What’s for dinner: 30-Minute Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

I got excited at the idea of a homemade chicken pot pie but I didn’t read the directions all the way through before assembling this dish. If I had, I would’ve seen that this isn’t really a pot pie because there’s no bottom crust, only a top one, and it’s baked separately and just plopped on top before serving. Points awarded for flavor, points deducted for deception.

30-MINUTE SKILLET CHICKEN POT PIE

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 package refrigerated biscuits, or 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 celery rib, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 2 cups frozen pea-carrot medley, thawed

Instructions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven according to pie crust or biscuit package instructions.
2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until foaming subsides. Brown chicken lightly on both sides, about 5 minutes, and transfer to clean plate.
3. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet and return to medium heat until melted. Add onion, celery, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until incorporated, about 1 minute.
4. Stir in vermouth and cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in broth, cream and thyme and bring to a simmer. Nestle chicken into pan, cover and cook over medium low heat until thickest part of breast registers 160° on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes.
5. While sauce simmers, unfold pie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or open biscuits, and bake according to package instructions.
6. Transfer chicken to plate. Stir peas and carrots into sauce and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. When chicken is cool enough to handle, cut or shred into bite-sized pieces and return to skillet.
7. Season filling with salt and pepper to taste. If using pie crust, carefully slide onto skillet and serve. If using biscuits, place on top of skillet, or place biscuit on individual servings.