Buffalo Chicken Pot Pie

Flaky, golden, piping hot crust.

Tender bites of chicken.

Sauteed vegetables.

Creamy sauce.

Comfort food at the ultimate.

Who doesn’t like pot pie?

The Husband.  And I don’t get it, and I have given up trying to understand why.  He likes all the components separately, but put together?  Not at all. 

I had printed off the recipe for tonight’s dinner and stuck it on the kitchen counter while I went off to do something.  A half-hour later, The Husband declared it was a “boys night out,” but swears he didn’t see the recipe.  

A new Rachael Ray recipe, this Buffalo Chicken Pot Pie comes from her daytime talk show.  Usually the recipes from there aren’t necessarily 30 minute recipes, but this one was fairly close, coming in around 40 minutes.  Considering Madeline was in the middle of the kitchen in her swing and squawking from time to time, I think that’s fairly good.

And the recipe?  Deeeelish.  The Husband is totally missing out.  I used rotisserie chicken, instead of chicken breasts, so was able to skip the first step.  I left out the celery, to save a trip to the grocery store, and just added two extra carrots.  I also cut back on the hot sauce just a smidge.  I know Rachael likes things hot, and I don’t mind a little extra heat, but don’t want to have to wash down each bite with a swig of water either.  Using a little less than the 1/4 cup called for still made the heat definitely present, but totally manageable.  The best part?  The little bits of creamy bleu cheese in the cornbread topping. 

Want more Rachael Ray dish?  Check out my friend Madeline’s site, Everything Rachael Ray, including her Friday round-up.   Madeline, who is about to have her first baby very, very soon, always has the latest tidbits on her favorite Food Network cook. 

Buffalo Chicken Pot Pie
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 pounds), cut into bite-sized pieces (I used a whole rotisserie chicken)
• 1 large onion, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces (I used 4 carrots)
• 3 stalks celery, chopped into bite-sized pieces (I skipped)
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2-1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup hot sauce (add more if you want more of a kick!) (I used a little less)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 boxes cornbread mix, such as Jiffy brand
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup of milk
• 1 cup crumbled bleu cheese

Yields: 6 servings

Preheat the oven to 375º F.

Heat 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped chicken chunks and sauté them on both sides until golden brown. Remove chicken chunks from skillet and reserve on a plate.  Add another 2 tablespoons of EVOO, the onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 5-6 minutes.  While the veggies are cooking start the sauce: In a medium-size sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat then stir in the flour and cook until light brown, about 1 minute. Whisk the chicken stock and hot sauce into the butter/flour mixture and bring it to a boil. Simmer the gravy until thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Return the reserved chicken chunks to the skillet with the cooked vegetables and add the gravy, stirring to combine. Transfer everything to a 9×11″ casserole dish and set aside while you prepare the topping.  In a medium-size mixing bowl, prepare the cornbread according to package directions. Stir the blue cheese crumbles into the cornbread mixture and drop spoonfuls of the batter onto the top of the casserole, covering it completely.  Bake the pot pie until the cornbread is baked through and the filling is hot, 20-30 minutes.