Chicken Pot Pie

Okay, there's not really anything new or novel about this recipe, but it's really simple, and sooooo tasty.  I've made this a couple of times using my precooked chicken that I like to do, with six giant chicken breasts, roasting them off all at once in the oven.  I've got an easy seasoning that i put on it - S&P, garlic powder, thyme - and then it's ready for anything.  I pick the meat off and put it in the freezer, but then it's so easy to throw the bones and skins into a pot with some water and let them simmer for a couple hours for some super-tasty stock.

So, with precooked chicken and stock available, this recipe is a snap! Of course, you can use frozen mixed veggies in place of fresh, but I had carrots and green beans on hand and used frozen peas and corn.  And you could use canned biscuit topping, but it's not nearly as good as this recipe.  I use a biscuit cutter to get rounds, and smash them out, if I need to, to fit overtop the ramekins. 

Chicken Pot Pie

½ C. each green beans, peas, corn, and carrots (chopped)

1 T. oil

1 T. butter

2 T. flour

1 C. chicken stock or broth

½ C. milk

1 C. cooked chicken, chopped

Saute the carrots and green beans in the oil and butter.  Add the flour, and let cook for a minute.  Add the liquid, and let simmer until thickened.  Add the chicken, and turn the heat down until ready to add to ramekins.

Prepare the biscuit topping (below).  Spoon the filling into ramekins, and top with topping, baking according to recipe directions.

Buttermilk Biscuits

1 ¾ C. flour

4 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cream of tartar

¼ tsp. baking soda

1/3 C. butter / shortening

¾ C. buttermilk

Mix flour with baking powder, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda.  Cut in butter.  Add buttermilk and stir with fork until soft dough is formed.  Place dough on lightly floured board and knead 20 times.  Pat or roll lightly until dough is ½” thick.  Cut with floured 2-inch cookie cutter.  Brush with melted butter.  Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 450° for about 12 min.  Makes 12 biscuits.

Raspberry Pecan Cake Balls

So, cake balls are all the rage these days, and I've gotta say, I have not been that impressed.  First off, if you put them on a lollipop stick, they are IMPOSSIBLE to eat.  They are generally made with canned frosting (sorry, but, bleh!) and by the time they're mashed and molded, the texture is awful.  And then dip them in almond bark?  It's so sweet at that point that it makes the back of my jaws hurt just to think about it.

But, what do I do with my leftover cake scraps and frosting from the Hello Kitty cake that I made for Audrey's birthday?  I came up with this:  substitute seedless raspberry jam for some of the frosting, and roll the balls in nuts instead of dipping in almond bark.  Serve in a bowl with ice cream and chocolate syrup, and it's like, gourmet cake balls.  Mmmmm!  As usual with my recipes, the amounts are approximate, but not important, because as long as you do it to your taste, you'll like it.  Right? :)

Raspberry Pecan Cake Balls

1 9x13 cake (baked)

1 C. frosting

1/2 C. seedless raspberry jam

½ C. chopped pecans

Ice cream

Chocolate syrup

If your cake is cold, heat up the frosting 10 – 15 seconds in the microwave until it’s slightly runny.  Add the raspberry jam, and stir well.  Roll the cake balls into 1” balls, and roll in the pecans.  Serve with ice cream and chocolate syrup.