Southwest Chicken Pot Pie

Last week I was really in the mood for pot pie. Chicken pot pie, to be specific, especially since we had some leftover chicken that needed to be used. I didn't want the usual carrots and potatoes with chicken pot pie, I wanted something more flavorful, southwest-y tasting. I also really wanted a cornmeal crust, instead of a regular pie crust and I wanted the crust to be crust-like, not corn muffin/bread-like. Pretty demanding, huh? I ended up pulling this together and it was really good, even Bob liked it although he didn't want to admit it!

Southwest Chicken Pot Pie
serves 8

for the pot pie:
2-3 c cooked, chopped or shredded chicken 
6 Tbsp butter
1/2 c flour
2 c chicken stock
1 1/2 c whole milk
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 c frozen corn
1 can black beans, rinsed
salt & pepper

for the crust:
1 c flour
1/2 c yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbsp butter, chilled & thinly sliced
1/4 c ice water

First, make the creamed chicken. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan, when melted whisk in flour. Cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chicken stock; whisk until smooth. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture just to a simmer, whisking constantly. When smooth and thick, add the cumin and coriander and season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 1 minute, then add the chicken.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, stirring until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the drained black beans and corn, cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the creamed chicken. Stir to combine well. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

For the crust, mix the flour, cornmeal, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter until crumble. Add the water, then toss dough lightly with a fork until it begins to come together. Lightly gather it together, then press into a disk. On a floured surface, roll until it's about 1/4" thick and slightly larger than the casserole dish. Place on top of casserole as you would for a pie, trim the edges, leaving 1/2 " overhang; turn under and crimp. Cut slits to let steam escape.

Bake at 400* for 30-40 minutes. The top should be lightly browned and the inside bubbly warm.