This is essentially a healthier version of chicken pot pie that keeps all the flavor and comfort of the classic dish.
It’s fall now, and the cooler the weather gets, the more we want comfort foods. Even if we’re trying to eat healthy, we all sometimes want something warm, creamy, salty, and doughy. I’ve tried a few chicken pot pie alternatives over the years, but they all used a canned cream of chicken soup as the base, and if I’m going to be serious about clean eating, I cannot buy canned cream of anything with a clean conscience. With cauliflower as the base of the creamy chicken and whole wheat flour and flaxseed meal as the base for the biscuits, this dish is about as clean as you can get and proof that comfort food doesn’t have to be bad for you.
Yield: 4 servings of creamy chicken and about 20 biscuits (depending on the size)
Creamy Chicken Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast*, chopped
- 1/2 head (about 4-5 cups) cauliflower
- 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup carrots, sliced or chopped
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 cup milk or half-and-half
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Olive oil for cooking
*I’ve made this recipe using my baked chicken breast recipe, my maple crock pot chicken, and a rotisserie chicken from the store. Just remove the meat from the skin and bones.
Biscuit Ingredients
- 3 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 cup golden flaxseed meal
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 3/4 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1 cup milk
Method for Creamy Chicken
Steam cauliflower with broth until its soft enough for a fork to go through. Let cool for a few minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor.
In a pan, cook carrots in about 1 tbsp of olive oil for about 5 minutes, until soft.
Add chicken, pureed cauliflower, milk, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix everything and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover the pan. Cook for about 15-20 minutes until flavors are combined. While it cooks, make the biscuits (see below).
Mix the peas in and let them warm through.
Method for Biscuits
Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large bowl, mix flour, flaxseed meal, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. Add cold butter to the mixture, using your hands or a pastry mixer to work the butter in until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Add milk to the mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir until moistened.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough 4-6 times, until the dough holds together.
Pat or lightly roll dough until 3/4 inch thick.
Cut the dough with a biscuit cutter. Repeat until all the dough is used.
Place biscuits 1-inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet (or lined with parchment paper so you don’t have to wash it).
Bake at 450°F for 8-10 minutes.
Serve with, on top of, or smothered with creamy chicken.
Приятного аппетита! (Priyatnova appetita! Russian for ‘Bon Appetit!’)