Country Chicken and Biscuits is a classic down-home comfort food dinner! The creamy chicken and vegetables are topped with fluffy, cheesy drop biscuits for a hearty and delicious family-friendly meal. Bake it in a casserole dish and supper is served!
Grandma's Creamy Chicken and Biscuits
This Chicken and Biscuits Casserole is a childhood favorite revisited. The perfect cross between my mom's Chicken Pot Pie and my favorite Chicken and Dumplings, it's a creamy chicken and vegetable biscuit-topped casserole that's sure to satisfy even your pickiest little eaters. Grandma's Creamy Chicken and Biscuits is the ultimate in cool-weather comfort food!
Which chicken for Chicken and Biscuits Gravy?
The creamy gravy for this casserole is full of shredded or diced chicken, as well as carrots, celery, onion and peas. I like to use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut, but you can also cook your own chicken at home. Both white and dark meat will work, but I think a combination of the two gives the casserole great flavor.
If cooking your own chicken at home, you'll need about 2 pounds of raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Boil the chicken for about 15-18 minutes, or until the juices run clear and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Once it's cool enough to handle, dice or shred the meat to use in this casserole.
Of course, this is also a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey from a previous meal if you've got it on hand!
Cheesy Bisquick Drop Biscuits
Another convenient shortcut -- Bisquick mix -- gets this Chicken and Biscuits recipe on the table fast! You'll stir in some buttermilk (or regular milk, if that's what you have), as well as shredded cheddar cheese and dried parsley. Drop the biscuits onto the hot chicken gravy mixture and pop it in the oven! When the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through, brush them with garlic butter for so much added flavor.
You can mix up the cheese that you use in the biscuits, so try freshly-grated Parmesan, mozzarella, Colby, or Swiss. You can also play around with the herbs, or add garlic to the actual biscuit dough. Thyme, rosemary or chives would also be delicious!
If you don't want to use a box of Bisquick mix, you can substitute with a homemade Bisquick blend, or use your own favorite drop biscuit recipe from scratch.
How to make Chicken and Biscuits
This version of chicken and biscuits is a casserole that starts with a chicken and vegetable filling. The creamy sauce is made from scratch with butter, flour, chicken broth and half-and-half -- simple and easy! Combine the chicken with vegetables like carrots, onion, celery and peas, toss in the sauce and you're practically done! Easy Bisquick drop biscuits are the topping for this hearty dish, which sit on top of the chicken filling like fluffy, cheesy little pillows. After a few minutes in the oven, you'll be warmly greeted with a bubbling dish of golden brown creamed chicken and biscuits!
Ingredients for Chicken and Biscuits Casserole
- Chicken broth
- Half-and-half
- Butter
- Onion, carrots, celery and peas
- Chicken
- Flour
- Salt and pepper
- Bisquick
- Buttermilk (or regular milk)
- Cheddar cheese
- Parsley and garlic powder
Step 1: Prepare the Creamy Chicken and Vegetables
First, whisk together the chicken broth and half-and-half and set aside.
Next, prepare the filling by melting butter in a skillet and cooking the carrots, celery and onion for about 10 minutes. Add the flour, cook for one more minute, and then stir the chicken broth mixture into the pan. Continue cooking over medium heat until the sauce thickens — about 5-6 minutes.
Next, season with salt and pepper, and then add the chicken and frozen peas. Your filling is done!
Step 2: Bake Filling
Transfer the chicken gravy to a casserole dish, cover, and bake in a 425 degree F oven for about 10 minutes while you make the biscuit topping.
Step 3: Prepare Biscuits
Use a fork to stir together the Bisquick mix, buttermilk, cheese and parsley until a soft dough forms. Drop the biscuits on top of the hot chicken mixture.
Step 4: Bake
Return the dish to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in a biscuit comes out clean.
Finally, a key step: brush the tops of the biscuits with garlic butter. It adds so much delicious flavor to the dish!
What to serve with Chicken and Biscuits
You've got the meat, veggies and biscuits all in one casserole dish, so you really don't need much more to make it a meal. If you're looking for a few more options, here are some easy sides that go well with Chicken and Biscuits Casserole:
- Simple green salad with Buttermilk Dressing or Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette
- Southern Collard Greens
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon
- Southern Squash Casserole
- Sauteed Zucchini
- Roasted Broccoli or Roasted Asparagus
- Sauteed Spinach with Garlic
- Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter
- Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Three Bean Salad
How to Thicken Chicken and Biscuits
This recipe yields a very thick, creamy filling, so you shouldn't need to worry about thickening it much more. If you find that you'd like your sauce thicker, however, you can either sift in small amounts of flour (while the mixture is still in the skillet), or you can let the filling bake in the oven without a cover before adding the biscuit topping.
If it looks like the creamy filling is too thick, gradually stir in half-and-half or chicken broth to thin until it reaches the desired consistency.
Make Ahead
To prepare the recipe in advance, make the filling as instructed, transfer to an airtight container, and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to bake the casserole, allow the filling to sit on the counter at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Then transfer to a baking dish, cover, and heat in the oven until bubbly before adding the biscuit topping.
Storage
Wrapped tightly, leftover chicken and biscuits will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat the casserole, allow the dish to sit on the counter at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and warm in a 350 degree F oven for about 20 minutes, or just until heated through.
Can you freeze Chicken and Biscuits?
No, I do not recommend freezing this dish, as the cream-based sauce may "break" or separate when thawed.
Tips for the Best Chicken and Biscuits Recipe
- If you have a large (about 3-quart) oven-proof skillet or braiser, you can prepare the filling and bake the casserole all in the same dish. One less item to wash at the end!
- For a thicker filling and biscuits that are closer together, use a smaller 2-quart baking dish.
- Do not thaw the frozen peas before adding them to the filling.
- Buttermilk helps tenderize the biscuits and gives them a nice slightly tangy flavor, but you can substitute with regular milk if that's all that you have on hand.
- Make sure that the biscuits are cooked all of the way through before pulling the casserole out of the oven. They should be golden brown on the outside and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- If you're cooking for a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in a 1½-quart dish. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
- Add more herbs to both the filling and the biscuits, if desired. Thyme, rosemary, chives and parsley are all delicious in this recipe.
- If you're looking for an easy chicken and biscuits with cream of chicken soup and canned biscuits, try this recipe.
- For Crockpot Chicken and Biscuits, try this recipe.
More chicken recipes that you might enjoy:
- Chicken and Potato Bake
- Crock Pot Chicken and Gravy (serve with biscuits!)
- Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
Country Chicken and Biscuits
Ingredients
FOR THE FILLING:
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- ⅓ cup butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup peeled and chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups cooked, diced or shredded chicken
- ½ cup frozen peas (not thawed)
FOR THE BISCUITS:
- 2 cups Bisquick
- ⅔-¾ cup cold buttermilk (or sub with regular milk)
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
PREPARE FILLING:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 2 ½ - 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together chicken broth and half-and-half. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; sauté for 10 minutes. Add flour and continue cooking and stirring for 1 more minute. Reduce heat to medium and gradually stir in the chicken broth mixture.
- Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring regularly, until thick and bubbly (about 5-6 minutes). Make sure that the mixture doesn’t boil. Stir in the salt and pepper. Add chicken and frozen peas.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for about 10 minutes while you prepare the biscuit dough.
PREPARE BISCUITS:
- Use a fork to stir together the Bisquick mix, buttermilk, cheese and parsley until a soft dough forms.
- Remove the chicken mixture from the oven, take off the cover, and give the filling a stir. Use a large scoop to drop about ¼-cup of the biscuit dough at a time onto the hot chicken mixture. You should have about 8 biscuits on top of the dish.
- Return dish to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in a biscuit comes out clean.
- Stir together melted butter and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits and serve.
Notes
- If you have a large (about 3-quart) oven-proof skillet or braiser, you can prepare the filling and bake the casserole all in the same dish. One less item to wash at the end!
- For a thicker filling and biscuits that are closer together, use a smaller 2-quart baking dish.
- Do not thaw the frozen peas before adding them to the filling.
- Buttermilk helps tenderize the biscuits and gives them a nice slightly tangy flavor, but you can substitute with regular milk if that's all that you have on hand.
- Make sure that the biscuits are cooked all of the way through before pulling the casserole out of the oven. They should be golden brown on the outside and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- If you're cooking for a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in a 1½-quart dish. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
- Add more herbs to both the filling and the biscuits, if desired. Thyme, rosemary, chives and parsley are all delicious in this recipe.
Delicious! Made the recipe exactly as described and I was not disappointed. It made for a cozy fall evening meal and we had enough for leftovers the next night.
Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know, Gabrielle! 🙂
Followed exactly, except made biscuits into 12 instead of 8. Yummy!
That's great, Kathleen! Thank you for your note. I'm so glad that you enjoyed it!
I made this for dinner yesterday and the entire family LOVED it. Next time I plan to double to recipe so we have leftovers.
That's awesome, Nikki! Thanks so much for letting me know!
I haven't made it yet, but I plan on making it for thanksgiving for my parents! Thanks for the recipe, my mouth is already watering!
Awesome, Sarah! It will be the perfect cozy meal with your family! Have a great holiday. 🙂