Chicken Stew With Biscuits.

Homemade biscuits "make" this stew. Usually, one would bake them on top, but I was worried that the kids wouldn't eat them if they were "mixed".    

I'm a big believer in recipes that can be served in lots of ways.  It takes the stress out of cooking when I know how to make a dish.  This is essentially the filling for a chicken pot pie topped with homemade biscuits; you can substitute any pot pie filling, such as one for lobster or vegetable pot pie.

Thanks, A!  This is going to be a great meal that will please even the picky eaters!

For the Stew
3 whole chicken breasts, bone in , skin on. (4-6 cups cubed chicken)
3 tablesppons olive oil
2 tsps Kosher salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper.
5 cups chicken stock, preferably home made
2 chicken bouillon cubes

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups chopped yellow onions

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups medium-diced carrots (4 carrots), boiled in hot water for 2 minutes
2 cups of cooked peas
1/2 cup minced parsley

For the biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 egg mixed with 1 Tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub them woth olive oil.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Roast for 35  to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin.  Cut the chicken into large dice.  You will have 4-6 cups of cubed chicken.
In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock.  In a large dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté the onions over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent.  Add the flour  and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce.  Simmer over low heat  for 1 more minute, stirring until thick.  Add the salt, pepper and heavy cream.  Add the chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley.  Mix well.
Place all in a 10x13x2 inch oval or rectangular baking dish.  Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with parchement or wax paper.  bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt ,and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add the butter and mix on low speed until the  butter is the size of peas.  Add the half-and-half and combine on low speed.  Mix in parsley

Dump the dough out on a well floured board and, with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8 inch thick. Cut out 12 circles with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter.

Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling.  Brush them with egg wash, and return the dish to the oven.  Bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly.

Freezer directions; Freeze stew and biscuits separately.  Thaw both a day before in the refrigerator.
Bake stew for 25 minutes fro the refrigerator, then place the biscuits on top, and bake for another 30 minutes, until done.

Recipe taken from: The Barefoot Contessa