Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

St.Valentine's Day is coming up in a week and you may be thinking of something special to serve...

Chicken and Biscuit casserole is a lovely, comforting dish that will please the whole family. It is beautiful, hot, bubbly deliciousness, topped with buttery biscuits.  And your family will feel the love when they see those heart-shaped biscuits!

The heart biscuits also give complete coverage of the chicken filling, without any gaps as round biscuits tend to do. If you don't have a heart shaped cookie or biscuit cutter, you can use a table knife to shape them easily. 

It may seem that there are a lot of steps involved in this recipe, but let me promise you that this recipe is worth the time. Also it is a one-dish meal that will involve easy clean-up. And if you make the chicken a day ahead, this dish comes together pretty fast,too.

Ok...lets get started!

Step 1: Gather all your ingredients:

5 medium chicken breasts, boned or bone-in (this should produce about 3 cups of cooked, chopped chicken)
Water (which should produce about 3 cups broth)
Broth seasonings(peppercorns, salt, pepper, thyme, parsley,bay leaf, onion, carrot celery)

2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup milk or buttermilk

2 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced 1 in. thick
2 stalks celery, large dice
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 sm. can peas or cup frozen peas
2 carrots, diced and parboiled
4 tbsp. cornstarch
1/3 cup cold water

Step 2:  Prepare chicken breasts (pick your method)
Poaching the breasts produces, I think, the most tender and flavorful meat while providing a broth to go into the casserole.

Poach breasts in a pot just large enough to hold the breasts.  Add enough water to cover by 1 inch.
Add carrot, celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt.
Bring just to a simmer over medium high heat.  Reduce to medium low and simmer 15-18 minutes or until thermometer reads 170-180 degrees.

... but sometime I just pop the breasts in the crock pot the night before. Easy peasy. If you cook them in the crock pot, you will not come out with 3 cups of broth, so you will have to make up for that when assembling the casserole.

With both methods:
Transfer breasts to a plate or bowl.
Strain the broth.
Separate meat from the bones then shred or chop.

Step 3:  Prepare biscuits.
Place flour in In a large mixing bowl.  Cut the butter using a pastry cutter or a grater.  Actually, I just use my fingers to get the butter/flour mixture to the consistency of coarse crumbs.

Pour milk into flour mixture while stirring with a fork.  Mix in just enough milk until the dough is soft, moist and pulls away from the side of the bowl.

Turn onto lightly floured surface and toss with flour until no longer sticky.  Knead the dough a few times until it is smooth.

Press out with your fingers to 3/4 inch thickness. 

Cut out with a biscuit or cookie cutter. Press together unused dough and repeat rolling and cutting process.  Set biscuits aside while you prepare the filling.

Step 4:  Prepare filling.
Saute onion, celery, garlic, carrots in olive oil.  

Add cornstarch/water mixture slowly until mixture is like gravy.  
Add 3-4 cups chicken broth and simmer 10 minutes.

Add 3 cups cooked chicken and peas and simmer 5 minutes.

Step 5:  Assemble casserole.
Pour into round 2 qt. casserole.  Arrange biscuits on top.  Bake at 400 degrees about 30 min. or until bubbly and biscuits are done.

Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

3 c. chicken or turkey, cooked and cubed
3 c. chicken or turkey broth
1 onion, sliced 1 in. thick
2 carrots, large dice
2 celery stalks, large dice
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine

1 sm. can peas or 1 cup frozen peas
4 tbsp. cornstarch
1/3 c. cold water
10 biscuits

Saute onion, celery, garlic, carrots in olive oil.  Add broth and simmer 10 minutes.  Add meat and peas and simmer 5 min.  Add cornstarch/water mixture slowly until mixture is like gravy.  Pour into round 2 qt. casserole.  Arrange biscuits on top.  Bake @ 400 degrees about 30 min. or until bubbly and biscuits are done

Thanks for stopping by!  And God bless!         -Mountain Housewife