Chicken Pot Pie Cornbread Muffins

 

Here’s a chicken pot pie cornbread muffin recipe that you can make for your kids’ school lunches this fall. I modified it a bit by increasing the amount of filling per muffin, and that’s definitely what I recommend, even though I don’t have precise measurements. These muffins freeze well, too! (In case you are curious, the dessert in the lunchbox photo is chocolate graham crackers with mini marshmallows.)

For the cornbread
1 ½ cups cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
kosher salt
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 large egg
1 ½ cups well-shaken buttermilk (lactose-free milk with a splash of vinegar)

For the filling (you’ll need to increase these amounts)
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large carrot, cut into chunks
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
¾ cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
½ cup shredded rotisserie chicken


For the cornbread
In a bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk the egg and buttermilk into the cornmeal mixture. Fill 12 (½-cup) greased muffin tins about 2/3 full with the cornbread batter. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

For the filling
In a large cast-iron or heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat until hot, then stir in the onion, garlic, carrots, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil, then stir in the chicken. Season the filling with salt and pepper to taste. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling over each batter-filled muffin tin.

Bake the muffins until golden around the edges, about 25 minutes.