Tag: comfort food

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

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

Katie’s Beef Stroganoff

Tender slow cooked beef with mushrooms in a rich and tangy cream sauce, served over buttered egg noodles. This is a hearty dish that warms the soul and sticks to the ribs on a cold day.

Ingredients

  • 3 – 5 lbs boneless beef chuck roast
  • coarse sea salt
  • 3 tbsp + 3 tbsp safflower oil or other neutral cooking oil
  • fresh thyme sprigs
  • fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 2 – 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth or stock
  • 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 3 tbsp + 3 tbsp butter
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, such as Maille
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • white pepper and sea salt, to taste
  • 8 – 12 oz wide egg noodles
  • chopped parsley or chives, optional

Method

Preheat the oven to 275°. Sprinkle both side of the boneless beef chuck roast with coarse sea salt, about two tsp. Preheat a large cast iron pan (preferably enamel coated) on the stove. Add 3 tbsp of neutral oil. Sear the chuck roast for 5 minutes on each side. Add enough chicken stock to the pan go about half way up the side of the roast. Add 2 tbsp of minced garlic, a sprig of rosemary, and a few sprigs of rosemary to the broth. Place the pan in the oven and roast until tender, 3 to 4 hours depending on the size of your roast. Keep an eye on the liquid level, and add additional broth as needed.

Remove the roast from the oven. Transfer the meat to a platter or board to rest. Strain and reserve the cooking liquid.

Saute the sliced mushrooms on medium high heat until brown, stirring often. Reduce the heat and add the minced shallot and remaining minced garlic. Saute on low heat until the shallots are translucent.

Deglaze the pan with the sherry. Add enough broth to the reserved cooking liquid to equal 2 cups and add to the mushrooms. Add a few additional sprigs of thyme to the broth and mushroom mixture. Simmer on low heat until the liquid has reduced by a fourth.

Add the heavy whipping cream and Dijon mustard and stir until well combined. Simmer on low heat until the sauce is reduced by a fourth. Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles according the manufacturer’s directions. Toss the noodles with melted butter.

Slice the roast into bite size pieces and add to the sauce. Remove from the heat, remove the thyme sprigs, and mix in the sour cream. Add white pepper and salt to taste. Serve over buttered egg noodles. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives, if desired.

Recipe by Katie

Chicken Pot Pie

Creamy warm sauce filled with chicken and crisp vegetables surrounded by a crispy flaky pastry. This is a hearty dish perfect for cool fall days and winter evenings. The dish is generously sized and will serve 8 people with a vegetable on the side.  Or, if your sons eat like mine did when they were teenagers, maybe it will serve 6. 

Pastry for the Pie

3 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of salt

1 cup shortening

12-15 tablespoons of water

There are 2 methods for making the crust: Using a food processor or Using a pastry cutter.  I prefer the food processor method, but this recipe is too large to process in one batch so…Divide the flour & salt into two bowls.  Empty one of the bowls into the food processer. Cut ½ cup of the shortening into 1-inch cubes and put it into the flour mixture.  Pulse the mix until it looks like cornmeal.  Then add ½ of the water a little at a time until it starts to form a ball.  You may not need all the water.  Empty the dough onto a floured surface and knead it lightly to form a log.  Process the second batch in the same way.  You will need more dough for the bottom of the pie, so divide the dough into one log that’s about ⅔ of the total and the other log about ⅓ of the total.   Wrap each log in saran wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. 

Filling

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed, about 4 cups

1 ½ cups sliced carrots

1 cup sliced celery

⅔ cup unsalted butter

⅔ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 ½ cups chicken stock

1 ⅓ cup milk

Melt the butter in a 3-quart saucepan. Whisk in the flour and salt and let them bubble with the butter for a couple of minutes.  Pour in the chicken stock and whisk over medium heat until it thickens.  Add the milk and let come back to a slow boil.  Remove from heat and add the chicken and raw carrots and celery.  The raw vegetables will be crisp-tender when the pie is done.

Combine the Pastry and Filling

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and roll out the bottom crust using a tape measure to be sure you can cover the bottom and up the sides of the dish.  I use a casserole measuring 8x11x2 ½”, so I have to roll the dough to 13×15, which is big!  Use the rolling pin to transfer the crust to the casserole.  Then, roll out the remaining dough to fit the top of the casserole.  By that time, the filling should have cooled a bit.  Pour it into the bottom crust and top with the upper crust.  Crimp the edges and cut several vent holes in the top.

Bake at 400° for about 1 hour or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden. Let the pie rest for about 15 minutes and serve.

Recipe by Mary