The Amazing Stretching Chicken!!! "Chicken Pot Pie" Recipe

Ok people I am not taking about a rubber chicken...I am talking about making your chicken stretch further.

Continuing our "Thrifty is Nifty" series is a recipe for "Chicken Pot Pie"

I can't take credit for this recipe. I obtained this recipe on "Oprah.com"

This is a feel-good meal! It's traditional without a catch but very satisfying—not to mention easy and relatively fast. What I love most about this recipe is that it takes advantage of your basic kitchen staples. There isn't much you have to get extra, if you have a well stocked pantry. (Stay tuned for my "Thrifty is Nifty" post on a"Well Stocked Thirfty Pantry"coming soon!) I really dislike having to get just one specialty item for a recipe, only to see it sit in my fridge or cabinent and never used again. Besides that wouldn't be thifty now, would it?

Ingredients:Filling:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium Onion , chopped
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups chopped Roasted Chicken

1/2 cup frozen sweet petite peas
1 potato , diced and boiled USE ANY LEFT OVER VEGGIES OR GRAINS!
1 1/2 cup chopped, cooked carrots
1/2 tsp. salt
Cracked pepper
Dash of Tabasco® sauce

Crust:
3/4 cup white or yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. canola oil

To make filling:

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Spray a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. (optional)

In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil and unsalted butter together.

Add onion and sauté until tender, about 4 or 5 minutes.

Add in flour until blended.

Slowly stir in 2 cups of heated chicken stock (it really doesn't need to be heated, just not cold as you will get lumps), whisking well.

Cook mixture over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 4 minutes.

Stir in roasted chicken, peas, potato, carrots, salt, pepper and Tabasco®. (Remember your root veggies and chicken need to be precooked.)

Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish, spread evenly.

To make crust:

In a bowl, stir cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

In a separate bowl, stir milk, egg and canola oil until well combined.

Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Please don't over work batter or it will get tough.

Spoon the batter evenly on the filling. (I found a thinner layer is better but, you be the judge.)

Bake until the top is golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes.

(Mine took about 30 min...bake until your finger doesn't leave an indent. It got pretty dry baking until "golden")

Tonight I had my friend Niki over for dinner and I made this pot pie from some left over chicken. She went back for seconds and said it was really good.

Only thing is it is kinda bland...so I would recommend adding some herbs or spices.

UPDATE: This is an AWESOME freezer meal. I made two last time and froze one. I wasn't sure how it would reheat with the cornbread on top. It was fabulous. I just thawed it in the fridge and reheated it in the oven @ 350 for about 30 min. ( I got hasty and needed to eat and pulled it out early and mic'd it the rest of the way and it turned out fine!) It was actually even better the second time...as the flavors had a chance to meld and develop. It was a little bland and drier than I would prefer. The next time I make it I am going to add Lawery's Seasoning and more chicken stock.

PLUS, this is a great recipe to use those local in season root veggies!

If you make this please let me know how it turned out and any improvements you would make. Happy Cooking and Thanks!