Category: Soups & Stews

Chicken and Biscuits Casserole

Technically we are still in the dog days of summer here in western North Carolina, but that doesn’t stop me from dreaming of cool nights, warm blankets, crackling fires, and cozy food that sticks to your ribs. As far as I’m concerned, fall should start on September 1. If you’re in the same frame of mind, then give my Chicken and Biscuits Casserole a try!

This dish is cross between Chicken Pot Pie and Chicken and Dumplings. (My husband suggested I call it Chicken Bumplings. Ha!) Rich, creamy herb gravy, tender chicken, and succulent veggies topped with fluffy, buttery drop biscuits: oh my goodness! This will definitely end up on your autumn rotation. It is a family favorite around here. The use of rotisserie chicken speeds up the cooking time considerably, and the drop biscuits are dead easy. Just don’t overmix!

Mix up your Chicken and Biscuits Casserole by switching up the veggies. I’ve made this with green beans and asparagus, and it was just as tasty! Or try adding a tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme to the biscuits for an even bigger flavor punch! I find that the sherry adds depth of flavor to the sauce. However, if you prefer not to use alcohol in your cooking, you can leave it out.

Make my Chicken and Biscuits Casserole this weekend! And don’t forget to call dibs on the leftovers!

A cooking pot filled with shredded chicken, broccoli, orange carrots, and mushrooms, surrounded by a white and gray striped cloth.
Chicken and Biscuits Casserole
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Chicken and Biscuits Casserole

0.0 from 0 votes
Course: Main Dish
Servings

6-8

servings

Rich, creamy herb gravy, tender chicken, and succulent veggies topped with fluffy, buttery drop biscuits: oh my goodness!

Ingredients

  • Rotisserie chicken, picked & shredded, skin removed

  • broccoli, medium, cut into florets

  • Carrots, medium, peeled & sliced

  • Cremini mushrooms, sliced

  • Butter

  • Sea salt

  • For the sauce:

  • AP flour

  • Butter

  • Dry sherry

  • Chicken broth

  • Half & half

  • Minced garlic

  • Fresh thyme, finely chopped

  • Fresh rosemary, finely chopped

  • Better than Bouillon Chicken Base

  • Salt & pepper to taste

  • For the biscuits:

  • AP flour

  • Baking powder

  • Butter, salted

  • Buttermilk or milk

  • Melted butter (optional)

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Add the shredded chicken, broccoli, and carrots to a large dutch oven.
  • Saute the mushrooms in butter with a pinch of salt on medium high heat. To speed the process, add a few tablespoons of water. This sounds counterintuitive, but actually helps the mushrooms give up their water faster so they can begin to brown.
  • Add the mushrooms to the pot and stir to combine.
  • Make the sauce:
  • Melt the butter over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Stir continuously for 4-5 minutes until the roux becomes golden brown.
  • Add the sherry and continue whisking vigorously. The mixture will boil and thicken very quickly.
  • Add the broth and whisk to combine. Return to a simmer.
  • Add the chopped herbs, garlic, and half & half. Simmer until slightly thickened.
  • Pour the sauce over chicken and vegetables.
  • Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and thickened.
  • Make the biscuits:
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder to combine.
  • Cut the cold salted butter into 1/2 in cubes and add to the flour. Toss with fork.
  • Using a pastry blender or fork, but the butter into the flour until well combined. There should still be tiny pea sized butter pieces in the flour.
  • Increase the oven temp to 450°F.
  • Pour in the milk or buttermilk and mix until just combined. Over mixing will lead to tough biscuits.
  • Remove the stew from the oven. Using an ice cream disher or a 1/4 cup measurer, carefully scoop the dough in balls on top of the stew.
  • Return the pot to the oven and bake for 18 – 22 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
  • Brush the biscuits with melted butter, if desired.

Notes

  • Substitute Marsala or dry white wine for the sherry.
  • Don’t have salted butter? Add 1 1/4 tsp of salt to the biscuit recipe.
  • Trying adding fresh thyme to your biscuits!
  • Substitute asparagus, green beans, or whatever you have on hand for the broccoli.

Recipe by Katie

Avgolemono soup

Subtle lemon flavor with bright notes of fresh dill, silky egg thickened broth with hearty chicken and rice… this soup is the answer on a cold winter night when you’re dreaming of spring! This bright and cheerful, yet filling soup is a take on the Greek lemon sauce known as avgolemono. We ate ours with salad and toasted rye bread from the local bakery.

Ingredients

Serves 8

  • 1 whole rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded
  • 2 cups white rice
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 tsp coarse sea salt
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 2 tbsp + 2 tbsp salted butter
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 8 cups chicken broth or chicken bone broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
  • 2 lemons, juiced, about 1/2 cup
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped, 1/2 – 3/4 cup
  • salt & pepper to taste

Method

Bring the 4 cups of water and1 tsp of salt to a boil. Add the rice and cover, cooking on low for 20 minutes until the rice is done. In a large pot, combine the broth, 2 cups of water, and bouillon. Bring to a boil.

Heat 2 tbsp of neutral oil and 2 tbsp of butter in a cast iron skillet. Add the diced carrots and cook for three minutes. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat.

Combine 1 cup of the cooked rice, 2 cups of hot broth, and lemon juice in a blender. Blend until well combined. While the blender is still running, add the yolks one at a time.

Add the remaining rice, the carrot and onion mixture, and the shredded chicken to the hot broth. Add the mixture from the blender to the pot and stir to combine. Simmer until thickened. Stir in 2 tbsp of butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and stir in the dill.

Recipe by Katie

Meatball White Bean & Kale Soup

This is a quick and easy weeknight family supper. It was pronounced delicious by even the pickiest eater in our house. Double the meatball recipe and freeze for an even easier future meal! Serve with garlic bread.

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsp coarse sea salt
  • 2 tsp Italian herb seasoning
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk (plain yogurt works too)

For the soup:

  • 32 oz unsalted chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 – 2 tsp sea salt to taste
  • 1 tbsp Italian herb seasoning
  • 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 carrots cut into matchsticks
  • 2 15 oz cans reduced sodium cannellini beans, with juices
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed, torn into pieces
  • Fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Method

Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl and mix with your hands until evenly distributed. Add additional bread crumbs or buttermilk if needed. Form into balls.

In a large cast iron or heavy bottom frying pan, heat a few tablespoons of neutral oil. Cook the meatballs until browned on all sides and set aside. If cooking an extra batch of meatballs to freeze for future use, make sure the they are cooked through, or the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Place the meatballs in the bottom of a 4 quart or larger heavy bottom pot. Cover the meatballs with the chicken stock, reserving 1/2 cup. Bring the stock to a simmer. Add the cornstarch to the reserved stock (this should be cool or room temp) and beat with fork until incorporated and there are no lumps. Slowly stir the slurry into the simmering stock. Add the Better Than Bouillon and stir until completely dissolved. The stock will thicken as it returns to a simmer.

Add the salt, Italian herb seasoning, apple cider vinegar, and garlic. Add the carrots and cannellini beans with their juices. Simmer for about five minutes. When ready to serve, add the kale in batches. There will be alot of kale, and it will look as though it won’t fit. I promise it will! After each addition, wait for the kale to wilt before adding the next batch.

Serve topped with lots of fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano and black pepper.

Recipe by Katie

Baked Butternut Squash Soup

Soups and Stews really come into their own in the fall, and you frequently see displays of colorful pumpkins, gourds, and squash on display in front of markets and farms.  Butternut is one of the easiest to find and prepare. It turns into a beautiful, creamy bowl of warm comfort in no time at all.

3 ½ pound butternut squash

Olive oil

Canola or other neutral oil

2 Bartlett pears, peeled and diced

½ large onion, minced

4 cups of chicken stock

¼ cup half & half

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Salt and Pepper

Method

Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise using a long sharp knife.  Scoop out the seeds and pulp and discard.  Place the two halves in a 9”x13” casserole dish and drizzle the cut side with a teaspoon of olive oil and some fine sea salt.  Turn the halves over cut side down and bake at 375° for 45-55 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and let cool on the counter for at least 30 minutes.  Taking a large spoon, scoop out the flesh into a large bowl and use an electric mixer to puree the squash. Measure out 4 cups.

Pour 1 tablespoon of canola oil into a medium to large size pot and sauté the onions and pears over low heat, until the pears are fork tender.  Add the pureed butternut to the softened vegetables.  Pour in the chicken stock and stir to combine.  Cook over a low to medium heat until warm.  Taste to check for salt and pepper and add if needed.  Add the nutmeg and stir.

Using an emersion blender, emulsify the soup until completely smooth. Ladle into a serving bowl and drizzle some cold half & half over the soup.  Grate some fresh nutmeg on top.

Recipe by Mary