Once the school year starts (which for us won't happen for another week and a half, believe it or not), like every other family with young school-age kids, we hit the ground running. Sometimes literally! That means breakfast on the run, sometimes (hello no-bake granola bars!) and some nights even dinner in the car—at least for one of my three kids.
So I'm always looking for complete handheld meals that they can eat in the backseat. Sitting down for a meal together is absolutely the ideal, and it happens quite often, but sometimes? You gotta do what you gotta do. No guilt. Especially when what you're giving your kids is like a chicken pot pie … to hold in their hands.
And since I always have a batch of the Extra-Flaky Buttermilk Biscuit dough from page 227 of GFOAS Bakes Bread in my refrigerator or freezer (don't have the book? use this gluten free biscuit recipe from the blog—it's fabulous too!), these chicken pot pies to go are always within reach.
ETA: For the ultimate on-the-spot meal, shape these and freeze them 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. Thanks, Fran!
I quickly broiled skinless boneless chicken breasts for this recipe, but you could easily grill them (my current favorite marinade for grilled chicken breasts couldn't be simpler: buttermilk), poach them, or sauté them.
If you have a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot, the quickest and easiest way yet to cook boneless chicken breasts to tender perfection seems to be this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Breasts from Kristen at A Mind “Full” Mom. I have an Instant Pot, but I don't use it that often. I think it's time to start!
Of course, you could easily make the chicken a couple days ahead of time. I often cook a few pounds of chicken breasts and use them over the course of 2 or 3 days for everything from recipes like these chicken pot pies to a simple salad topped with chicken.
Don't feel like making the filling for these? Try making them without the filling and just with more cheese. Just don't feel like making the sauce itself? Try gluten free cream of mushroom soup (I think Progresso brand and Pacific brand each make one).
Tender, light and flaky, and loaded with tons of layers of flavor, these handheld chicken pot pies are just the grab-and-go dinner my family needs.