MAKE THE FILLING:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. In a 12” cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and mushrooms (optional) and cook until the onions are nearly translucent, about 4-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute, until the garlic just starts to change colors.
3. Add the flour and stirring constantly, cook the flour for one minute.
4. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and stir constantly for about 1-2 minutes. The vegetable/flour mixture will mix with the chicken stock and create a thick paste. When you have a thick paste, add 1 cup of stock and again stir constantly until you have a paste. Add the last 1 cup of chicken stock and stir well. Add the salt and all the dried spices. And stir well.
5. Stir in the shredded chicken and frozen mixed vegetables. Turn the heat to low while you make the biscuits.

MAKE THE BISCUITS:

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or your hands, taking care not to melt the butter or create a paste. The mixture should resemble coarse breadcrumbs.
3. Add ½ cup of milk and combine until the flour is moistened. Knead the dough into a ball, pressing against the sides of the bowl to pick up any small pieces of dough. If additional milk is needed, add just 2 Tbsp at a time, kneading thoroughly after each addition. Note: The dough should not be wet enough to stick to your hands or the bowl. It should be dry enough to handle easily, and when you’re done kneading, the bowl should be fairly clean.

ASSEMBLE THE POT PIE:

1. Pinch off about ½” of dough and shape into a ball. Place in the center of the pot pie filling. Repeat this process with the rest of the dough, placing each ball of dough so that it just touches the ball of dough next to it.
2. Bake the Chicken Pot Pie for 12-15 minutes, or until the mixture bubbles at the edges and the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through. If the biscuits are not golden brown, they are likely not cooked in the middle. Every oven is different, so continue to bake, checking the biscuits every 2 minutes until they are done.