The Genius Southern Swap That Transforms Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken pot pie may have its roots in medieval England, but it's now a favorite in households across America. While you can always pick up a store-bought chicken pot pie, making it from scratch is so much more rewarding. Not only can you take easy shortcuts when making homemade versions, you can also add ingredients and make swaps that'll really bring the recipe to the next level. For example, you can replace the pastry crust for tater tots to make an especially comforting casserole. The Southern swap you need to try, however, is to replace the pastry topping with a layer of cornbread.

Cornbread is both sweet and savory, grainy and fluffy. It brings new textures and flavors that complement the creamy and chewy textures and ultra savory flavors of the chicken and vegetable filling beautifully. Whereas a pastry crust can be tricky to execute, cornbread is a simple "dump-over" recipe that requires no shaping or rolling. Simply make the chicken pot pie filling according to your recipe, adding it to a buttered casserole dish. Then, craft your favorite cornbread recipe, spreading the batter evenly on top of the filling before sliding it in the oven to bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for around 30 minutes, or until the cornbread is fluffy and finished.

Just as you can take shortcuts when making the pot pie filling like using store-bought rotisserie chicken or frozen vegetables, you can also use store-bought cornbread mix instead of following a scratch-made recipe.

While cornbread is the ultimate chicken pot pie topping, you can make the crust even more flavorful by doctoring up the boxed cornbread. You can work yet another couple of veggies into the recipe by adding canned or frozen corn and green chilies to the mix. Sprinkle in some shredded cheddar cheese for a more savory topping. Making cornbread from scratch, instead? Check out our long list of crave-worthy cornbread recipes, from classic to creative. Our recipe for honey sage skillet cornbread is an herbaceous and sweet complement that will enhance the herbs used to season our recipe for a classic chicken pot pie.

As for the filling itself, tips for making the best pot pie abound, starting with using a whole, roasted chicken instead of just chicken breast alone. Another tip is to get creative with the filling. There are plenty of unexpected ingredients that will make homemade chicken pot pie even better. Since you're already putting a Southern spin on the recipe with a cornbread crust, you might as well follow up the theme and give filling a tasty twist with a splash of barbecue sauce. A dash of your favorite hot sauce would also work really well as the sweetness from the cornbread topping will temper the heat, while enhancing the spices. Otherwise, add bacon or slices of mushroom to the pot pie filling for a burst of umami, adding yet another savory layer to balance the sweet cornbread topping.