I learned to make chicken and biscuits from my mom. It’s one of her favorite dinners. She learned from my grandmother. Over the years, I’ve tweaked it and come up with my own slightly enhanced version. Everyone in my family loves this and it’s a big deal when I make it (and there’s fighting over the biscuits). This is perfect for a Sunday night supper, with some green beans and a pie for dessert.

There are two methods for making this. Usually I start with the leftover carcass from a roast chicken, and thus feel extremely frugal. You can also start with a whole chicken. Either way, the result is fabulous.

1 chicken carcass from a roast chicken plus 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts OR 1 whole chicken

1 stalk of celery

4 baby carrots

salt and pepper

big pinch dried rosemary

big pinch dried thyme

pinch sage

12 baby carrots sliced

1/2 cup frozen peas

Wondra flour

salt and pepper

Place your chicken carcass in a big pot and cover it with water. If you’re using a cooked carcass plus breasts, don’t add the breasts yet. Put in the celery and 4 whole carrots, and add the herbs. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium, so it continues to boil. Allow to cook about an hour and a half, until the joints come apart and the broth is looking rich. If you have chicken breasts to add, this is the time to add them and cook another half hour (if you’re using a whole chicken, you want to cook for a total of 2 hours).

Strain the mixture, reserving liquid and pouring it back into the pot. Allow the chicken to cool in a bowl. Once it has cooled, break it up into small chunks and big shreds and add back into the pot. Add the sliced carrots and bring to a boil, cooking until the carrots are tender. Add the peas (it’s ok if they’re frozen). Keep the mix boiling. Start whisking in Wondra flour, starting with about 1/2 cup and adding more until you get to the consistency you like. I like mine to be very thick, like a very thick gravy. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Make the biscuits:

2 cups flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

baking soda

1/3 cup cold or frozen butter

2/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425. Cut butter into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, or if using frozen butter, grate it with a cheese cutter and then rub the mixture with your hands to incorporate. Gently stir in the buttermilk and use your hands to full incorporate. Pat it down to about 1 1/2 inches and cut with a biscuit cutter into 6 biscuits. Bake for 11 minutes.

Plan on 1-2 biscuits per person. Serve by cutting biscuits in half so you have two rounds, and spooning the chicken mixture on top.

Sometimes I add 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese to the biscuits to mix things up.

The chicken part of the recipe usually makes enough so that I can freeze the leftovers for another night, or feed a crowd and double the biscuit recipe.

I learned to make chicken and biscuits from my mom. It’s one of her favorite dinners. She learned from my grandmother. Over the years, I’ve tweaked it and come up with my own slightly enhanced version. Everyone in my family loves this and it’s a big deal when I make it (and there’s fighting over … Read more →

Tiny Skillet has chosen Savory French Toast for next week. This will be something new and different!

Tiny Skillet has chosen Savory French Toast for next week. This will be something new and different!

Pru at Perfecting Pru chose Lighter Chicken Potpie for today’s recipe. Pru has never had chicken potpie before! Well, Pru, what did you think?

I had a little trouble with the recipe. First off, I quickly poached some chicken breasts but did not use the poaching water as directed – I used chicken broth, but that was just my cheat for the recipe. Secondly, as I was making it, it seemed like there was not enough liquid, so I increased the broth (and increased the flour). It was nice and thick when it went in the oven, but it came out looking like soup, so it was pretty disappointing. My family did not like the tarragon in this, something I don’t normally use. The phyllo dough was nice and I thought the flavors were fine otherwise. I don’t make chicken potpie often because I find it to be messy. I always think I would like it better with a bottom crust, but even when I make it that way, it all still runs all over the place. I’m posting a recipe for chicken and biscuits later this week and that is my version of chicken potpie that I like the best.

Pru at Perfecting Pru chose Lighter Chicken Potpie for today’s recipe. Pru has never had chicken potpie before! Well, Pru, what did you think? I had a little trouble with the recipe. First off, I quickly poached some chicken breasts but did not use the poaching water as directed – I used chicken broth, but … Read more →

Asparagus is one my favorite vegetables to cook in parchment. It’s just the right size and it cooks perfectly. I made this for dinner the other night. It’s got the right balance of creaminess and lemon and the garlic gives it some punch.

1 bunch asparagus

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon dill

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Place the asparagus on the parchment. Mix the other ingredients in a small bowl and spread over the asparagus. Fold the parchment (see the Technique page on this blog) and bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes, until the asparagus reaches your level of doneness. This is great with chicken or fish.

Asparagus is one my favorite vegetables to cook in parchment. It’s just the right size and it cooks perfectly. I made this for dinner the other night. It’s got the right balance of creaminess and lemon and the garlic gives it some punch. 1 bunch asparagus 1/3 cup light mayonnaise 3 garlic cloves, minced salt … Read more →

I love potatoes even though according to the latest studies, they are one of the foods that make you the fattest. Oh well. When you have ancestors who lived through the potato famine, you just have a certain craving sometimes. It was cold and rainy this past weekend and I was just coming off my marathon cooking insanity for my latest cookbook. I wanted something homey, easy, and really, really comforting. So I roasted a whole chicken, steamed some veggies and made this gratin.

2 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced

1  1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup skim milk

1/2 cup grated cheese

1 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

pinch of nutmeg

1 teaspoon garlic oil

1/2 teaspoon thyme

Preheat the oven to 350 and spray an oblong baking pan, about 6×9 or 5×8. Layer the potatoes in the pan. You don’ t have to go nuts, you just want them evenly distributed. Put the cream and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the other ingredients. I used a mishmash of cheeses I had leftover (Parmesan, Gruyere, and some white cheddar). Stir until cheese is melted then pour over the potatoes. Bake for about an hour, until the top is browned, the cream is thick and bubbly and you can’t stand it another second and just have to dive in.

It’s creamy, filling, hearty and exactly what I was looking for on a cold fall day!

I love potatoes even though according to the latest studies, they are one of the foods that make you the fattest. Oh well. When you have ancestors who lived through the potato famine, you just have a certain craving sometimes. It was cold and rainy this past weekend and I was just coming off my … Read more →

My next book, The Organized Kitchen, is now listed on Amazon (for pre-order) and I got to see the cover for the first time! I think it’s a pretty Martha-worthy title. And my years as an unofficial Martha apprentice definitely taught me a lot and helped me write this book. I’ll be talking more about it once it’s closer to the pub date (which is January – perfect for New Year’s resolutions!) and sharing some of the tips then.

My next book, The Organized Kitchen, is now listed on Amazon (for pre-order) and I got to see the cover for the first time! I think it’s a pretty Martha-worthy title. And my years as an unofficial Martha apprentice definitely taught me a lot and helped me write this book. I’ll be talking more about … Read more →

I just had to share my excitement. My book, The Organized Kitchen, is now listed on Amazon (for pre-order – it comes out in Jan, perfect for New Year’s resolutions). I was excited to get to see the cover at last and see it up on Amazon!

The book is all about making your life in the kitchen easier, simpler and more streamlined.

I just had to share my excitement. My book, The Organized Kitchen, is now listed on Amazon (for pre-order – it comes out in Jan, perfect for New Year’s resolutions). I was excited to get to see the cover at last and see it up on Amazon! The book is all about making your life … Read more →

This week’s Martha Mondays got me craving plain old apple crisp, so I got to work and made one for my family, and also for my parents since my dad was having some surgery done. I make apple crisp the way my mom and grandmother did. We usually just dump, but I measured so I could share it here.

I made an 8×8 pan:

5 apples, peeled cored and thinly sliced

1/2 cup water

salt

cinnamon

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 and spray your baking pan. Lay the apples in (you don’t have to go nuts and make it all symmetrical, just distribute them evenly). Pour the water over them then sprinkle with some salt and cinnamon. Place the rest of the ingredients in the food processor and whiz until you’ve got coarse meal. Spread that over the top. Bake for about an hour and 15 minutes.

This week’s Martha Mondays got me craving plain old apple crisp, so I got to work and made one for my family, and also for my parents since my dad was having some surgery done. I make apple crisp the way my mom and grandmother did. We usually just dump, but I measured so I … Read more →

Try this simple recipe for a really tasty supper. It’s easy to make, tastes complicated and will result in almost no clean up!

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

salt and pepper

1/2 cup cooked broccoli (frozen is fine)

1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

pinch of onion powder

pinch of dry mustard

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken on the parchment and season with salt and pepper. Top with the broccoli. Mix cheeses, onion powder, dry mustard and parsley and more salt and pepper in a small bowl, then spread over the broccoli (it’s fine if some drips off). Fold the parchment (see Technique page on this blog) and bake for 20-25 minutes until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 (poke the instant read thermometer through the paper to check). Allow the package to rest about 5 minutes, then serve.

The result is creamy, pretty, and very delicious.

Try this simple recipe for a really tasty supper. It’s easy to make, tastes complicated and will result in almost no clean up! 1 boneless skinless chicken breast salt and pepper 1/2 cup cooked broccoli (frozen is fine) 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese pinch of onion powder pinch of dry … Read more →

Thanks to Perfecting Pru for choosing our next project: Lighter Chicken Potpie.

Thanks to Perfecting Pru for choosing our next project: Lighter Chicken Potpie.