Chicken Pot Pie with Sweet Potato & Buttermilk Crust

I always get excited after daylight savings time, although it is initially hard to wake up in the morning due to how dark it is, the nights are so much more enjoyable, as the sun does not set to almost 7 sometimes. It is the time of year when I remember, oh ya, I have neighbors, who start to eventually emerge from their homes with a friendly hello, like they had not been hybernating for the past 4 months. Today however, is a bit more gloomy and rainy - the perfect weather to finish up the last of the pot pie before it is all bbq and patio.

Pot pie is a classic comfort dish, that can be made a few different ways be it vegetarian, chicken, beef, lamb, venison etc.... You can add a number of different herbs or spices (sage, rosemary, thyme, savory, marjoram, curry), the broth can consist of anything from chicken, beef or vegetable broth, white wine, or with creams like coconut milk, or cream of mushroom soup. The topping itself can also be either mashed potatoes, an herbed crust or biscuit, potato biscuit or sweet potato biscuit. Regardless of the recipe it will certainly provide you with that warm cozy and homey feeling.

For this pot pie I used chicken, vegetable broth, thyme and rosemary with a sweet potatoe biscuit as the topping.

Filling

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

1 cup onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

2 cups peeled white potato or sweet potatoes, cubed

1 cup sliced carrots

1 1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp salt and coarse black pepper

1 cup sliced green beans

1/2 cup corn niblets and/or peas

3 T all purpose flour or cornstarch

Sweet Potato Biscuit Topping

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 T softened butter

3/4 cups cooked mashed sweet potato

3/4 cup 1% milk or buttermilk

If you would rather a normal biscuit topping you may use 1 cup four, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp ground sage, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 T butter and 1/3 cup milk.

Directions for Filling:

First cook chicken breasts either in the oven or stove top until tender.

In a saucepan spray non stick spray, add onions, pepper and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 4 mins. Add 2 cups broth, potatoes, carrots, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 12 mins. Stir in beans, corn and cooked chicken and cook for about 3 mins.

In a small bowl mix 3T flour with the remaining 1/2 cup broth. Add to the filling mixture and cook until bubbly and thick (optional: can add cornstarch to thicken mixture if desired).

Once thick transfer the mixture either to a 2 quart casserole dish or to 6 x 5-7oz ramekins.

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Directions for Biscuit:

Boil water and cook 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes. Once cooked, mash 3/4 cup of sweet pototo and add whisk in mild.

In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add the sweet potato and milk mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until a soft ball forms.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surgace and roll or pat out to fit top of casserole dish or ramekins.

Place dough over casserole dish or ramekins. Brush top of biscuit with milk or egg white.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Let cool 5 mins before serving.