Dutch oven pot pie revisited

The last time I visited Dutch oven pot pie on 'Round the Chuckbox, refrigerator biscuit dough stood in for the top crust. Biscuit dough gave me a quick way to prepare pot pie in camp. The filling was made using canned cream of mushroom soup, frozen vegetables and pre-cooked chicken.

On Saturday, I prepared Dutch oven pot pie with dark turkey meat, frozen broccoli and a scratch-made sauce. The sauce was a basic velouté, prepared with turkey stock and a roux. Once ready, I stirred in diced cooked turkey and broccoli florets. It cooked long enough for the broccoli to begin thawing before placing biscuits on the surface.

Instead of using biscuit dough, I pinched off 12 golf ball-sized pieces of dough from a batch of artisan no-knead bread dough. After lightly rounding each dough ball, I placed them on top of the pot pie filling. With charcoal briquettes for approximately 400 degrees (5 under and 20 on the lid), the biscuits baked for around 30 minutes. As you can see in the image below, the biscuit topping took on a golden color.

In the enclosed environment of the Dutch oven, the biscuits enjoyed a steam bath as they baked under the intense heat of the coals on the lid. The steam imparted the tough and chewy crust that we enjoy on sourdough bread. And it gave the biscuit topping a shinny coat as well.

Yet, the bottom of the biscuit crust was moist and soft. It reminded me of dumplings being bathed on a pot of turkey stew. While the dough remained chewy on the underside, it absorbed the rich goodness of the pot pie gravy.

My impromptu turkey pot pie with no-knead biscuit crust was a hit last night. I was able to put the dough, which had been fermenting in the refrigerator all week, to good use. My only regret? There was only sufficient pot pie for four modest servings. Once we scooped up the turkey filling, three or four biscuits remained. But that's okay. I'll finish them at dinner tonight.

Dutch Oven Chicken Pot Pie with Buttermilk Biscuit Topping

I watched Sandra Lee prepare a simple chicken and turkey pot pie with packaged products this morning on her Food Network show. She topped the casserole with large Pillsbury-brand biscuits and baked it in the oven.

The recipe gave me an idea for my next camping trip.

I adapted Sandra's recipe for Dutch oven. Since I don't purchase frozen onions or often use seasoning mixes (like the McCormick's Grill Mates), I slowly cooked chopped onions and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes. Once I mixed in the remaining ingredients, the casserole was ready for charcoal.

The chicken pot pie is made with canned soup, frozen vegetables and frozen pre-cooked chicken is sufficiently easy without using frozen onions or a seasoning mix.

The chicken mixture should be thick, so resist the urge to thin with milk or broth.

DUTCH OVEN CHICKEN POT PIE WITH BUTTERMILK BISCUIT TOPPING

This recipe is the ideal way to use leftover cooked chicken or turkey anytime during the year.

Filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 small red potatoes, cubed
1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
2 cups cooked cubed chicken
2 (10-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley
Ground black pepper, to taste

Topping:
16 ounces refrigerated biscuit dough
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat 12-inch Dutch oven to approx. with 350 degrees F with 12 charcoal briquetts on lid and 7 underneath oven. Pour olive oil in hot oven. Add onions and garlic and sweat lid on until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Combine remaining filling ingredients in Dutch oven. Be sure to mix in onion and garlic. Check seasoning. Replace lid and bake for 1-1/2 hours. Add additional burning charcoal as needed to maintain heat.

Remove lid. Mixture should be bubbling. Gently stir mixture to evenly distribute heat. Open can of biscuit dough and arrange over top of mixture. Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter. Return lid, adding extra burning charcoal to lid if necessary, and continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes or until biscuits have risen and are golden brown.