A quicker way to get the same delicious French flavor in this dish.  Many thanks to my brother for the inspiration and guidance in this recipe - based on what he enjoyed eating during his two recent years spent in France.  The more traditional method is to boil a whole chicken on the bone in a broth first, before adding the vegetables, then serving with the bechamel sauce over rice.  This method is faster, and tastes very similar, since the same spices are used in the broth.  Yum. 

A delicious meal - vegetables, chicken over rice with the tasty bechamel sauce on top. 

Poule au Pot

In a large pot, place the following: 

3 carrots, peeled & coarsely chopped

1 parsnip, peeled & coarsely chopped

1 lb. red, thin-skinned potatoes, coarsely diced (if small, just slice each in half)

1 celery root & stalks, peel bulb, dice (I prefer to use only 1/2 the tops/stalks/leaves)

1 onion, coarsely diced with 3 whole cloves pressed into the onion

2 tsp freeze-dried diced garlic, diced OR 2 cloves garlic, each sliced in half

2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried ground thyme

1 Tbsp freeze dried parsley OR 2 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried rosemary

~10 whole peppercorns

Cover with water, about 1" above all the ingredients.  Heat over medium-high heat to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for ~90 minutes.  

Add and simmer for the last 15 minutes of cooking: 

1-2 cups roast chicken, coarsely diced

While the vegetables are simmering, cook rice of your choice to serve.  I love a nice brown jasmine rice.  The long simmer time in this recipe makes it easy to make a brown rice which requires ~45 minutes to simmer and 15 minutes to rest before serving.  

Whip together an easy bechamel sauce after you add the chicken.  This will be served over the vegetables and chicken. 

Bechamel sauce:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat melt: 

3-4 Tbsp butter

Add: 

1 cup broth from vegetables above

3/4 cup milk

pinch salt

pinch fresh ground pepper

In a separate bowl, mix together: 

1-2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/4 cup cold milk

Once broth/milk is bubbling, add the cornstarch mixture, whisking/stirring constantly until mixture thickens slightly and bubbles for a minute.  Adjust salt and pepper, to taste.  Remove from heat. 

To serve your poule au pot: 

In a wide, low-sided bowl place a scoop of cooked rice.  Use a slotted spoon to serve a mixture of vegetables and chicken from your large pot.  Remove any bay leaves or cloves that end up in the bowl.  Top with a spoonful of Bechamel sauce.  Enjoy! 

Each bowl looks beautiful - and different. 

Chicken Vegetable Pie and Biscuits

This dish is packed with veggies - leeks, mushrooms, onions, carrots, celery, peas topped with flaky biscuits.  I have listed this recipe in such a way that while things are cooking, you can stir occasionally and chop the remaining vegetables while things are simmering/cooking.  I, personally, find it helpful to have recipes listed in such a way that the ingredients and instructions are intertwined rather than having a large list of ingredients at the top followed by instructions at the bottom.  I hope you'll agree it's a helpful way to have a recipe, even if you have to skim through it all to find all the ingredients needed.  Ingredients are always in bold to help with this.  In this recipe, the addition of leeks adds wonderful flavor to the chicken vegetable pot pie taste.  The biscuits that cook right on top are wonderful! Light, soft, delicious.  A perfect accompaniment to this dish.  Enjoy!!!

A delicious biscuit topping a pile of tasty vegetables & chicken. Yum! 

Chicken Vegetable Pie & Biscuits


Preheat oven to 400 F.

Melt in large, heavy pan:

½ cup butter

Stir vegetables occasionally, so you can chop veggies & cook at the same time! 

Add & cook for 5 minutes:

1 onion, coarsely chopped

3 carrots, sliced thinly

Add & cook 2-3 minutes: 
1 leek, sliced and rinsed

Add & cook 5 minutes:

3 celery stalks, diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

Add & cook until bubbling, lower heat to medium-low and let simmer 5 minutes:

2 1/2 cups hot chicken broth/stock

Season w/ salt & pepper

Mix together first and then mix into bubbling vegetables to thicken:
1/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch

Stir in and let simmer over low to medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes:

1 cup cooked chicken, chopped

½ cup frozen peas

While chicken and vegetables are simmering, prepare the biscuits for the top:

Make buttermilk in a measuring cup.  In a measuring cup place:
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Fill so you have a total of:
1/2 cup milk

Mix in a large bowl: 
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup corn flour (or corn starch, if you don't have corn flour)
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

Dice in with a pastry cutter:
5 Tbsp butter

Add & mix in just until a dough is formed:
1/2 cup buttermilk, from above

Put vegetables/chicken in large dish (9x13 size).  Cover with small scoops of biscuit dough pressed into little flat circles using your hands.  Bake at 400 F for 15-17 minutes until golden brown.   Serve and enjoy! 

Chicken Pot Pie & Biscuits, ready to cook! 

This dish is absolutely beautiful coming out of the oven with those golden biscuits.  

Chicken Pot Pie (or Chicken & Mushroom Pie)

We do love our chicken pot pie. We eat it plain. We eat it with a crust. We eat it with tortilla chips. We eat it as leftovers.  Everyone loves it.  And it's SO easy.

Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie! 

Chicken Pot Pie OR Chicken & Mushroom Pie – nice if you leave out mushrooms & crust, too

Optional: Make buttermilk pie pastry recipe - you may find you only need 1/2 recipe to top your pie, in which case you could use the rest for a pie or bottom of a quiche.

Melt in large, heavy pan:

½ cup butter

Cook for 5 min. in butter:

1 onion, coarsely chopped

3-4 carrots, sliced thinly

Add & cook 5 minutes:

2-3 celery stalks, coarsely shopped

1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)

Mix in & cook 1 min.:

¼ cup gluten-free flour mix OR WAIT and add 2 Tbsp corn starch, mixed in 2 Tbsp. cold water AFTER the next step where chicken stock is added and boiling (I prefer to do this)

Add & cook until bubbling:

2 cups hot chicken broth/stock

If using cornstarch, add 2 Tbsp cornstarch mixed in 2 Tbsp cold water NOW. Cook, stirring for 1 min until thickened.

Season w/ salt & pepper

Stir in:

1 lb. cooked chicken, chopped

½ cup frozen peas

¼ cup cream OR milk

Put in large dish, cover w/ pie pastry.  Bake 30 min. at 375F until pastry is golden brown. 

OR

Simmer 10-15 minutes on low while partly covered with lid (aka, lid partly on so steam can escape)

ENJOY!