3-4 cups chicken broth
3 large potatoes, quartered
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery. sliced
3 cups cooked chicken (1 3-4 lb. whole chicken), cubed
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 stick sweet unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon sage or bell seasoning
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
5 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

BISCUIT DOUGH FOR THE CRUST:

1 1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoon butter, sliced thin
1/3 cup sharp cheddar, grated
1 egg

In saucepan melt butter, add olive oil and chopped onion. Fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add herbs, vegetables and garlic and fry 2 more minutes then remove from heat. Stir in flour and blend with fork. Return to heat and slowly add broth, mixing with wire whisk until smooth. Simmer on low heat until vegetables are nearly tender but not mushy.

For the crust, stir baking powder, soda and salt into flour and mix well. Cut cold butter (you can freeze it for best results) into flour mixture until only chunks the size of walnuts remain. Add cheese. (A nice addition is to add some chopped fresh rosemary to the crust but this is optional). Beat the egg with the buttermilk and stir into the dough. Gather the dough into a ball, place in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for 10-15 minutes to rest. This prevents gluten from developing.

It's important not to overwork the dough or you will cause it to become tough. Roll dough out on board to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out rounds of dough with a 2-3 inch biscuit cutter.

Put cooled chicken mixture in deep dish casserole. Place rounds of biscuit dough until chicken mixture is covered. Brush top with milk or cream.

Bake at 425°F for approximately 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Optional: Use Pillsbury flaky biscuits (from a tube) as a substitute when in a hurry.

Submitted by: CM