Buffalo Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds), cut into bite-sized pieces
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
3 stalks celery, chopped into bite-sized pieces
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!)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 boxes cornbread mix, such as Jiffy brand
2 eggs
2/3 cup of milk
1 cup crumbled blue cheese

Yields: 6 servings

Preparation

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 9x11" 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.