Comfort food to me usually involves chicken, some sort of gravy and a bread product. Whenever I was sick as a kid, the first thing Mom would give me to eat once I was feeling better was some combination of these ingredients. Sometimes it was only cream of chicken soup on a slice of toast, but it always tasted really, really good. To this day, I want someone to wait on me when I’m sick the way Mom always did. And when I crave comfort food, I want something like chicken and dumplings, chicken a la king, or chicken pot pie.
Unfortunately, my favorite comfort foods aren’t very diabetic-friendly or heart-healthy. Would it be possible to find a version with the same comfort level and less carbs, calories, and fat?
This Chicken Pot Pie contains the same rich, creamy stew you’d find in a traditional pot pie. The difference? Instead of a crust, it’s served with buttery, cheesy biscuits on the side. The result? A dish that qualifies as comfort food without breaking the nutrition bank. It’s not something I’d eat every week, but sometimes you just NEED chicken pot pie.
Mushroom fan? The original recipe also contained mushrooms, but I would never defile chicken pot pie by including mushrooms. If you don’t agree, slice about 2 cups of cremini or button mushrooms and add them after the celery, carrots and onion have cooked for a couple of minutes.
After one bite of this chicken pot pie, The Grillmaster said “THIS is comfort food.”
Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 3 medium carrots peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 4 cups chicken stock homemade or low-sodium
- 2 bone-in chicken breasts cooked, cooled and meat shredded (see how to cook chicken and make stock)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves I used lemon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 Cheddar-Chive Biscuits recipe below
Instructions
- Place frozen peas in a measuring cup and let sit at room temperature to defrost while you proceed with the recipe.
- Heat oil in large, heavy saucepan or stockpot over medium heat. Add celery, carrots and onion. Cook, without browning, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, until flour is incorporated into the mixture, but not browned. Add the butter and cook, stirring gently, until the butter melts.
- Slowly add chicken stock to mixture, a cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Add the shredded chicken and peas to the pot and cook for a minute or two. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Divide stew among four shallow bowls and top each with a biscuit.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Info Per Serving
Cheddar-Chive Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- 3 ounces cheddar cheese grated (about 2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup nonfat or low-fat buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon minced chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Blend in the butter, a few cubes at a time, with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.
- Stir in the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Add buttermilk in a steady stream, stirring with a dough whisk or wooden spoon just until dough forms. Add chives and gently stir until chives are evenly distributed. Don’t overmix or your biscuits will be tough.
- Divide dough into 4 mounds (biscuits will be large) and place on nonstick baking sheet or regular baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a non-stick baking liner (such as SILPAT®). Bake until golden, 15 to 18 minutes.
Your biscuits look delicious!
Love the biscuit on top of the pie. Looks and sounds yummy ! I could go for one now !!
I love the idea of putting a cheddar biscuit on top of a chicken pot. That sounds amazing.
I love chicken pot pie, and I could definitely go for one of those biscuits right now! My mom is diabetic, so I’m always looking for new recipes to prepare for her… thanks for providing a steady, yummy source!
So funny…I asked my husband the same question and we had an exchange similar to yours.
This looks great! I have a weakness for biscuits…loving your cheddar & chive version.
Looks fantastic! and I love the biscuits!
What a great healthy twist on a comfort food classic!
Yum, love both recipes! I remember chicken pot pie very fondly also and love this recipe for it, the biscuits make it for sure! Can’t wait to try it out.
Your chedder chive biscuits look heavenly! Great way to top off the pie.
I always appreciate the recipe where you lose those calories and fat, but don’t lose the taste. If I could, I would have grabbed your pot pie right off of the computer- it looks so good!
My hubby would agree with you about the mushrooms! I’ll just put them on my half! Love the biscuit topper…so delish! And I appreciate a yummy lightened up version of chicken pot pie, too 🙂
This looks SO fantastic! Yum! My husband would love this (as would I!).
I think this is a great way to get your pot pie fix. 🙂