Make Ahead Monday: Biscuits and Chicken Pot Pie

I may have talked about this before but even if I have it is worth revisiting.  Fluffy, homemade biscuits are probably one of my most favorite things for breakfast and one of my favorite things that my mom makes.  The trouble is that they take time and are messy and sometimes I don't want the hastle early in the morning or in the evening when I want biscuits to go with stew or soup.  But if I make a big huge batch only everyone once in a while and then freeze them and can take out just a few when I need them and have them last for a few months then I am one happy lady.  They are so much better then biscuits from a mix or a can so scrap the convenience of either of those (unless you are frying canned biscuits as doughnuts then you have something magical).  Here is my mom's recipe (I make a double batch and then freeze them on a cookie sheet and bag up after they are solid and store in the freezer).

Homemade Biscuits

2  1/4 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter (cold-not melted at all)

1 cup milk

Mix the dry ingredients into a bowl.  Cut the butter into smaller pieces (about 1 tbsp sized) and add to the flour.  Cut in with a pastry cutter (that means that you need to chop up the butter into small pieces-this can also be done with a couple of butter knives).  Leave the butter in pea sized pieces.  Add the milk and stir gently with a fork just until all the dry ingredients are combined.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently the least amount possible (just enough that the dough forms a ball).  DO NOT OVERWORK THE DOUGH OR YOU WILL HAVE FLAT, TOUGH BISCUITS.  Roll out to no less then 3/4" thickness (I do this either by hand or with a rolling pin).  Cut biscuits and place on lined cookie sheet.  Take left over dough and gently form it into another ball and roll and cut again.  Freeze biscuits on cookie sheet until solid then transfer to freezer bags.  When you are ready to bake set your oven to 450 degrees and place frozen biscuits on a lined cookie sheet.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until they are golden brown on top.

Or here is another idea: top a mini chicken pot pie with the frozen biscuits.  I filled a bunch of small dishes with my pot pie filling.  I added a frozen biscuit to the top of each one.

 I baked the pot pie according to the recipe directions but left them in long enough for the biscuits to turn golden color and after about 25 minutes I had perfect mini pot pies.  I much prefer biscuits to pie crust on pot pie any day.