Creamy Chicken Biscuit Topping (Printer-friendly)

Tender chicken and veggies in a creamy sauce with golden biscuit topping.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Filling

01 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
08 - 1 cup whole milk
09 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
10 - 1 cup frozen peas
11 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
12 - 1 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ For the Biscuit Topping

14 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
15 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
16 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
17 - 1 teaspoon salt
18 - 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
19 - 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
20 - 1 large egg, lightly beaten for egg wash

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
02 - In a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
03 - Sprinkle flour over vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes until flour is absorbed.
04 - Gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring until thickened, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
05 - Stir in chicken, peas, thyme, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.
06 - Pour the filling into a 9x13-inch baking dish or large pie dish.
07 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add cold butter and cut in with a pastry blender or fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
08 - Add buttermilk and gently stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
09 - Drop spoonfuls of biscuit dough evenly over the filling. If desired, brush the tops with beaten egg for a glossy finish.
10 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown and filling is bubbling.
11 - Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The biscuit topping is crispy outside and tender inside, nothing like the dense baked goods you might expect.
  • You can have it ready in just over an hour, and most of the work happens in one pan before the oven takes over.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when all the flavors have gotten to know each other.
02 -
  • Don't overmix the biscuit dough or you'll end up with hockey pucks instead of tender, flaky tops—it should look shaggy and barely combined.
  • Make sure your buttermilk is cold; this keeps the butter suspended in the dough so it creates layers instead of melting into the flour.
03 -
  • Make a shallow roux by cooking the flour and butter together for a full minute before adding liquid—this prevents that raw flour taste that can hide in thicker sauces.
  • If your filling seems too thin after simmering, let it bubble for another minute or two; if it's too thick, whisk in a splash more broth to get it to the right consistency before it goes in the oven.
Return