Savoury Piecakens - Chicken Pot Pie in a Cornbread Recipe

Of all the PIECAKEN information available online, I have yet to find any info on savoury piecakens, so it is quite possible that this is a category that my friends and I have created all on our own.  During the last PiecakenFest that we had here on Manitoulin Island, we included a separate competition category for Savoury Piecakens.  With five entries, we were able to see a variety of dinner-style PIECAKENs, and each one was definitely an entire meal in itself.

I have made four Savoury PIECAKENs and have enjoyed each and every one. So today I will share one of these tasty recipes, as well as pictures of two different versions of the same recipe.

Recipe:  Chicken-Pot-Pie-Inside-of-a-Sour Cream-Cornbread PIECAKEN

Pie Crust: You can purchase a prepared pie crust, or follow my "Perfect Pie Crust" recipe that appeared in a previous post here.

 
To make it easier to remove the pie plate later, prepare your 8" or 9"disposable aluminum, glass or other pie plate by greasing it with lard or butter and cutting a round parchment paper slightly larger than the plate (enough to cover the upper edges - about 1/4" past your crust edges). Press the parchment paper into the pie plate (greasing it makes the parchment stick to the plate). Then grease your parchment paper and dust it with flour before placing your pie crust dough in.

Remember to bake your crust for at least 10 minutes at 350 degrees F before adding the filling. Otherwise your bottom crust may be too soft for the piecaken if not pre-baked.
 
 

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe:

You need:

• 2 cooked chicken breasts, lightly seasoned with salt or other seasonings (bake the chicken breasts in the oven on a pan for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F or for 35 or 40 minutes if frozen, or buy pre-cooked chicken breasts). Slice into bite-sized pieces.
• 2 small cans of Campbell’s Original Cream of Mushroom soup (this one has the most natural ingredients, or try to choose a brand with no modified starches, artificial colors or flavours).
• ½ cup chopped Carrots
• ½ cup finely chopped broccoli
• Finely chopped onions and garlic (if you want them)
• ¼ cup frozen corn or peas

1. Stir fry all your vegetables (onions and garlic first until softened, then add others) in a medium-sized pot on the stove. Or steam vegetable together until softened.

2. Add the mushroom soup to the mixture and stir. Warm the entire mixture together on medium heat on the stovetop until warm and well mixed.


3. Add the filling to your prepared pie crust and then add a top crust and press with a fork around the edges until you get a sealed pie. Make an egg wash (egg yolk and a few tablespoons of water or cream and beat together) and brush it on the pie crust top prior to baking. Stab it with a fork about five times to let the steam escape. You can also brush a little egg wash in between the edges of the top and bottom crust before pressing with a fork to get them to stick.

4. Bake your Chicken Pot Pie for 25 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees F until crust is golden brown.

Cornbread Recipe and Piecaken Preparation

You need:

• 2.5  cups 18% sour cream (you can use any % fat sour cream, but I like Gaylea Gold Sour Cream because it doesn't have any additives)
• 1.5 cups yellow cornmeal
• 2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour (I’ve also used light spelt flour and rice flour as alternates)
• 2 tbsps sugar (or agave)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 tbsp butter, melted

 

Instructions:

 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

 

2. Sift together all dry ingredients into a bowl.

 

3. Combine beaten egg and sour cream.

 

4. Add the egg and sour cream mixture and the melted butter to the dry ingredients and stir the batter until just mixed.

 

5. Prepare a 9" or 10" springform pan (or 9 x 13" rectangular pan) with parchment paper and by greasing the sides.

 

6. Spoon 1/3 batter into bottom of the pan and spread it around to cover the bottom (a thin 1/4-inch layer is enough)

 

7. Flip your Chicken Pot Pie upside down onto the batter. Remove your pie plate and parchment paper.

 

8. Spoon the rest of the batter onto the pie and spread all the batter around and into the cracks and edges.

 

9. Bake piecaken for 45 minutes to 1 hour (until a knife, inserted just next to the pie edges, comes out clean)

 

10. Let cool slightly and then run a knife around the insides. Release and remove spring form sides. Serve warm.  If bringing to a potluck, then reheat gently later and ensure there is moisture (such as a pan of water) in the oven to prevent it from drying out.  You can wrap with foil also to protect the sides or put the spring form sides back on while re-heating.

Optional: You can top it with cheese and herbs or smoked salt if you like, or wait until cooked, then top with a ketchup glaze (see below).   

Ketchup Glaze: Simmer 1 cup of ketchup, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and 1 tbsp molasses in a small saucepan on stove for 5 minutes or until thickened. Spread on top of piecaken or decorate by spooning into a Ziplock bag and cutting the corner.

Piecaken Tips: Make the pie on one day/evening and make the piecaken the next day. b