A One-Dish Thanksgiving Dinner

Even those who delight in new foods crave the familiar at Thanksgiving. But no one wants to revert to overcooked vegetables, bland sauces or mystery casseroles. With that in mind, I redesigned two holiday favorites--chicken or turkey pot pie and cranberry relish--to incorporate streamlined cooking techniques and more intense flavors.

The Chicken Cobbler is similar to a pot pie but without the usual pastry crust that unnerves some cooks. This recipe is simply chicken and vegetables alternating with a tender biscuit dough. It tastes like biscuits, gravy and creamed chicken rolled into one dish.

Zesty Cranberry Chutney replaces the typical sugary cranberry relish. The combination of ginger and maple syrup is particularly good with the tart cranberries. It’s the perfect foil for Chicken Cobbler or any of Thanksgiving’s riches.

CHICKEN COBBLER

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

2/3 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup diced peeled carrots

1/2 cup green peas

1 1/2 cups cooked skinned and diced chicken breast meat (2 breast halves)

1/8 teaspoon crushed dried thyme

Salt

Freshly ground white pepper

Biscuit Batter

Melt butter in medium pan and stir in flour. Stir in broth and cook over low heat until mixture is smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrots, peas and chicken. Add thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes for flavors to blend, then remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare Biscuit Batter. Spoon half of chicken mixture into buttered 1-quart casserole. With spoon, drop half of batter over chicken. Cover with remaining chicken mixture and top with remaining batter. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Makes 2 servings.

Biscuit Batter

3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 heaping tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

3/4 cup milk or half and half

Place flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cheese in bowl and stir to mix well. Cut in butter until crumbly. Pour in milk and stir briefly until batter is sticky and holds together.

Note: Cooked turkey may be substituted for chicken.

CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

1 teaspoon oil

1 to 2 teaspoons grated ginger root

1 cup coarsely chopped raw cranberries

2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts

Heat oil in small pan. Add ginger root and saute over medium heat 1 minute, stirring so ginger doesn’t burn. Add cranberries and 2 tablespoons maple syrup.

Cover and cook over low heat, stirring once or twice, until cranberries are tender and mixture is thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon syrup if chutney is too tart. Stir in nuts. Serve warm or cold. Makes about 1 cup chutney.