Ham Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping
This rich and delicious ham pot pie is topped with crispy, buttery biscuits. It's a great way to use up leftover ham from a holiday dinner. You can prep it ahead for the fridge or freezer and save time by using refrigerated biscuits instead of the homemade biscuits if you prefer.
Ingredients
For the Pot Pie Filling:
- 3 celery ribs diced
- 2 onions diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 1/2 fennel bulb diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Parisian shallot herb blend see notes for substitute
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 cups cooked ham diced, from thick-cut deli ham or leftover holiday ham
For the Biscuits (or use 2 cans of your favorite refrigerated biscuits):
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2/3 cup butter cubed
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
Instructions
Prepare the Pot Pie Filling:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Chop the celery, onions, carrots, and fennel and toss them together on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the veggies, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and toss them to coat in the oil. Roast them for 20 -24 minutes until lightly browned. Stir them occasionally to prevent burning.
- While the veggies are roasting, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the flour and whisk it into the butter. It will thicken and form small bits of dough that look like peas. Continue to stir and cook until the mixture smells slightly nutty, about 3 - 4 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth and whisk the butter and flour in until smooth. Add the thyme, Parisian shallot herb blend (or substitutes), salt and pepper, and bring the broth to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the broth bubble for 10 minutes.
- Add the roasted veggies and chopped ham and stir them to combine with the sauce.
- If you want to bake the dish right away, pour the mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside. Otherwise you can store the filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Prep the Homemade Biscuits:
- Prepare the biscuits just before you plan to bake the pot pie. If you stored the filling in the fridge, save this step for just before dinner time. If you don't want to take the time to make homemade biscuits, you can substitute two containers of your favorite refrigerated biscuits instead.
- To make the biscuit dough, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda to the bowl of a food processor and pulse them together until blended. Add the butter and continue to pulse until the butter becomes the size of peas.
- Transfer the dough into a large bowl and add the buttermilk. Stir the mixture together until there is no more flour visible.
- Sprinkle a little flour on the surface of a cutting board and turn the dough out. Gently knead the dough 8 - 10 times and then roll it into a 9 x 13-in rectangle.
- You can cut the biscuits into circles or squares, as you prefer. Arrange the biscuits over the ham mixture in the baking dish making sure to overlap the edges slightly as you go.
Baking Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- If your pot pie filling is still warm, simply top the surface with your biscuits and bake. If you prepped it ahead of time, you can warm the filling through first in a saucepan on the stovetop or in the microwave. This helps reduce the total baking time.
- Bake the pot pie topped with homemade biscuits for 25 - 30 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown. If you use refrigerated biscuits, be sure the ham filling is completely warmed through before pouring it into the baking dish and then bake the pot pie for the length of time the biscuits require as directed on the canister they came in.