A Southern Grace: if it was a snake...

May 31, 2014

if it was a snake...

Yum

Everyone has a different idea of comfort food, and for me, two dishes that fall decisively into that category are chicken pot pie and chicken barbecue (this gal likes her Gallus gallus domesticus).


Having said that, why, oh why, did it never occur to me to make a barbecue chicken pot pie? Huh? I got the idea from Fleischmann's, who sent me some of their new cornbread mix to try*. The whole notion seemed like a stroke of genius to me, so I tried it and was SO pleased with the results. Fresh corn and flavorful, juicy, and saucy chicken were topped with some of the most cake-like, fluffy, and delicious cornbread I've ever eaten.


Now, while I like traditional pie crusts, I actually dread making them and found the cornbread topping to be markedly easier and quite possibly even tastier. Of course, the major flavor of the dish depends on what kind of barbecue sauce you use, so be sure to use one that you like. I sprinkled a little feta cheese on top of my portion because I'm currently obsessed with the stuff and like the salty punch it provides, but use whatever you want as garnish. One last bit of advice: Don't skimp on the cilantro--its verdant and bright flavor is the perfect accompaniment to the chicken, corn, and cornbread.

Barbecue Chicken Pot Pie
Makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's, obviously)
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cups frozen or canned corn, thawed or drained
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 package Fleischmann's Simply Homemade Cornbread Mix
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 cup shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend, but float your own boat)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 13x9-inch pan with nonstick spray.
In a ziplock bag, add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, flour, salt, and pepper; shake until blended, then add chicken pieces and toss until chicken is completely coated.
In a 10-inch skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and heat over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook until soft and transparent, 5-10 minutes. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and cook until slightly brown. Add the barbecue sauce and chicken broth to the skillet and mix well. Fold in the corn and chopped cilantro.
Mix cornbread mix, milk, melted butter, egg, sugar, and shredded cheese in a large mixing bowl with a spoon until well blended.
Pour the barbecue chicken mixture into the prepared pan. Spoon the cornbread batter on top of that and spread it out as evenly as possible.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until slightly golden and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

*While I'm indebted to the folks at Fleischmann's for providing the mix and the great idea, their generosity in no way skewed my high opinion of their products.

21 comments:

foodhoe said...

Sounds delicious and summery, I love the image of the bbq sauce busting through the cornbread... I'm drooling!

Velva said...

A bbq chicken pot pie is a great creative approach to traditional chicken pot pie-loving this one.

Velva

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

That's a great idea. Surely scrumptious!

Cheers,

Rosa

Alicia Foodycat said...

I would have sworn that first picture was a peach cobbler! But chicken pot pie sounds good too ;)

Lisa-Marie said...

Actually drooled a bit.

Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake Yourself said...

Looks like ideal comfort food :D

Cheers
Choc Chip Uru

Angie's Recipes said...

This looks like my ideal kind of comfort food!

Barbara said...

I do adore pot pies, Grace. Super idea to make the crust with cornmeal...and that bbq sauce oozing out looks delish!

Beth said...

That is one awesome idea! I think the cornbread crust sounds terrific too.

Caroline Taylor said...

The cornbread top sounds like a great idea!

Lucy @ Lucyeats said...

Yum, chicken pot pie is one of my winter go tos - the cornbread topping is genius!

Pam said...

What a great idea! I love chicken pot pie - it's my ultimate comfort food. This barbecue version with the corn topping looks excellent!

Jackie@SyrupAndBiscuits said...

I'm speechless.

Katerina said...

Definitely a pie I would love to have on my table!

Joanne said...

I'm pretty sure most things in life would be better if topped with a cornbread crust!

CQUEK said...

we often make it when the weather is really hot.

Nancy said...

What a brilliant idea! I too love pot pie but not making the flaky crust.:) Love, love the cornbread crust in this recipe. Thanks for sharing.

lisa is cooking said...

Great combo of your comfort food favorites! The cornbread topping sounds so good with the filling.

Juliana said...

This chicken potpie looks and sounds delicious Grace...BBQ? Yes, this is such a comfort dish.
Enjoy the rest of your week :D

I Wilkerson said...

I like the cornbread idea too--so much less intimidating than a traditional crust.

Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies said...

Love it when we get such brainstorms. I really do like what you have done here, as I do love potpies, but really don't always care to take the time to make that standard crust. I will try this! :)