Note: this dish works best in a 7 x 10″ casserole

To prepare the chicken:

To poach chicken, place chicken pieces in a good-sized Dutch oven or stock pot. Cover with water by about an inch. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt, 10 to 12 black peppercorns.

Bring to a bare simmer and continue to lightly simmer until chicken is cooked through about 10 to 12 minutes. If time allows, cool in the broth.

Remove chicken and keep both the broth and the chicken. Shred the chicken and use 2 to 3 cups in recipe, below. The recipe calls for 2 1/4 cups of broth. The broth may be used as is or reduced to 2 1/4 cups and may be fortified with a little bit of chicken base if not flavorful.

If you are using already cooked chicken, like a Rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken, store-bought broth/stock is just fine. Just be aware of how salty it can be and adjust your salt in the recipe if needed.

To prepare the casserole:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, adjust oven rack to lower middle.

Heat butter to medium-high in a one-and-a-half to two-quart saucepan and saute onions till just tender, about five minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly for about a minute. Add the stock in splashes, whisking constantly, then do the same with the milk.  Add in the marjoram or thyme, onion powder, and garlic powder. Bring to a simmer and reduce to low, simmering about one minute till sauce fully thickens, stirring constantly. Add sherry and stir. Remove from heat.

Gently stir in the vegetables and chicken, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. At this point, the dish should taste just slightly salty. Place in a casserole, cover, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove, sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese, top with biscuits, trying to leave a little space between them. Use remaining cheese, a pinch on each biscuit. Place back in oven, uncovered, and cook until the biscuits are cooked through and crispy and browned on the top, about 14 minutes. Serve immediately.