Individual Pot Pies with Cheddar Chive Biscuit Crust

Ok, I realize it's 9 million degrees outside and you're probably wondering who the heck eats pot pie in the summer when we all should really just be eating watermelon and lettuce, but I'm here to tell you that it is totally acceptable to eat mini pot pies with cheddar chive biscuits any time of the year.

 

If I'm being truthful, we actually ate these for dinner last week when we went through a little cold and rainy spell, but I'd eat them again tonight if I could.

The biscuit topping on these blows away a regular pie crust any day. They reminded me of Red Lobster's cheddar bay biscuits (which I haven't had in seriously years), which we all know are buttery, cheesy and herby perfection. I was so sad when my crust ended. Which is why individual servings is the way to go in our house - no picking at the edges of the crust after you've already eaten and are standing in the kitchen pretending to "clean up." ;-)

Underneath that crust lies a slew of potatoes and veggies - even Brussels sprouts! - in a creamy vegetable broth base. At the end I added soy "turkey" for some protein, but of course real chicken or turkey can be used. Or you can just leave it out altogether for a vegetable pot pie.

Summertime or not, sometimes you just need a little biscuit in your life. ;-)

Individual Pot Pies with Cheddar Chive Biscuit Crust

Serves 5

Biscuit recipe adapted slightly from The Joy of Cooking's Cheddar Herb Drop Biscuits

Ingredients - Sauce

2 Tbsp. butter

2 medium onions, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

6 oz. soy turkey or chicken strips (real chicken or turkey may be used, but should be cooked separately)

1 cup water

1 cup skim milk

2 medium red bliss potatoes, cubed

1 cup baby Brussels sprouts

1 Tbsp. Wonder flour (cornstarch will also work)

2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Salt & pepper to taste

Ingredients - Biscuits

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

3/4 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. skim milk
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. freshly chopped chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and sweat the onions, carrots and celery with salt & pepper over medium-low heat until the onions are translucent. Add the soy turkey and cook a few minutes more. Add water, milk, potatoes and Brussels sprouts and simmer over medium heat about 10 minutes. Add the wonder flour and parsley, and cook a few minutes more until the sauce thickens. Add parsley and additional salt & pepper, and set aside.

To make the biscuits, add all ingredients to a bowl and mix with a fork until combined. Do not overbeat.

Pour the sauce into 5 individual casserole dishes or medium-sized ramekins that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Top each bowl with biscuit dough (dough should be about an inch thick and reach the edges of the dish). Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until biscuits have browned and sauce is bubbly.