Chicken and White Bean Biscuit Hotdish

Crisp-Topped and Potato Comfort

1 shallow 9×13 in (23×33 cm) pan with 6 small biscuit tops and 6 main-dish portions · Active 35 min · Total 1 hr 20 min

White beans and chicken make a creamy hotdish that needs only a few tender biscuit tops. The filling goes into the pan hot, so the underside of each small biscuit begins cooking immediately. Leave gaps between them: a little sauce should still be visible, and the dough needs space to rise.

Jump to ingredients

Hand-drawn chicken and white bean hotdish with six spaced biscuit tops, carrots and peas.

Use cooked chicken, then keep its date

This recipe begins with plain, fully cooked chicken. That can be a planned portion from a safely chilled roast or cooked chicken bought ready to eat. Shred it into short pieces so a spoonful does not pull the biscuit topping apart. If the chicken was cooked yesterday, making a hotdish today does not give it a new storage clock.

Six biscuits are enough

A thick blanket of dough is likely to stay heavy where it meets the sauce. Six small mounds create browned tops and tender interiors without sealing the pan. Stir the dough just until no dry flour remains. Do not press it flat, and do not replace the stated shallow pan with a deep round casserole while expecting the same bake time.

Keep the two milk measures separate

The filling and biscuits use milk and flour in different amounts. Measure the 180 ml milk for the sauce and 120 ml for the dough into separate containers before starting. The 18 g flour thickens the filling; the 125 g flour belongs to the biscuit bowl. Keeping those portions clear helps the sauce stay spoonable and the dough remain soft. Mix the biscuit liquids only when the filling is hot and ready, then assemble promptly.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced, about 1 cup (150 g)
  • 2 medium carrots, diced into ¼ in (6 mm) pieces, about 1 cup (150 g)
  • 2 tbsp (30 g) butter, divided:1 tbsp (15 g) for sauce and 1 tbsp (15 g) melted for biscuits
  • 2 tbsp (18 g) all-purpose flour for the filling
  • 1½ cups (360 ml) low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  • ¾ cup (180 ml) milk for filling, plus ½ cup (120 ml) for biscuits
  • 12 oz (340 g) plain fully cooked chicken, safely chilled, shredded
  • 1 can white beans,15 oz (425 g) net, drained and rinsed, about 1½ cups (240 g) drained
  • 1 cup (140 g) frozen peas
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour for biscuits
  • 1½ tsp (6 g) baking powder
  • ¼ tsp (1.5 g) fine salt for biscuit dough

Set out

Oven, Shallow 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 3 qt/2.8 L capacity, Large deep skillet, Large and small mixing bowls, Whisk, Measuring jug, 2 spoons, Rimmed baking sheet, Food thermometer, Suitable foil if biscuit tops color before the center finishes

Allergens

Milk, Wheat. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Put the baking dish on a rimmed sheet. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and carrots for 10–12 minutes, stirring, until the carrots are nearly tender. Add 1 tbsp (15 g) butter and let it melt.
  2. Stir in the 18 g (2 tbsp) filling flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the stock and 180 ml (¾ cup) milk. Bring to a simmer and stir 3–4 minutes until lightly thickened. Fold in the chicken, beans, peas, thyme and pepper. Simmer 5–6 minutes, stirring, until the filling is piping hot and reaches 165°F (74°C). Keep it on low heat while making the dough.
  3. In a bowl, stir 125 g (1 cup) flour, the baking powder and salt together. Mix 120 ml (½ cup) milk with the melted 15 g (1 tbsp) butter. Pour into the flour and stir just until a soft, sticky dough forms. Do not knead.
  4. Spread the hot filling in the dish. Use 2 spoons to divide the dough into 6 similar mounds, about 2½ in (6 cm) wide, leaving gaps between them. Bake 25–30 minutes until tops are golden, the damp center and underside of a central biscuit are cooked rather than pasty, and the biscuit center and casserole filling reach 165°F (74°C). Open a middle biscuit with a clean spoon to check there is no wet dough; return to the oven if needed. Shield tops loosely with foil if they color before the center finishes.
  5. Rest 5 minutes, then serve one biscuit with each portion of chicken, beans and vegetables.

Keep the starch honest

The 6 biscuits are the starch component of this main dish; no cooked rice or noodles are hidden in the filling. A small sharply dressed cabbage salad makes a useful companion.

Ingredient labels

Check chicken, stock and baking powder labels. Ready-cooked seasoned chicken may contain allergens not present in plain chicken.

A useful detail

The 80 minute total includes preheating alongside the stovetop work, up to 30 minutes baking and a 5 minute rest. If cooking the chicken from raw for this recipe, allow that separate preparation time and cook poultry to 165°F (74°C) before measuring the 340 g cooked amount.

Another way

  • Use 340 g (12 oz) plain cooked turkey instead of chicken; its original refrigerated deadline still applies.
  • Replace the peas with 140 g (1 cup) frozen cut green beans. Simmer the filling a few minutes longer if needed until the beans are tender before adding the biscuits.

Keep it well

Refrigerate in shallow covered containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3 days of the original chicken cooking or opening date, or an earlier package deadline. Separate biscuits from filling if practical so the tops soften less. Reheat the filling and biscuits to 165°F (74°C); a little extra stock can loosen the sauce. Freeze promptly cooled portions for up to 2 months for quality only while the original chicken remains within its safe storage window.

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