Mock Chicken Pie

Now that I’m on summer vacation, I can catch up on posting all sorts of interesting recipes that I’ve tried over the past few months.  That is, of course, if I can remember where to find the original recipes!

Today’s recipe can be filed under “Oh, those crazy home economists!”  The recipe is called “Mock Chicken Pie” because it is made with canned tuna.  That’s right!  Tuna!  I guess this is where the confusion over “chicken of the sea” originated…

Interestingly enough, there is a recipe from the Betty Crocker Your Share pamphlet that is almost identical to this one that really does use chicken.  Perhaps that recipe was quite popular and this is a variation of that older recipe.  Regardless, it is quite filling and you can get more than the six substantial servings from this casserole.

The foundation of this recipe is our beloved White Sauce. Throw in some leftover peas and carrots (although I’ve been known to just buy the frozen peas and carrot package and cook them–it only takes five minutes, if that) and a couple of cans of tuna and you’ve got the heart of the casserole.  Top it with some biscuit dough.

Now, the biscuit dough is the make-it-or-break-it component.  Just make a half-recipe of Rich Biscuit dough and roll it out thin to put on top.  Trust me on this one.  I got all uppity the first time I made this and thought I knew better than those crazy home economists.  I made a full recipe.  And, decided to add a little extra milk so that I could just make drop biscuit dough to put on top.  You know.  I was going to triumphantly tell you that I figured out how to make the recipe quick and easy.  Yeah, you know what’s coming.  It’s just like when you yell at the girl in the bikini running through the graveyard in high heels in those campy horror movies to take the darn shoes off before she falls down.  You know it can lead to no good.

Making a full recipe of biscuit dough caused the casserole to turn into a giant biscuit with some remnants of the peas and carrots stuck to the bottom.  It wasn’t a pretty sight.  Bless My Honey for bravely eating it…even in the leftover stage (“Really, Julie, it really IS good cold for breakfast!”  Makes you wonder about his taste in other things, too).  If you decide to buy those refrigerator biscuits to use on this recipe, I’d only use about 1/3 to 1/2 of them.

Roll out the dough until it seems almost too thin.  It will expand and make a great top crust, reminiscent of those old-style pot pies.

Mock Chicken Pie (Adapted from The Picture Cookbook)

Make the white sauce.  Add the tuna, peas, and carrots to the white sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.   Heat until mixture bubbles.  Pour into a greased 2-quart casserole (about 8″ across) and cover with 1/2 recipe of Rich Biscuit Dough.  Bake for 25 minutes at 450º F.  Makes 6 servings.

Rich Biscuit Dough (1/2 recipe)

Round up on lightly floured cloth-covered board.  Gently knead about 20 times.  Roll or pat out to about 1/2″ thick.

Cover casserole to make the top crust.