Chicken Thigh Pie

I saw this recipe on Rachael Ray and thought I would try it. It was OK, the chicken was really good, but that had nothing to do with the recipe. :) It was organic chicken thighs, so they were tasty. If I made this recipe again, which I probably won't because my husband didn't care for the whole thing (just the topping and the chicken - which is all he ate!), I would use less sweet potatoes in it. Also, in the recipe I didn't see where it said to add the sweet potatoes but I just put them on the bottom of the casserole dish. This made enough for us to eat for 2 nights.

Anyway, here is the recipe if anyone wants to try it. You can use another cornbread recipe in place of the jiffy, just follow those directions on it and omit the eggs and milk in this recipe since that's all it is used in.

Chicken Thigh Pie
Serves 6
Submitted by Rachael Ray

Ingredients
6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup orange or pineapple juice
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
2 boxes cornbread mix, such as Jiffy brand
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk


Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F for the cornbread (if you're using Jiffy brand), or pre-heat according to the package directions.

Place a medium size saucepan over medium-high heat with the sweet potatoes and enough cold water to cover them. Bring the water up to a bubble, then reduce the heat to medium and boil the sweet potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the cooked potatoes and reserve.

While the potatoes are cooking, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add to the hot pan. Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Remove the browned chicken to a plate and add the butter to the pan to melt. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and cook for about a minute. Whisk the stock and juice into the butter-flour mixture and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Add the barbecue sauce, scallions, peas and reserved chicken to the pan, then stir to combine. Season again with salt and pepper and transfer to a casserole dish.

Prepare the cornbread batter according to the package directions. Spread the batter over the top of the casserole and bake until the bread is cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. Cut the casserole into slices and serve.