CHICKEN POT PIE - Ann Romney

Have you ever made chicken pot pie?  I have not.  I don't typically make pie crust, rolls, biscuits, that type of thing.  But I wanted to take a one-pot dish to my sister for dinner and found this recipe in Ann Romney's new cookbook The Romney Family Table.  This is perfect comfort food.  The timing was just right after two days of solid rain here in the Valley of the Sun--highly unusual.

Admittedly, I cheated with the biscuit topping and used Bisquick--I didn't even roll out the dough but chose to use the drop biscuit style instead.  No one complained.

The only tweaking I did was to add more carrots and celery. And I used a combination of butter and olive oil to sauté the veggies.  Everyone loved it! And leftover turkey would be just as good, too.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Chicken Pot Pie

4 cups chicken broth                                             Salt and pepper to taste

1 chicken bouillon cube                                        1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 sticks of butter                                             1/4 cup heavy cream

2 onions, finely chopped                                       1 (9 oz) package frozen peas

2 large carrots, sliced in rounds  (add 2 more)      6 chicken breasts, cooked, and cut into chunks

1 rib of celery, sliced (add 1 more)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Heat the chicken broth and bouillon cube in saucepan until cube is dissolved.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and sauté until tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes or until blended.  Stir in the hot chicken broth.  Add the heavy cream, frozen peas, and cooked chicken.  Stir to combine.  Spoon mixture into 9x13 baking dish.  Bake 20 minutes.  Top with uncooked biscuits and continue to  bake 12-15 minutes or until the biscuit topping is golden brown.

Homemade Biscuits

2 cups flour                                    1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder           1/2 cup butter

2 teaspoons sugar                          1 cup buttermilk

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Work in butter with pastry cutter or hands until mixture is crumbly.  Stir in buttermilk until just blended.  Roll out about 1 1/2 inches thick and cut out with a 3-inch round cookie cutter.  Place biscuits on top of chicken mixture and continue baking 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Biscuits can also be baked separately: Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees 10-12 minutes

APPLE CRISP - Cooking Light Magazine

I've made a zillion apple crisps,  usually motivated by the fact that I have a 38 pound box of Utah apples and can only eat so many apples a day.  This is another good apple dessert recipe--not too sweet, and would also be great for breakfast with a little Greek yogurt (pretty sure I've mentioned that before).  And my Emma Bridgewater baking dish still makes me happy.

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup regular oats
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 7 cups sliced peeled Rome apple (about 3 pounds) (I used Honeycrisp) 
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, oats, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly. Stir in walnuts.

Combine apple and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss well. Spoon apple mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish or 1 1/2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.