Skillet Cheddar-Cornbread BBQ Chicken Pot Pie

How to live your best life when it's cold outside: Throw on a pair of sweatpants, make this spin on chicken pot pie, and spoon it into your mouth as you cuddle up on the couch. I'm speaking from experience here.

When it comes to making dinner for myself (that is to say, without the intention of whipping out the cameras and writing up a post about it), a lot of people assume I'm whipping up creative and labor intensive meals from scratch, donning my apron, flittering about like some sort of dinnertime Disney princess (which I can assure you is never, ever the case).

In reality, I'm gravitating towards the raid-the pantry-for-quick-fix-ingredients, use-up-the-fridge-stragglers, and throw-it-all-together-and-see-what-you-get side of things. And that's exactly how this Skillet Cheddar-Cornbread BBQ Chicken Pot Pie began. 

What it turned into, though, is a recipe that I intentionally buy ingredients for week in and week out, and one that I realized I absolutely had to share with you guys.

This recipe is everything you love about comfort food staples, but made new and easier and better together.

Using shortcut ingredients like corn muffin mix, frozen vegetables, and premade BBQ sauce keeps this dish weeknight-dinner friendly and inexpensive, while flavorful add-ins like buttery chicken breasts, onion, garlic, cheddar cheese, and jalapeño slices make for a filling, delicious meal. Skillet Cheddar-Cornbread BBQ Chicken Pot Pie is exactly the kind of meal you crave after a long day of work-- simple and satisfying-- but also the kind you're going to want to make for friends when they come over on football Sundays.

You know what I mean? That kind of comfort food. AKA the best kind. 

I had a hard name deciding what to name this recipe because no one part is better than the other. So I just put all of the info in there.

I love that this recipe is made in a skillet because it makes it so easy to go from the stovetop to the oven and whip it all together in one pan, which is essential to any easy meal. I don't want to be fussing with a dozen different pots and pans and baking dishes, I just want it all to cook and bake together with as little messy cleanup necessary afterward. Who's with me there? I know you are.

And then there's the cheddar-spiked cornbread crust, which, in my humble opinion, is so much better than any traditional, roll-out pre-made crusts, and far faster and less frustrating than homemade ones. Plus, it's cheesy cornbread instead of pie crust. I mean, I like pie crust and all, but cornbread isn't just a topping, it's a side-dish re-imagined. And did I mention all of the cheese? There's a clear better choice here.

Oh, and you can press some jalapeno slices into it too, if that's your sort of thing. It's definitely my sort of thing.

Lastly but not least-ly, we need to talk about that BBQ chicken filling, which is so saucy and chock full of vegetables that you wonder why you ever considered making pot pie any other way. You definitely want to make sure that your frozen vegetable mix has corn in it, by the way, because the little kernels of corn sprinkled throughout the barbecue sauce just tie that cornbread topping in even more and really make this dish feel like a happy reminder of warmer days while you try to survive the chillier months. 

When it comes to BBQ sauces, use your favorite. As long as it's relatively thick (because no one wants a runny pot pie), you can pick any one your heart desires. That is, unless you happen to live near Oneonta, NY. Then you absolutely have to use Brook's BBQ sauce so I can live vicariously through you.

Okay, you don't have to do anything. Just as long as you hurry up and get started so you can have this skillet for dinner tonight. 😊

Skillet Cheddar-Cornbread BBQ Chicken Pot Pie

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★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Morgan
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breast, cut into chunks
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 ounces mixed frozen vegetables
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 (8.5-ounce) package cornbread and muffin mix
• 1 large egg
• ⅔ cup whole milk
• 6 ounces (1.5 cups) cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 jalapeno, sliced, optional
• Scallions, chopped, to top
• Cilantro, chopped, to top

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Melt the butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, season generously with salt and pepper, and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
3. Add the onion to the skillet and sauté until tender and golden, about 4 minutes.Mix in the garlic and frozen vegetables and cook 1 additional minute. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until pasty. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Continue to stir until thickened, about 10 minutes. Mix in the barbecue sauce and then add the chicken back to the skillet, then stir to combine. Turn off the heat and set aside.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cornbread mix with the egg and milk. Once smooth, mix in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese. Spoon the cornbread mixture over the skillet, and spread with the back of a spoon. Press the jalapeno slices into the top of the cornbread batter, if using, and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese. Bake until the cornbread has browned and cooked through, about 25 minutes.
5. Top with scallions and cilantro and serve warm.

• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins