Chicken Pot Pie

Hopefully the end is in sight -- I started antibiotics and Ben came home from his trip. SOMEthing is bound to improve. My energy level has been so low that yesterday when I took Silas and Eden to the pediatrician, I fell asleep on a bench in the waiting room -- sound asleep -- while they played with those germy toys. No one mentioned it when I woke up... And I have hardly entered the kitchen. The thought of measuring a cup of flour or mixing wet and dry ingredients together has felt utterly impossible. So we've been eating scrambled eggs with Parmesan (my favorite), lots of cereal, edamame, trail mix, and navel oranges. Sunday evening, my friend Kari offered to keep me company through the witching hour. I was so grateful that I mustered up the energy and made Cornbread Chicken Potpie -- what a natural brilliant pairing! And a perfect comfort food for feeling under the weather.

Cornbread Chicken Potpie(adapted from recipesamongfriends.blogspot.com)



Filling:
-1 T olive oil
-1 T butter
-1 med onion, diced
-1/2 c flour
-2 c chicken stock
-2 c roasted chicken (rotisserie or homemade)
-1/2 c frozen peas or shelled edamame
-i potato diced and boiled
-1 1/2 c carrots chopped and cooked (I boiled potato and carrots together for 5 or 6 min)
-1/2 t salt
-pepper
(optional: dash of tobasco)
Crust:
-3/4 c cornmeal
-3/4 c flour
-1 T baking powder
-1 1/2 T sugar
1/2 t salt
-3/4 c milk
-1 large egg
-2 T canola oil

To make filling:
Preheat the oven to 400°.
Spray a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil and unsalted butter together.
Add onion and sauté until tender, about 4 or 5 minutes.
Add flour and mix until blended. Slowly stir in 2 cups of heated chicken stock, whisking well.
Cook mixture over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 4 minutes.
Stir in chicken, peas, potato, carrots, salt, pepper (and Tabasco®).
Pour into a 2-quart ovenproof casserole dish coated with cooking spray and spread mixture evenly.


To make crust:
In a bowl, stir cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
In another bowl mix milk, egg and canola oil until well combined.
Combine wet and dry ingredients.
Spoon the batter evenly on the filling.
Bake until the top is golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes.

Both Kari and I thought it was one of the best chicken pot pies we've ever had. The filling tasted exactly as a chicken pot pie filling should (and you could top it with a pie crust, instead, if you wanted to) and the cornbread gave a sweet, crumbly southern touch. I will make this again and again.

Last night I discovered that the pie doesn't make great leftovers. Everything dried out a little. So eat it fresh from the oven!