Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 8

1 recipe Parmesan biscuits, recipe follows
1 roasted chicken, shredded... you'll need 3 cups

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large carrots, chopped in quarter-inch dice
1 small red onion, chopped in quarter-inch dice
3 stalks celery, chopped in quarter-inch dice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups organic vegetable broth
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 tablespoons minced parsley - for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400°

Place a large sized saucepan on the stove; add butter to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and celery, season with salt and pepper and sauté until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add the flour to the pan and gently sauté the mixture for another 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken stock, then the milk and thyme. Bring to a simmer and simmer until the sauce thickens. This should take about 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the thawed peas. Adjust the seasonings. Pour the mixture into a 9x13" baking dish. Top with the Parmesan biscuit rounds; bake in a 400° oven until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Add 15 minutes to the cooking time if the potpie is refrigerated before cooking. The pot pie can also be baked in individual dishes, reduce the cooking time by 10 minutes.

Parmesan Biscuits

Parmesan biscuits
Yield: 8 2-inch biscuits

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, cut into eight pieces, chilled
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup milk

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl to blend. Using fingertips, rub the chilled butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the cheese.

Add the milk and stir until the mixture is evenly moistened and forms dough.

Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour. Scrape the dough out onto the floured surface. Gently pat the dough out until it is about 1 inch thick. Cut rounds out of the dough using a 2-inch biscuit cutter. Evenly distribute the biscuits over the pot pie filling and bake as directed above.

Or... bake in a 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, or until risen and well-browned.

Lasagna Bolognese

Lasagna Bolognese:
1 package lasagna noodles (or homemade noodles - see additional video)
Italian Sausage Bolognese (see video)
Bechamel Sauce (see video)
Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Mozzarella Cheese, grated

To assemble the Lasagna:
Cook 15-20 lasagna noodles in salted, boiling water, until tender. Remove from heat and shock in an ice bath. Remove noodles and layer between sheets of paper towels to dry.

In a 13x9 inch baking pan, start by adding the bolognese to the bottom of the pan, then noodles, followed by bechamel, ragu, parmigiano-reggiano and mozzarella. Repeat process until all noodles have been used. Top noodles with bechamel and additional parmigiano-reggiano. Bake in oven for 30-45 minutes until sauces are bubbling and the lasagna is browned on the top and the edges. Let lasagna rest for about 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.