It's Good for What Ails You

Chicken Pot Pie. Not many would turn that down. I suppose if your stomach isn't wanting to hold down crackers and sparkling lemon lime soda it doesn't sound good but otherwise it could be good for what ails you.

The school where I work seems to have had a rough go of the flu this year. Not only the kids but parents and teachers alike. When I heard one of the girls that works for me we sick with really yucky stuff going on for 3 days AND she has little kids, I knew I needed to take her dinner. Prince Charming and I discussed on the way to church what would sit well when sick. He suggested chicken, cheese and pasta. Our ideas overlapped at chicken. Something not too spicy and comforting is what sounded good to me.

On the way home from church we stopped, like we do every Sunday, at Costco. We got our weekly tomatoes, berries, cheese and a new shirt for me. Ok, never mind about the shirt. We picked up a roasted chicken which is always a great start to an easy and quick casserole.

Basically I'm going to give you the recipe I found on someone else's blog with the changes I made or would make. I doubled the recipe so PC, my mom and I could have it for dinner too with a salad. You can easily halve this recipe if you like. Serves 8 as is or 4 if halved.

I got this base recipe from http://damndelicious.net.

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 roasted chicken, shredded
1 - 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
Chicken base, to taste



FOR THE BISCUITS

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cup buttermilk or (2 tbl white vinegar in measuring cup then fill with milk to 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp of thyme and some lemon zest would be awesome

INSTRUCTIONS

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add cold butter, using your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk and stir using a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms.
Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10- by 7-inch rectangle, about 1-inch thick. Cut out as many rounds using a 3-inch biscuit or cookie cutter as you can. Place biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet; set aside in the refrigerator. Cover with towel. I reworked the scraps quickly and gently to get a few more biscuits.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9X7 inch oval and a 8" round or whatever works for you.
To make the filling, melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, milk and thyme, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chicken and mixed veggies; season with salt and pepper, to taste. I like to whisk in "chicken base" instead of salt to taste.
Add chicken mixture to prepared baking dish. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Top with prepared biscuits and bake until tops are golden brown, an additional 10-12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Eat. Feed your family and expect everyone to feel better in the morning. Yum!