Active Time

　　35 minutes

　　Total Time

　　1 hour 15 minutes

　　Hearty and delicious, a homemade chicken pot pie is the kind of old-fashioned comfort food that never goes out of style. And this recipe proves it: It first appeared in the February 1985 issue of Gourmet, and showed up again in the January 1991 50th-anniversary issue as the staff-favorite recipe for the year it was published. Reader, it holds up.

　　Instead of a typical pie crust (or one made from store-bought puff pastry), this pie sports a top crust of pretty round biscuits laced with sharp, flavorful cheddar cheese. You’ll cook the pot pie filling on the stove—a step you can do at least a day in advance—before transferring it to a casserole dish or Dutch oven to bake. (Bonus: You don’t have to worry about a soggy bottom crust.)

　　For the best flavor it’s important to use good chicken stock (homemade chicken stock is great, but our favorite store-bought chicken stock is fine too). You can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken or any leftover cooked chicken you have on hand, or if you have leftover turkey following a holiday meal, you can make a turkey pot pie instead. Starting from scratch? Stick some chicken thighs in the slow cooker or roast a couple of boneless chicken breasts plain with just salt, pepper, and olive oil until they’re just cooked through.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　

For the filling:

4 cups chicken broth

　　3 carrots, cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices

　　¾ pound red potatoes, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces

　　2 large ribs of celery, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces

　　2½ cups cubed or shredded chicken (the meat from a 3-pound cooked chicken)

　　1 onion, chopped

　　¾ stick (6 Tbsp.) unsalted butter

　　6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

　　¼ tsp. dried thyme, crumbled

　　¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste

　　½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

For the biscuit crust:

1⅓ cups all-purpose flour

　　1½ tsp. double-acting baking powder

　　½ tsp. baking soda

　　½ tsp. kosher salt

　　2 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

　　2 Tbsp. cold vegetable shortening, cut into bits

　　⅓ cup grated sharp cheddar

　　1 large egg

　　About ⅓ cup buttermilk

　　An egg wash made by beating 1 large egg yolk with 1 Tbsp. milk

　　

Make the filling:

Step 1

In a saucepan bring the broth to a boil, add the carrots, the potatoes, and the celery, and simmer the vegetables, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Transfer the vegetables with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, reserving the broth, and add the chicken to the bowl.

　　

Step 2

In another saucepan, sauté the onion in the butter over moderately low heat until softened. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add 3 cups of the reserved broth in a stream, whisking, reserving any remaining broth for another use, and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking. Add the thyme and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the nutmeg, the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste, pour the sauce over the chicken mixture, and stir the mixture gently until it is just combined.

　　

Step 3

Transfer mixture to a 2-quart shallow baking dish or divide it among four 2-cup shallow baking dishes. 

　　Do Ahead: The filling may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered in an airtight container and chilled. Bring the mixture to room temperature before continuing.

　　

Make the biscuit crust:

Step 4

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 450°F. Into a bowl, sift together the flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt. Add the butter and the shortening, and blend the mixture until it resembles meal. Add the cheddar and toss to combine. Into a liquid measuring cup, break the egg. Add enough of the buttermilk to measure a total of ½ cup, and beat the mixture with a fork. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until the mixture just forms a dough.

　　

Step 5

Gather the dough into a ball. On a floured surface, pat it out ½-inch thick. Cut out as many rounds as possible with a 2-inch fluted round cutter dipped in flour, gathering the scraps and patting the dough out again in the same manner.

　　

Step 6

Arrange the rounds on the chicken mixture, brush the tops of the rounds with the egg wash, and prick the rounds with a fork. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, until the biscuits are puffed and golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let cool 10 minutes

　　Editor’s note: This recipe was originally printed in the February 1985 issue of ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for more of our best casserole recipes →