Showing posts with label March first half. Show all posts
Showing posts with label March first half. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie
Not healthy, Not Vegetarian, Not Quick.
Heavy on the biscuit, Comfort Food.
Kid Favorite

Make Ahead Note: I usually make the meat and gravy one day (or use leftovers), the vegetables another day, and do the biscuits and assemble on a third day.  Especially as I might be serving a choice of chicken or lentil pot pie.

Meat (you can use leftover cooked chicken instead)
vegetable oil--not olive as you are sort of frying chicken.
spices--I like a Herbes De Provence mix.  Poultry Seasoning, or your favorite thyme/oregano/basil
8 chicken thighs, raw, cut into bite-sized pieces

Gravy
2TB butter
2TB flour
4 cups chicken broth (I use Better than Boullion)

Vegetables
1 Onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 pound mushrooms washed and sliced
1 parsnip or 1 fennel bulb, for interest

Biscuits
I used a store brand biscuit mix: 4 cups mix, 6 TB butter, 1 1/3 cup milk.  Mostly because it calls for melted butter and I felt too lazy to cut butter into flour without my food processor.

Cook Meat.
1. Heat oil in skillet and saute dried herbs for 30 seconds.
2. Add chicken and saute 5-8 minutes until cooked.
3. remove meat to large mixing bowl.

Prepare Gravy
4. heat chicken broth in microwave
5. In same skillet used for meat, melt butter.
6. whisk in flour, cook a minute or two while whisking.
7. whisk in hot broth, adding gradually.
8. let simmer 10 minutes.

Cook vegetables in LARGE skillet. (I used two large skillets)
9. Heat oil, saute dried herbs
10. saute vegetables.

Preheat Oven 450F
Assemble in 9x13 glass pan.
11. Mix vegetables and chicken together in glass pan.
12. Pour half the gravy over mix.
13. Bake for first 15 minutes while preparing biscuits--if the filling is piping hot, it helps cook the biscuits from below in later steps.

14. Mix biscuit dough according to package directions, not bothering to knead.
15. Take hot casserole out of oven
16. Drop spoonfuls of biscuit dough onto chicken/vegetable mix, it will be mostly covered.
17 Back in oven another 15 minutes or until biscuits are done.

Serve with reserved gravy.


Sunday, March 15, 2015

March First Half

Friday: lasagna, did one vegetarian and added leftover pork sausage to other.
This time it was kale, summer squash, sun dried tomato version.  No pesto, and it was fine.

Weekend: visiting friends out of state!

Monday: leftover lasagna

Tuesday: favorite picky eater's vegetarian chili.  http://pickyeaterblog.com/the-best-vegetarian-chili-ever/
Soaked black beans and cattle beans overnight, and cooked them together in pressure cooker 11 minutes natural release.   Skipped the bell pepper for my picky eaters.  Was out of coriander so I doubled the cumin.   (Got out-of-proportion upset about not being able to find spices, and somebody cleaned and straightened out my spice/cans cupboard and gave me a hug and calmed me down.)

Wednesday: Pumpkin peanut butter curry: http://hostthetoast.com/thai-coconut-curry-butternut-squash-soup/ served over a choice of rice or quinoa.  Potstickers as exciting side dish.

Thursday: Honey-Mustard Pork Chops, Green Beans (Long Bean Style), whole wheat Mac and Cheese, Applesauce.
Honey-Mustard Pork Chops: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/01/honey-mustard-pork-chops/
actually followed recipe, including finish with broiler.
Green Beans long bean ideal: http://www.undercovercaterer.com/2014/06/long-beans-with-mushrooms-and-black-bean-sauce-recipe/
what I actually did: left out the mushroom, substituted red miso paste and chopped garlic for the chili-black bean paste, used green beans instead of long beans
Mac and cheese inspiration: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/12/31/recipe-whole-wheat-macaroni-and-cheese/
Family favorite Cheese sauce recipe I worked from: http://butterwithasideofbread.com/2013/02/baked-potatoes-with-broccoli-amazing.html
(skipped the cayenne and thyme and any spice.  Just butter, flour, milk, and cheese.

Saturday: Pi Day of the Century:
breakfast: quiche and pumpkin pie
supper: shepherd pie and chicken pot pie
dessert: caramel apple pie

Sunday night leftovers:
chicken pot pie and tastes of this and that
vegetarian flatbread pizza and green salad
quinoa, cheese, and salsa and black bean patty burrito
quinoa and honey-mustard sauce from pork chops with mashed potato
homemade vanilla pudding for dessert