Chicken Pot Pie with Bisquick recipe

Chicken pot pie is a recipe from my mother’s Irish side. This chicken pot pie uses Bisquick. My mother’s pot pie was among my favorites. Back in the 1950’s pot pies were very popular in restaurants and in the grocery store. One of my clearest memories of the old Horn and Hardart Automat is the sight and strong smell of the pot pies in their brown or green crocks topped with a thin crust. I think the aroma of the pot pies was the identifying smell of Horn and Hardart. And the white aproned waitresses cleaning up the tables flecked with shattered crusts was the image.

image from http://www.theautomat.net/

Pot Pies

At home, my father, who tried everything new in the market, one day came home with a Swanson frozen chicken pot pie. What a thrill that was: to actually have something in our kitchen that they showed on television. We all waited breathlessly as my mother took it from the oven and set it on the table. Then she sliced into it and went to serve us. What was this on our plate?

Yellow ooze spotted with a few orange squares of carrot and a few round green pebbles of peas. Where was the chicken? Was it those little, smaller than dice cubes of white gelatin-like things? We were still hungry. Fortunately there was always grilled cheese. Neither Horn and Hardart nor Swanson resembled the chicken and vegetable filled pot pie my mother made.
Now there is a question about this recipe for chicken pot pie. In many respects the recipe I offer here contradicts almost everything I do in the kitchen. The ingredients include frozen and boxed products. The end result, however, grant a special dispensation. I have to say that the Bisquick is the big flavor and texture here.

Bisquick crust

Now, even though I’ll be using Bisquick and a bag of frozen vegetables, this recipe does take time, particularly if you poach a whole chicken. The quicker way to prepare the chicken is to use chicken breasts, cube them and sauter them in the pan to which you add the vegetables and the cream sauce. Another note to consider is the use of spices. Some folks like their pot pie very plain with only pepper and salt. My mother always added a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon to the white sauce and a sprinkle of paprika to the chicken and vegetables. You can also add the spices to the Bisquick.

What you need

Equipment
Large heavy oven proof casserole
Large stew pot - for poaching a whole chicken

Ingredients

Whole chicken, poached (save stock)
(or) cubed chicken breasts
Bisquick
Milk, 2 cups
Eggs
Butter
Flour
Frozen mixed vegetables
Salt and pepper

Spices - optional
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Paprika

Chicken

Remove the skin (save it for your cat or dog)
Break up the meat with your fingers and set aside.

Vegetables

Put some of the chicken poaching stock in a sautee pan, add a few tabs of butter and then the vegetables.
Heat and let the chicken stock reduce.

Milk

In the meantime, heat the milk in the microwave.

Roux

Melt about 1/2 stick of butter in a saucepan. Add about 4 tablespoons of flour.
Stir and let the flour cook,
It will just start to turn a light brown.
You can also add the cinnamon and nutmeg.