Gluten Free Biscuit Chicken Pot Pies To Go
Ingredients
1 recipe gluten free biscuit dough (I used the Extra Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits from page 227 of GFOAS Bakes Bread, but the Gluten Free Biscuits from the blog would work just fine, too—try using buttermilk in place of milk or cream), chilled
2 tablespoons (28 g) extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped fine
1 stalk celery, chopped fine
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons (27 g) basic xanthan-gum free gluten free flour blend (18 grams superfine white rice flour + 6 grams potato starch + 3 grams tapioca starch/flour)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (8 fluid ounces) chicken stock
8 fluid ounces low-fat evaporated milk
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme)
5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups cooked cubed chicken*
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk)
*I just placed 1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts on a greased and lined baking sheet, sprinkled them on both sides with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and drizzled them with extra virgin olive oil. Then I placed them under my oven’s broiler for about 12 minutes, flipping them about halfway through, or until they were cooked all the way through. You can also use a store-bought gluten free rotisserie chicken, which would make things simple and still delicious!
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set aside.
Prepare the filling. In a medium-size, heavy bottom saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot, and cook until the onions and celery are translucent (about 5 minutes). Transfer to a small bowl, and set it aside. To the same medium-size saucepan, add the 2 tablespoons butter and melt over medium heat. Add the flour blend, salt and pepper, and stir to combine well. The mixture will clump at first, and then smooth. This is the roux that will thicken the sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has just begun to turn a very light brown color (about 2 minutes). Add the stock to the roux very slowly, stirring constantly to break up any lumps that might form. Add the evaporated milk and the thyme, and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about one-quarter. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the cooked onion mixture. Stir to combine.
Prepare the biscuit dough, rolling it out into a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. While rolling and folding the biscuit dough, sprinkle with enough additional gluten free flour that you end up with a smooth dough. If using the recipe for Extra Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits from GFOAS Bakes Bread, you should expect to use up to another 1/4 cup (35 g) Gluten Free Pastry Flour. If using the biscuit recipe from the blog, you should expect to use another 2 to 3 tablespoons (18 to 24 grams) all purpose gluten free flour.
Shape and fill the pastries. With a sharp knife or pastry cutter, slice the rectangle of dough into 5-inch squares. Gather and reroll scraps. You should have at least 6 squares. Separate them from one another and place about 2 teaspoons of the filling on top of each square, slightly off-center so the filling is enclosed when the dough is folded, not caught in the fold. Top with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of chopped chicken, top with another small dollop of filling and about 1 tablespoon grated cheese. Moisten the edges of each square with a wet finger, and fold the dough in half diagonally to create a triangle, gently pressing out the air as you fold. Press the edges of the triangle to seal and, using a sharp knife or pastry cutter, slice three vents on top of each turnover. Place the turnovers an inch apart on a prepared baking sheet, and place in the freezer until firm.**
**ETA: At this point, you can freeze the shaped and filled pastries in a single layer on a baking sheet, and then pile them into a freezer-safe bag and keep them frozen until you’re ready to bake them. Then pop them in the oven and bake! You might need a few more minutes of baking time once they’re frozen solid, so just keep an eye on them.
Bake the pastries. Remove the chilled turnovers from the freezer and brush each generously with the egg wash. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the turnovers are puffed and pale golden all over, and more brown around the edges (about 15 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Inspired by this Pillsbury Chicken To Go Biscuits recipe.