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

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

Engagement Night Pot Roast

Tender warm roast beef served on a platter with brown gravy is one of my husband’s favorite dishes, especially in the Fall and Winter. This is a fabulous Pot Roast, no matter what your reasons for cooking it. Just don’t fuss over it too much. Simplicity is the key here.

3-4-pound chuck roast

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

All-purpose flour

The Method

First buy the nicest looking pot roast you can find. About 3 pounds is good. Bring it home and salt and pepper it all over generously with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Then rub some all-purpose flour into the meat. Next take the roast and shake it so that all the excess flour comes off.

Your choice of a pot is critical: First, it must be large enough so that the roast can lay flat in the bottom, and it MUST BE HEAVY-WEIGHT. I use an All Clad Dutch Oven and it works great. A Lodge dutch oven, Le Creuset or a Staub pot would work well too; Any pot that’s heavy weight. Pour a couple of tablespoons of good-quality olive oil into the pot and swirl the pot so that the oil covers the bottom. Heat the pot to a medium heat. The oil should not be smoking.

Place the prepared pot roast into the hot pan. It will sizzle-that’s the sound you’re looking for. Don’t move it for at least 5 minutes. The meat should be thoroughly browned, and the kitchen should smell like a steakhouse. Before you proceed, you might need to remove the roast to a plate, pour in some additional oil and to return the pan to medium temperature. Then, place the roast back in the pot on the other side and repeat the sizzling process. Do the same thing for the sides, although you shouldn’t need any additional oil.

Position the pot roast on one of the flat sides, cover the pot and turn the burner to Low. DO NOT add any liquid. Turn the roast every 30 minutes until it’s done. You can estimate the time it will cook by saying it takes about 45 minutes per pound. However, the real test is how much liquid is in the pot. As the roast cooks, you’ll be surprised by how much juice is in the pot and how beautifully brown it is. As the roast nears completion, you’ll notice that there is less and less juice and the juice is very thick. When there’s just a thin coating of juice in the bottom of the pot, it’s time to take it out. Let it rest on a platter for at least 15 minutes.

In the meantime, make the gravy, starting with a “slurry”. Measure 6 tablespoons of all-purpose flour into a coffee cup and measure ½ cup of water in a measuring cup. Pour the water into the flour a little at a time, starting with about ¼ cup. Stir vigorously with a fork until the slurry is smooth and lump free. (No lumps in your slurry, no lumps in your gravy.) Pour 2 cups of water into the pot where you roasted the meat and whisk and heat the liquid to medium. Pour the slurry into the hot liquid and whisk quickly to distribute it throughout. Bring the liquid to a slow boil, whisking constantly. Then turn off the burner and pour the liquid into a gravy boat. My father calls this gravy “righteous”.

Katie’s Carolina Jam Cupcakes

This is my adaptation of the “Tennessee Jam Cake” or “Kentucky Jam Cake.” Jam cakes are spiced, feature jam in the batter (typically blackberry) and can include chopped dried fruit and nuts. They are usually layered with caramel icing and served around the holidays.

In my Carolina version, the jam is a triple berry with blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries. I used mace instead of nutmeg and Ceylon cinnamon for a more refined spice flavor. I rarely have time for layer cakes and fancy piping in our busy house, so cupcakes are a quick and easy solution for this traditional Southern treat. You could also make into two loaf cakes.

Ingredients

For the jam:

3 heaped cups frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
1/2 cup granulated cane sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

For the cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
1/4 cup shortening (I prefer a non hydrogenated variety like Nutiva)
1 1/4 cup granulated cane sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
2 1/2 cups cake flour (I like King Arthur)
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground mace
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2/3 cup buttermilk

For the white caramel icing:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk
3 cups granulated cane sugar
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional:

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup golden raisins
24 pecan halves

Method

Make the jam. Combine the frozen berries, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a saucepan. Heat over low heat until the berries are thawed and juicy. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the mixture starts to gel on the back of a spoon. While the mixture cooks, mash the berries intermittently with a spoon or a potato masher. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line muffin tins with 24 paper liners.

Make the cake batter.Combine the flour, salt, soda, and spices in a bowl and set aside. Cream the butter, shortening, and sugar in a stand mixer on high for about five minutes. Add the room temperature eggs two at a time, mixing until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute on high in a stand mixer. Scrape the sides the bowl between each addition. Add half the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Do not over beat! Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Add the remaining flour and the jam and mix until just combined. If using chopped nuts and raisins, add these now, folding in by hand.

Distribute evenly between the lined muffin tins. Bake for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool before icing.

Make the white caramel icing. Melt the butter in medium to large saucepan. Add the sugar, milk, salt, and vanilla and bring to a simmer. Cook on low to medium heat until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage or 235 – 245°. Transfer the hot caramel to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until creamy. If the mixture becomes to thick or sticky, add a small amount of cream and beat until the consistency is smooth again.

Top the cooled cupcakes with a dollop of the caramel icing, and garnish with pecans, if desired. Here’s a tip for creating a quick candied pecan: dip the halves in the caramel icing prior to beating. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350° for about five minutes.

Recipe by Katie