Chicken and [Wheat] Biscuits Pot Pie

I've been seeing commercials lately for KFC's new chicken pot pie. I never eat at KFC and I was practically drooling. What's not to love about chicken pot pie?

While it looks delicious, it probably contains a whole day's worth of calories and in addition, sodium and fat galore! The store-bought versions aren't any better for your health.

This is where this little gem of a recipe comes in: Chicken and Wheat Biscuits Pot Pie. It's very low sodium, full of fresh veggies and chicken, and it's topped with wholesome biscuits full of whole grains... and it tastes amazing!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, boiled and  shredded (reserve the broth)

For the filling

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
4 medium carrots, chopped into 1/4" pieces
3 small ribs of celery, chopped into 1/4" pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
2 1/2 cups chicken broth (use the water from the pot when you boil the chicken)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley

For the wheat buttermilk biscuits

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4" pieces
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Directions:

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 400*. Heat a large heavy-bottomed pan or dutch oven over medium-high and add the olive oil. When hot, saute the onions, carrots, and celery until tender. Transfer the veggies to a bowl and set aside. In the same pot, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. Once melted, stir in the flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in the milk, chicken broth, and thyme. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer and simmer for one minute, allowing it to thicken. Add salt/pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and add the veggies back into the pot, mixing well. Mix in the peas and parsley. If the filling is too thick, add more chicken broth. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with nonstick spray and pour the filling into the dish, baking for about 18 minutes.

For the biscuits: While the filling is in the oven, prepare the biscuits. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. With a pastry cutter, or a fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the 3/4 cup of buttermilk until the mixture is a soft, slightly sticky ball. If the dough is too dry, add more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Transfer the dough to a clean, well-floured work surface. Roll the dough out to 1/4-1/2" thickness and and cut out circles of dough with a 3" biscuit cutter. (I used a mason jar and ended up with about 22 circles. I think 12 larger ones would be ideal, but I don't have a biscuit cutter!) Transfer the biscuits to a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and chill until you are ready for them.

Once the filling has cooked for 18 minutes, remove the dish from the oven and top with the biscuits (some overlap is fine). Cook for an additional 10-12 minutes (depending on how thick your biscuits are), until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

Enjoy!