use regular milk and butter or margarine instead. I’ve also used soy milk if that’s what I had in the house. It’s pretty flexible.
• The pie reheats well for leftovers later in the week. It also freezes perfectly. If I’m making one to freeze, I prepare the filling and freeze it without the crust. When I’m ready to have it for dinner, I thaw it and make the biscuits right before baking.
• You can easily adjust the veggies in the recipe to include more or less of them to suit your tastes. You can also use turkey instead of chicken for a turkey pot pie.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring or filled with sacrifice. I’m on a mission to show you that it can taste great!