Healthier Chicken Pot Pie

Don't let the "healthier" part scare you, this dish is a new favorite at our house. After a making a curry recipe the other night that didn't go over too well, I wanted to make Sage a dinner he would love. I don't buy any kind of frozen or pre-made meals anymore, so its been a long time since we had pot pies. I set out to find a healthier version.

When I took this out of the oven, I didn't have high expectations because honestly, the whole wheat biscuit crust didn't look that appealing. But it was what made this pot pie phenomenal. A cross between a pie crust, a biscuit and a dumpling, it was remarkably full of flavor despite looking kind of cardboard-ish. I did alter the recipe a bit, by changing the quanities of the veggies and chicken, adding mushrooms, corn and potatoes, and reducing the sauce. I cooked mine in 2 round (2 qt.) pyrex dishes, but you could use individual casserole dishes or one large one.

Adapted from Food Network's Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie

For the filling:

2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup carrot, chopped into small pieces

1/4 cup celery, diced

1/3 cup onion, chopped

1 cup russet potato, chopped into small pieces

6 baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

3/4 cup 1% milk

3/4 low sodium broth

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/3 cup frozen corn

1 tsp dried thyme

For the biscuit crust:

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk *

(*Or put a 1/2 tsp of white vinegar OR lemon juice in a measuring cup, and fill with lowfat milk to a 1/2 cup. )

To make the filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray casserole dish(es) with cooking spray. (I forgot this and had no problem with sticking.)
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoons of the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the chicken with its juices to a bowl.
3. Add 1 more teaspoon of oil to the same pan and heat it over a medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery and potatoes and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the green beans, mushrooms, garlic and a little more salt and pepper and cook for 3 minute more. Add the milk

4. Stir the flour into the broth until it is completely dissolved (I use a container with a tight fitting lid and shake to combine) and add to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes more. Return the chicken with its juices back to the pan. Add the peas, corn and thyme and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into the baking dish(es.)

To make the crust:

1. Put the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse about 12 times, or until pebble sized pieces are formed.
2. Add the buttermilk then oil to the food processor and pulse until just moistened. Do not over mix.

3. Drop the batter in mounds on top of the chicken mixture, spreading the batter out slightly. Bake until filling is bubbling and the biscuit topping is golden brown, about 22 minutes.