How a Netflix romcom inspired this Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie
It’s not often Justin and I both agree on a movie, much less both LOVING a romcom as much as we did Voicemails for Isabelle.
But the thing that stuck with me even more than the sappy Austin-based whirlwind romance was the Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie Wes’s mom made for him. Being a Texas native myself, I honestly couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of trying out this combo before.
Twelve years in Austin will do that to you. I already had a Chicken Pot Pie and a Honey Jalapeño Cornbread on this site, and somehow it never once occurred to me to put them in the same dish.
So that’s exactly what this is: my all-too-perfected chicken pot pie base (trialed and tasted 5 different times when writing my Weeknight Winners cookbook), a subtly spicy jalapeño cornbread topping, and then the finishing touch… a little honey butter on top.
I made it for my sister and her family of five right after they had a baby, which is the real test. Even the little ones gobbled it up, and it makes enough that they were eating leftovers for days.
Turns out the best thing to come out of that movie night wasn’t the movie.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Chicken: Any cooked shredded chicken works here. I’ve used all breasts, all thighs, or a rotisserie chicken, which is definitely the easiest but often has a lot more salt, so you may need to adjust how much you use.
- Carrots, onion, and celery: This mirepoix is what the whole filling gets built on. Nothing fancy about it, but don’t skip it.
- Peas and corn: Frozen is the way to go for both. It’s one less thing to chop and they go straight in.
- All-purpose flour: This is what thickens the filling, and it’s what the recipe was tested with. A gluten-free one-to-one blend can also be used, it just may not come out quite as creamy.
- Chicken broth: The kind that comes in a carton is perfectly fine. My personal preference is stirring a teaspoon of chicken Better Than Bouillon into a cup of warm water, since it has a much richer umami flavor.
- Half-and-half: This is always my compromise for keeping things a little lighter while still getting those cozy comfort food vibes. Heavy cream can definitely be subbed, or even whole milk, though you’ll want to use a little less since it’s more liquidy.
- Thyme, rosemary, and tarragon: This trio is where I feel like all of my pot pie recipes truly shine. Don’t leave the tarragon out, it’s the secret.
- Nutmeg: Just a hint is all you need. It’s what keeps the filling tasting warm and cozy.
- Cornmeal: Medium grind is what you want. It’s what gives the topping that chewy but still fluffy texture.
- Whole milk: This one’s just for the cornbread topping. Whole is what gives it the richest, most tender crumb, so I wouldn’t go lighter here.
- Butter: Salted butter, and it shows up in three places here: the filling, the cornbread itself, and the honey butter that gets brushed over the top.
- Honey: A little goes into the cornbread batter and a little more gets stirred into the honey butter at the end.
- Jalapeño: Definitely not required. But if you can handle a little Texas heat, finely dice one right into the cornbread and slice another over the top for presentation and even more of a kick.
Step-by-step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Start the vegetables.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat, then cook the celery, carrots, and onion for 5 to 6 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and a bit of the salt and cook 30 seconds more, just until it smells good.
Build the sauce.
Melt the remaining butter, then sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for a minute or two until no dry flour is left. Pour in a splash of the broth to form a thick paste, then add the half-and-half and the rest of the broth a little at a time, stirring well between each addition.
Pro Tip: Adding the liquid in small increments is the whole trick to a silky sauce. Dump it in all at once and you’ll spend the next five minutes chasing lumps.
Season it and add the chicken.
Turn the heat to low and stir in the thyme, rosemary, tarragon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Take it off the heat, stir in the chicken, peas, and corn, then spread everything into an even layer.
Mix the cornbread.
Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, melted butter, milk, and honey, then add the wet to the dry and stir by hand until just combined. Fold in the diced jalapeño.
Pro Tip: Stir by hand and stop the second it comes together. Overmixed cornbread bakes up tough instead of tender, and you can’t undo it.
Top it and bake.
Dollop the cornbread batter over the warm filling and gently spread it out, leaving a few small gaps around the edges so steam can escape. Arrange the jalapeño rounds on top, then bake for 35 minutes, until the cornbread is golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Pro Tip: I tried this at 375°F and the topping browned way too fast before the middle had a chance to cook through. 350°F is the number.
Brush with honey butter.
Stir the melted butter and honey together and brush it over the hot cornbread. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
FAQs
That’s the fastest route and what I reach for most. Just know rotisserie tends to run saltier, so taste the filling before you add all the salt.
Build the filling in whatever skillet you’ve got, then transfer it to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish before you add the cornbread. Either way, set it on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any bubble-over.
One diced jalapeño in the batter keeps it mild to medium, and the sliced rounds on top add a little more. Seed all of them for the mildest version, or leave some seeds in the rounds if you want the kick.
Make the filling up to 24 hours in advance and keep it in the fridge. Mix the cornbread batter fresh right before you top and bake, since the leavening starts working the moment it’s stirred.
It’s best fresh. If you do freeze it, freeze it fully baked, thaw overnight in the fridge, and reheat covered at 350°F. The cornbread loses a little of its crumb and can dry out.
Airtight in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven rather than the microwave, which turns the cornbread soft.
For gluten-free, use a one-to-one blend in both the filling and the cornbread plus gluten-free cornmeal, though the filling won’t be quite as creamy. For dairy-free, use dairy-free butter and a full-fat plant milk like oat or soy in both.
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Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
Filling
- 5 tablespoons salted butter divided
- 3 celery ribs diced
- 3 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1¼ teaspoons salt divided
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth divided
- 1 cup half-and-half
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups cooked chicken shredded
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- ¾ cup frozen corn
Honey Jalapeño Cornbread Topping
- 1 cup medium grind cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs whisked
- 6 tablespoons salted butter melted
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 small jalapeño seeded and finely diced
- 1 small jalapeño sliced into thin rounds
Honey Butter
- 1 tablespoon salted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add celery, carrots, and onion and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots and celery are tender. Add garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.3 celery ribs, 3 medium carrots, 1 small yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1¼ teaspoons salt
- Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter to the skillet and let it melt. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes, until the vegetables are coated and no dry flour remains. Pour in ½ cup of the broth and stir until it forms a thick paste.½ cup all-purpose flour, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 cup half-and-half
- Add the 1 cup half-and-half and the remaining 1½ cups broth in ¼-cup increments, stirring well after each addition and letting the sauce thicken slightly between additions.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the thyme, rosemary, tarragon, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded chicken, peas, and corn. Spread into an even layer.½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, ½ teaspoon dried tarragon, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, ¾ teaspoon black pepper, 4 cups cooked chicken, ¾ cup frozen peas, ¾ cup frozen corn
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, melted butter, milk, and honey. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir by hand until just combined. Fold in the diced jalapeño, being careful not to overmix.1 cup medium grind cornmeal, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 large eggs, 6 tablespoons salted butter, ¾ cup whole milk, ¼ cup honey, 1 small jalapeño
- Dollop the cornbread batter evenly over the warm filling and gently spread, leaving a few small gaps around the edges for steam to escape. Arrange the jalapeño rounds over the top.1 small jalapeño
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the topping comes out clean.
- Stir together the melted butter and honey and brush over the hot cornbread. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.1 tablespoon salted butter, 1 tablespoon honey
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to serve with Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie
This one already has your protein, vegetables, and bread all in the same skillet, so it doesn’t need a starchy side. What it wants is something fresh and sharp to cut through all that cream.
My Lemon Arugula Salad is the easiest answer, since it’s peppery and bright and takes about five minutes. It also needs zero oven space.
Massaged Kale Salad works the same way if you want something sturdier you can toss together while the pot pie bakes.
If you’d rather have something warm, 15-Minute Green Beans with Vinegar cook on the stovetop and Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts never touch the oven at all. Both matter here, since your oven is tied up at 350°F for 35 minutes.
More Cozy Skillet Dinners
There’s something about everything landing in one pan that makes a weeknight feel manageable. These are the other ones we keep going back to.
