Quick & Easy Meal: Chicken Pie with Cornmeal Crust

I don't know about you, but I LOVE casseroles! I seriously could eat one every day of the week. And there are so many different ones you can make so I'd never get bored.

Hubs on the other hand... HATES them! And based on my own personal research, so many of my friends husbands are in agreement. Hubs very much prefers that his meat, carb and veggie share the same plate, but do not touch or intermingle. Very basic...

BOOOOOOOORING......

What is it about men & women and their eating preferences?

Just like everything else it must be the hormones.

So if your husband is like mine, he probably will hate this meal and run out to Micky D's instead.

But I thought it was really good! And the girl's liked it too!

So you might wanna give it a try, just don't mention the words "pot pie" or "casserole".

Chicken Pie with Cornmeal Crust

First you heat 1 3/4 cups of chicken broth in a saucepan on the stove. Then you add 2 lbs. diced boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Simmer for 2 minutes.



Use a slotted spoon to fish out your chicken and place it into a 2-quart casserole dish. There's that word again... casserole...



Chop 4 carrots, any way you like. I did mine on the diagonal to make them fancy. Looking back that wasn't such a great idea because my girls wouldn't eat them. Apparently carrots sliced on the diagonal are a totally different vegetable than carrots in little disks.



Then add the carrots to the simmering broth. Simmer for about 5 minutes.



Remove carrots with your slotted spoon and add them to the casserole dish. Set the broth aside, you'll need it in a few minutes.

Now it's time to make a roux. Isn't that exciting!!!

I think so! I know, I live a sheltered life.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.



Add 1 chopped medium onion. Sautee until translucent.



Add 1/3 cup all purpose flour. Don't try any funny business with other types of flour, otherwise your sauce won't turn out right. Cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly.



Remove from the heat, this is important, and then slowly stir in the reserved chicken broth. You may want to use a whisk.

Return to heat and cook until the sauce simmers & thickens.

Remove from heat and add in 1 cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 cup of parsley.







Then pour your sauce over the top of the carrots & chicken.



Now for the crust! This was another hatch mark against the recipe as far as my Hubs is concerned, he hates anything that involves cornmeal. Doesn't like corn bread even! Can you imagine?!

I obviously can't, which is why I keep trying. I keep thinking one of these days I'll make a cornmeal recipe that Hubs LOVES... I'll keep you posted on that little experiment...

In any case...

Mix together 1/2 cup of all purpose flour, 1/2 cup of yellow cornmeal, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon baking powder.



Then add your wet ingredients. Some might mix these in a separate bowl before adding them to the dry... but I didn't. I just went for it and hoped for the best. It gets me in trouble sometimes but in this case it worked out just fine.

Wet ingredients here are 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons of milk, 1 egg, and 1 tablespoons of olive oil.



Mixy mixy... I used a fork.



And then I carefully poured it over the top of the casserole.



Word to the wise, put a cookie sheet under this puppy before you toss it in the oven. Mine did ooze over the sides, and I was very thankful that I had the foresight to use a cookie sheet.

Cook in the oven at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until crust is golden. Let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.




Chicken Pie with Cornmeal Crust
Borrowed with love from Parenting.com Recipe by Jane Kirby

Filling
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 2 inch pieces
4 carrots, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons of butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 cup low-fat milk
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 cup frozen peas (I didn't use them because Hubs HATES peas, maybe even more than he hates casseroles, so I knew if I included them he most certainly wouldn't try it.)
1/4 cup parsley

Crust
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil

1. Heat chicken broth in a large saucepan until boiling. Add chicken, reduce heat to low, simmer for 2 minutes. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and place in a 2-quart casserole dish. Add carrots to broth, simmer for 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and place in casserole dish. Reserve broth and set aside.

2. In another saucepan or large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the flour and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in reserved broth. Return to heat and cook, stirring until the sauce simmers and thickens. Remove from heat. Blend in milk, salt & parsley, then pour sauce over chicken and carrots. Mix in the peas if you wish, set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

4. In a small bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and baking powder. Using a fork blend in the milk, egg and oil. Pour over the chicken filling and spread to the edges of the dish. Bake 45-50 minutes or until crust is golden. Stand for 10 minutes before serving.


Coming up...

Lentil Soup with Herbs de Provence.