Yankee Magazine is one of my favorites. Although I am Long Islander, I attended Boston College and remember fondly my time there. I also have several friends who have made the Boston area their home and I am fortunate enough to visit them from time to time. Fall in New England is a special time and I love it especially. This past summer I spent a long weekend in Vermont and enjoyed it too. New England is a place that holds dear many of my favorite activities and passions. Farming of all kinds are still a part of the landscape. Yankee Magazine, for me, is an opportunity to reflect on my college days and re-create some of the thing I loved about that time. One of them was cooking. Not many college students cook, but I did. I liked to make dinner for my friends. This pot pie recipe makes me remember the days when we would get snowed in, make dinner and have cocoa. This recipe is warm, comforting and delicious. Although there are several steps, it is easy to make. This recipe can be found in the January/February 2012 Yankee Magazine. I have adapted it to one large pie instead of the individual ones in the magazine and to make the biscuits in the food processor.
Ingredients:
For the filling:
3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth or stock ( I used homemade)
3 medium sized carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
4 TBS salted butter
1 celery rib, diced
1 medium sized yellow onion, diced
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
1 cup chopped white button mushrooms
5 TBS all purpose flour
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/2 tsp fleshly ground black pepper
2 TBS minced flat-leaf parsley
3 cups chopped cooked chicken, white and dark meat (I roasted one but a rotisserie chicken is good)
1/2 cup sweet peas (frozen is OK)
For the biscuits:
2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp table salt
5 TBS cold salted butter
2/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 large egg
1/2 cup plus 2 TBS buttermilk
2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
Milk, for brushing biscuits
Here's how:
First make the filling:
In a medium sized sauce-pan over high heat, bring chicken broth to a boil.
Add the carrots and squash. Reduce to a medium-low simmer until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
Drain the vegetables, reserve the broth and set it aside.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the celery, onion and salt cook until soft and just turning golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
Add mushrooms and cook until they release most of their liquid., 5 to 7 minutes.
Add flour and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.
Slowly add the milk, stirring as you go.
Slowly add the broth, stirring constantly until smooth.
Cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens 8 to 10 minutes.
Season with pepper.
Add parsley, chicken. reserved vegetables and peas.
Add the mixture to a large oval casserole dish (like Corning Ware).
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Make the biscuits.
In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the butter. Pulse a few times until the butter is just incorporated but still in big pieces.
Add the cheese, egg, and buttermilk. Place the processor on until a the dough just comes together.
Add the scallions and put the processor on until the dough is now a dough ball.
Remove the ball and divide the dough into 2.
On a floured surface, roll the dough out to a half-inch thickness. Using a biscuit cutter, cut 2 to 3 inch biscuits. You should get 6.
Place the biscuits on the casserole mixture.
Gather the dough together, as needed, to make more. Repeat with the second ball.
Brush the tops of the biscuits.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the biscuits are browned and puffed up. The filling should be bubbling.
Ingredients:
For the filling:
3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth or stock ( I used homemade)
3 medium sized carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
4 TBS salted butter
1 celery rib, diced
1 medium sized yellow onion, diced
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
1 cup chopped white button mushrooms
5 TBS all purpose flour
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/2 tsp fleshly ground black pepper
2 TBS minced flat-leaf parsley
3 cups chopped cooked chicken, white and dark meat (I roasted one but a rotisserie chicken is good)
1/2 cup sweet peas (frozen is OK)
For the biscuits:
2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp table salt
5 TBS cold salted butter
2/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 large egg
1/2 cup plus 2 TBS buttermilk
2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
Milk, for brushing biscuits
Here's how:
First make the filling:
In a medium sized sauce-pan over high heat, bring chicken broth to a boil.
 |
| Stock in the pot |
 |
| Diced carrots |
 |
| Diced squash |
 |
| Veggies in the pot |
 |
| Veggies cooked and set aside |
 |
| Butter in the pan |
 |
| Diced celery |
 |
| Diced onion |
 |
| Onion and celery sauteing |
 |
| Mushrooms in the pan |
 |
| Mushrooms after cooking |
 |
| Stirring in the flour |
 |
| Milk into the pan |
 |
| Broth into the pan |
Season with pepper.
Add parsley, chicken. reserved vegetables and peas.
 |
| Peas, veggies and parsley |
 |
| Close up of the mixture |
Make the biscuits.
In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the butter. Pulse a few times until the butter is just incorporated but still in big pieces.
Add the cheese, egg, and buttermilk. Place the processor on until a the dough just comes together.
 |
| Cheese on top of butter and flour mix |
Remove the ball and divide the dough into 2.
On a floured surface, roll the dough out to a half-inch thickness. Using a biscuit cutter, cut 2 to 3 inch biscuits. You should get 6.
 |
| Dough rolled out |
 |
| Biscuits on top of the mixture |
Brush the tops of the biscuits.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the biscuits are browned and puffed up. The filling should be bubbling.
 |
| Pot pie is done and ready to eat |
