Chapter 30
Charley sets to making her famous chicken potpie, a true family favorite that has won her accolades from everyone who has tasted it. Once she has the chicken gravy made, she takes the cooked chicken out of the fridge, pours it into the lasagna pan with the vegetables and tops it with her homemade biscuit topping. She pops it in the oven and turns to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Even though she won’t touch a bite of any of this, cooking and baking is easing her conscience a little as her excitement grows.
From The Point of No Return
Serves 6 who are moderately hungry or 4 who are REALLY hungry…
Chicken “Pot Pie”: Preheat oven to 400
Ingredients
Biscuit topping
Whipping Cream (buy 1 quart)
Self Rising flour
3 cups (or so) self rising flour in a bowl. Add enough whipping cream to make a dough (at least 1/2 of the quart). Lightly fold together (you don’t want to over mix or the topping won’t be fluffy). Once all flour and whipping cream are incorporated allow to sit until ready to drop on top of “guts”
“Guts”
1 lb (or so) of cooked chicken breast. I baked it in the oven seasoned with salt, pepper and a liberal helping of herbs de Provence
frozen mixed veggies
1 can diced potatoes
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, finely sweet chopped or two leeks
2-3 tbsp flour (probably closer to 3)
1 quart low sodium chicken broth (you can also add a jar of roasted turkey gravy from the soup aisle. Or if you’re really pinched for time you can use 2 cans cream of chicken soup with water or milk added)
Bake chicken in the oven until cooked. Chop into bite sized pieces.
Melt 1 tbsp butter in a sauce pan. Add chopped onion. Once onion is soft and a little browned, add flour and incorporate. Allow to simmer a until thick and a little lumpy. Slowly add chicken broth until a smooth “gravy” is formed (if you’re going to add the turkey gravy, add it after this part is ready)
While gravy is cooking, steam frozen veggies until cooked.
Combine cooked, chopped chicken, gravy, cooked veggies and the can of diced potatoes in a 9×11 casserole dish. Take biscuit topping and pull it off in biscuit size pieces, stretching it out, just a little, in your hands to cover the top of the guts. Bake in 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until biscuit topping is golden brown and cooked through. The “guts” should be bubbling through the topping.
ENJOY!!!
This picture is not mine. It’s from the Betty Crocker Website but this is what Charley’s Pot Pie would look like!
Oh, for the love of my children... 