BBQ Chicken Pie
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Yesterday as I was chatting with my sister, she asked for me to compile a list of a few easy family weeknight meals. She’s a busy mom of three and has gotten stuck in the dinner time rut that many of us find ourselves in at some time or another. I know I do all the time.
I thought of a couple of meals we make each week that have sort of become our family comfort food meals. They’re nothing fancy, but there’s something about the regularity of them that helps us wind down and chill after a hectic day. Plus you get so used to making such meals, that prep becomes second nature so you can focus on visiting with your family (or tossing another load into the washer).
The recipe I’m sharing with you today is one of those dishes. BBQ Chicken Pie is a recipe I’ve put together for Bush’s Beans, along with some input from friend and chef, Jeffrey Saad, a master of the spice rack. While chatting with Jeffrey I wanted to see what he thought about creating meals for picky eaters that that wouldn’t be boring and something that the whole family could enjoy. We have a picky eater, and it doesn’t make for fun meal planning at all. Jeffrey agreed that BBQ flavor profile is a good place to start with picky eaters. He shared ideas how to take a plain BBQ sauce to the next level without losing picky eaters along the way. Jeffrey is always full of great ideas. Here, see what I mean:
“I love using ancho and guajillo dry red chiles (they come as pastes and powders as well) as a base and then you can add tomato puree or ketchup. How about broiling some sliced pineapple (use canned and dry it off, drizzle with oil and broil) pureed to give it a unique, kid-friendly sweetness? And a touch of Worcestershire sauce and a small touch of soy for that “secret umami” flavor that makes everything taste better.” – Jeffrey Saad
Broiled pineapple? YUM! Although I didn’t add it here, I may be trying that next time around. They’d be lovely placed on top of the cornbread topping before baking. I did add some ancho powdered chili, and what has become one of our family staples, sriracha. That bit of spice certainly kicked this up a notch, with the combination of quality Bush’s Beans that add great texture and flavor to any dish.
No fancy techniques or expensive ingredients here. Simple and inexpensive, this pie passed the test here in our home, and it’s a great usage for leftovers too. Instead of chicken, substitute shredded pork or beef. Plus you can easily make this ahead and reheat. And with only one pan to clean, what’s not to like?
Yes, this BBQ Chicken Pie is a keeper. It’s a super simple, one dish meal that will soon become a family favorite around here. I’ll be passing this one on to my sister for her crew too. I think she’ll be happy.
Enjoy! And if you have any one dish family favorites to share, please do!
BBQ Chicken Pie Recipe
BBQ Chicken Pie
This BBQ Chicken Pie is a super simple, one dish meal that will soon become a family favorite.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup cider vingar
- 3 tablespoons worcestershire
- 1 tablespoons sriracha (adjust to preference)
- 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder, or other favorite chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- salt to taste
- 1 15 ounce can Bush's Beans Black Beans, not drained
- 1 15 ounce can Bush's Beans Red Kidney Beans (light or dark), not drained
- 4 cups (about 1 1/2 pound) shredded roasted chicken (pork or beef may be substituted; one rotisserie chicken should provide the proper amount of meat)
- 2 cups favorite prepared cornbread batter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450-degrees F.
- Combine tomato sauce, honey, cider vinegar, soy sauce, sriracha, chili powder, and ground black pepper in a braising pan or large oven-proof skillet.
- Add beans and simmer over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes.
- Salt to taste.
- Stir in chicken (pork or beef).
- Evenly pour cornbread batter over top and bake at 450-degrees F for 15 minutes until done and slightly browned.
Thanks, sis! I’ll be trying this one soon.
Dee-lish – I love simple and inexpensive too : )
Wow Amy, this is so delicious. It’s like one-stop shop where you put everything together. This is definitely perfect for a busy mom.
Amy. As if you didn’t already have it before, you just won my heart 🙂 This sounds delicious, super easy, and exactly what I would want to have for dinner any time!
Oh, Amy. This looks fabulous. Don’t you just love Jeffrey, too? Such great ideas. He’s brilliant!
Hugs!
Yum! This looks perfect – simple, hearty and delicious! I want!
This is delightful – definitely Pinning for next week!
Well done! What time is dinner?!
Wow Amy, this is really unique and looks utterly delicious! I love fall food like this. 🙂
Oh. Oh my.
Oh my stars.
I can’t move.
This is making me hungry!
It’s funny, the season has just changed here and you’d think it would be easy coming up with recipes everyone will love. But after a month of the same recipes I’m feeling like “what should I prepare that everyone will love that’s different.” My son will eat anything I cook, he’s great at trying new things but, my daughter and husband are totally different. This dish is right up their alley and I know my son and I will love it to. Great comfort food. Thanks for sharing – now to save in my Zip List!
It’s the perfect combination of a bunch of my favorite dishes!
what i see before me is the epitome of comfort food. 🙂
Looks like some serious comfort food! I love this idea…
The ingredients sound beautiful together, love the cornbread crust!
This sounds so …. good! All about simple, delicious and inexpensive meals. Love the addition of sriracha, doesn’t that make everything taste better!
What in the world! Amy this is an AWESOME pie!!
This is a great recipe. I was looking for idea to use up leftover bbq chicken. As a warning to others, make sure the cornbread mixture is a thin layer. Mine was wayyyy to thick maybe and inch and a half. It did not cook at all. Even at two cups I should of used a bigger pan. Something like 10 or 12 inch. It turned out fine after I took some batter out. So follow the recipe and do not use a 2 quart casserole dish.
This was good, easy-to-make comfort food, but the next time I make it, I’m going to make some tweaks. Even though I used 1/2 a tablespoon of sriracha, it was still too hot when I ate some right off the stove. Taste testing while cooking, I added at least 1/2 teaspoon of cumin to give a little more smokiness and depth of flavor. After the leftovers sat overnight in the fridge, the heat mellowed and subsequent reheatings were too sweet, possibly because of the 1/4 cup of sugar in my cornbread combined with the 1/4 cup of honey. Next time, I’m going to use an 1/8 of a cup of honey. All in all, this has been several tasty meals with veggies on the side.