I am really loving the chances I have had recently to help a couple of friends with some simple supper ideas and supplies! It’s been super fun to pack their baskets with all the “groceries” they need to make a yummy, super simple, fairly fast, but still wholesome and nourishing dinner for their families. I have sent out two of these baskets for close friends to try. They both had the Beef Alfredo Casserole, that I created from my Nanna’s pantry. I was so excited that both families really loved the food. My first actual “purchased” basket is set to go out tomorrow with the goodies for Smothered Pork Chops!!!! In an effort to share and help more with quick, easy and nourishing family dinners, I am sharing another recipe that our family enjoys regularly!

One of our family’s go-to dinners when I am running late or don’t know what to make is beef or chicken pot pie. This was a pretty simple recipe that I made several times before I felt like I really figured out the broth ratio part of it. The perfect ratio came after making Kansas City Steak Soup a couple times from my Better Homes and Garden Cookbook. This soup is another go-to recipe during colder months for our family and has become the soup we always take to the Vore family Christmas get together (they always do soups and chili). I used the flour and broth combination that is called for in the first part of the recipe and it worked perfectly! Now, in light of complete honesty here, for both the soup and the pot pie (okay, really almost all of my “recipes”) I don’t always totally stick to the plan. I use whatever vegetables I have on hand, and I have been known to use chicken broth with beef pot pie because that’s what I had in the freezer when I needed a quick, nourishing supper. My favorite veggies to “keep on hand” now are the Season’s Choice frozen mixed vegetables from Aldi. We generally buy 1-2 bags each week when we go grocery shopping. Once I had figured our the broth/filling/thickening ratio this recipe became easy to keep throwing together and pleasing our taste buds while nourishing our bodies! However, the last step in making it truly simple came one evening when I just couldn’t bring myself to make a crust for the pot pie. Whenever I make pies or need a crust for cobbler or pot pie, I again turn to my Better Homes and Garden Cookbook and use their single or double pie crust recipe, depending on how much crust I need. Pie crust is one of those things I always dread making, but find surprisingly easy once I get going. Anyway back to the night I just couldn’t get myself motivated to make a pie crust. I did think pot pie sounded good, but I didn’t want to mix, roll and clean up a crust. I did however have some of our favorite biscuits in the freezer. So, I cooked the meat, added the veggies and broth and put the frozen biscuits on top. Then I just set the oven to the 450 degrees needed to bake the biscuits, and baked the whole thing for the 14 minutes that are necessary to cook the biscuits when they’re frozen and a newer, simpler recipe was born! Now, here is that recipe!

Beef/Chicken Pot Pie Recipe:

1 pound ground beef or cut up/shredded chicken (thighs or breasts)

14 ounces beef or chicken broth

1/4 cup flour

1 Bag frozen Mixed veggies (I have used canned before if I don’t have frozen on hand, they just aren’t as crisp)

5-6 Frozen Biscuits (I use this recipe)/or a pie crust

Beef or Chicken Pot Pie Directions:

1. Brown the meat in a cast iron skillet (any oven safe skillet will work, I just happen to love cast iron)
2. Preheat the oven to 450 for biscuits and 350 for crust (if using my recipes, otherwise follow the baking directions for the ones you are using)
3. Whisk flour into broth
4. Add veggies to the cooked meat
5. Pour flour/broth mixture over meat and veggies
6. Stir and cook over medium/high heat until broth just starts to bubble and thicken
7. Stir a final time to fully combine everything
8. Salt and pepper to taste
9. Place frozen biscuits or crust on top of mixture
10. Bake at 450 for 14 minutes for biscuits, follow the directions for the pie crust recipe that you use. I think I generally bake mine with a pie crust for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Your biscuits or crust should be golden brown and your filling bubbling once it’s done.

That’s it, a delicious, filling, one pan dinner! I hope and pray your family enjoys it as much as our family does!! If you make it and love it please be sure to leave a comment below! Also, if you like to experiment with recipes like I do, please share your variations below so we can continue learning and cooking together! What are some of your family’s favorite simple suppers?