Sourdough Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie (With Cornbread Crust)
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This Sourdough Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie was inspired from a newer rom-com and I just had to give it a sourdough twist! The filling is based on my go-to Sourdough Chicken Pot Pie Recipe with tender chicken and vegetables in a rich, creamy gravy, but now it’s topped with sweet, cheesy sourdough cornbread!
Finished with a brush of honey butter, it’s a cozy comfort-food dinner that uses sourdough discard in both the filling and the cornbread topping. This chicken pot pie with cornbread topping is just as cozy and comforting as a bowl of Sourdough Chicken and Dumplings Soup.
Quick Look: Sourdough Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Servings: 8 servings
- Calories: ~ kcal per slice (based on nutritional panel)
- Cook Method: Stovetop + baked in a cast iron skillet
- Flavor Profile: Creamy, savory chicken and veggie filling in a thick sourdough gravy, topped with sweet, cheesy golden cornbread and finished with a honey butter glaze. The ultimate cozy comfort food!
- Difficulty: Easy to Intermediate — A few steps with the filling and cornbread batter, but straightforward and all done in one skillet!
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Why You’ll Love Sourdough Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie
- It’s cozy, cheesy comfort food — Creamy chicken and vegetables get topped with golden, cheesy cornbread for the kind of dinner that feels extra comforting on a chilly night. If you love cozy, cheesy meals, my Sourdough Mac and Cheese is another favorite.
- It uses sourdough discard twice — You’ll whisk discard into the gravy to help make it thick and silky, then use more in the cornbread topping. It’s such an easy way to use up a good amount of extra starter in one meal. You can also use discard in my Sourdough Gravy.
- The cornbread topping is so much easier than pie crust — There’s no rolling, chilling, or shaping dough here. Just mix the cornbread batter and spoon it right over the filling before baking. If you want a more traditional version, try my Sourdough Chicken Pot Pie or top a pot pie with my Sourdough Biscuits instead.
- The cornbread comes together quickly — Unlike my Original Sourdough Cornbread, there’s no need to cream the butter and sugar. Melted butter keeps this version simple, so the topping comes together fast without needing a boxed mix.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
Chicken Pot Pie Filling:
- Chicken — Save even more time by using homemade chicken cooked ahead of time. You can also use the same amount of rotisserie chicken.
- Butter—Melt it in the skillet to sauté the celery, carrots, and onions.
- Vegetables—I used these for the vegetable filling: carrots, celery, onions, garlic, peas, and corn. Feel free to leave any out or swap in diced potatoes, mushrooms, green beans or any of your favorites!
- Gravy—Chicken stock, half and half, and sourdough discard make a perfectly thick and flavorful gravy. You can swap the chicken stock for bone broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth or stock. You can also use the same amount by weight of an active sourdough starter instead of discard.
- Seasoning—Thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper bring the comfort food flavor. Dried rosemary or Italian seasoning is great if you want to jazz it up.
Sourdough Cornbread:
- All-Purpose Flour — This keeps the cornbread soft and tender. You’ll also use a little of it to help thicken the chicken filling.
- Unsalted Butter — I usually use unsalted butter so I can control the salt. If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt to 1 gram, or about ¼ teaspoon.
- White Sugar — This is a sweeter cornbread, which I love with the savory chicken filling. If you prefer a more savory cornbread, you can easily cut the sugar in half.
- Cornmeal — I prefer yellow cornmeal because it gives the topping that beautiful golden color, but white cornmeal works just fine too.
- Baking Powder — This gives the cornbread its lift. Make sure yours is fresh, and if you’re long-fermenting the batter overnight, I recommend using double-acting baking powder.
- Salt — Just enough to balance out the sweetness and bring out all the other flavors.
- Eggs — These help give the cornbread structure while keeping it rich and tender.
- Milk — I use whole milk, but your favorite non-dairy milk should work well too.
- Sourdough Discard — I like to use fresh, room-temperature discard that’s no more than a couple of days old for a mild sourdough flavor. Older discard works too, but the cornbread may taste a little tangier. Active starter can also be used in the same amount by weight.
- Shredded Cheese — The cheese gets folded right into the batter for a little extra savory flavor in every bite. Cheddar is my favorite here, but another good melting cheese would work too. Also freshly shredded is best!
Toppings
- Jalapeño Slices (optional) — Add a few slices right on top of the cornbread batter before baking if you want a little extra heat.
- Honey — Mix it with melted butter to make the honey butter that gets brushed over the warm cornbread after it rests for 10 to 15 minutes.
How to Make Sourdough Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Set a 12-inch cast iron skillet or large oven-safe sauté pan over medium heat.
- Melt the butter, then add the celery, carrots, and onions. Sauté the vegetables until they’re tender. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir until they’re evenly coated. Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Warm the chicken stock in a liquid measuring cup, then whisk in the sourdough discard until it’s incorporated. Slowly pour the stock mixture and the half and half into the skillet. Stir, bring it to a simmer, and cook until you have a thick, silky gravy.
- Stir in the cooked chicken, frozen peas, frozen corn, and seasonings. Take the skillet off the heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt).
- In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, eggs, milk, and sourdough discard until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the shredded cheese, then drop large spoonfuls of batter evenly over the filling to make a chicken pot pie with cornbread topping. A few gaps around the edges of the pan are fine.
- Lay jalapeño slices on top if you’d like.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the cornbread is golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir the honey into the melted butter in a small bowl. Brush it over the cornbread with a pastry brush. Serve warm and enjoy!
McKenna’s Helpful Tips
- Cook the vegetables until they’re nice and tender — Let the carrots, celery, and onion soften before adding the garlic and flour. You don’t want crunchy vegetables hiding underneath that soft cornbread topping.
- A few gaps around the edges are totally fine — The cornbread batter doesn’t need to cover every inch of the skillet. It will spread a little as it bakes, so don’t worry if some of the filling is peeking through.
- Don’t overmix the cornbread batter — Stir just until everything comes together. Overmixing can make the cornbread dense instead of soft and tender.
- Leftover chicken or turkey works great — This is such a good recipe for using up cooked chicken or leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Just stir it into the gravy with the peas and corn. If you’re making my Sourdough Cornbread Stuffing for Thanksgiving, save a little turkey and make this the next day.
- Make it your own — Feel free to switch up the vegetables with mushrooms, diced potatoes, or green beans. You can skip the jalapeños, add corn to the cornbread batter, or even mix in a little bacon for extra flavor.
How to Store
Leftovers store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, but be sure to cool the pot pie completely first. Cover the pan tightly with foil or move it to an airtight container within 2 hours of baking. To freeze it, portion the cooled pot pie into airtight freezer containers for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating. Reheat it covered with foil in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until hot throughout. Uncover it for the last few minutes so the cornbread topping crisps up. Brush on fresh honey butter and serve.
Sourdough Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie FAQs
What if I don’t have a cast iron skillet?
Use any large oven-safe sauté pan instead. If you don’t have one, cook the filling in a regular large skillet on the stove. Then transfer it to a 9×13 baking pan, top it with the cornbread batter, and bake as directed.
Can I make this cornbread chicken pot pie ahead of time?
Yes. You can make the filling up to 2 days ahead. Mix the cornbread batter the night before so it can ferment longer, and use double-acting baking powder.
Can I use older sourdough discard for cornbread chicken pot pie?
Yes, but older discard gives the cornbread a more tangy flavor. I use fresh discard that’s no more than 1 to 2 days old. If you’re curious how long sourdough discard lasts in a jar, click over and check out that post.
If you tried this Sourdough Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Sourdough Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
Yield: 8 servings
This Sourdough Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie is filled with tender chicken and vegetables in a rich, creamy gravy, then topped with sweet, cheesy sourdough cornbread. Finished with a brush of honey butter, it’s a cozy comfort-food dinner that uses sourdough discard in both the filling and the cornbread topping.
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Equipment
Ingredients
Sourdough Chicken Pot Pie Filling
- 70 grams unsalted butter 5 Tablespoons
- 100 grams celery, diced 3 medium stocks
- 200 grams carrots, diced 3 medium carrots
- 130 grams onion, diced 1 medium onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 35 grams all-purpose flour 1/4 cup
- 720 grams chicken stock 3 cups
- 120 grams sourdough discard 1/2 cup
- 200 grams half-and-half ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons
- 600 grams cooked chicken, shredded or cubed 4 cups
- 100 grams frozen peas 2/3 cup
- 100 grams frozen corn 2/3 cup
- .5 gram dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon
- salt and pepper to taste
Sourdough Cornbread Topping
- 95 grams all-purpose flour 1/2 cup + 3 Tablespoons
- 120 grams cornmeal 1 cup
- 4 grams baking powder 1 teaspoon
- 3 grams salt 1/2 teaspoon
- 84 grams unsalted butter, melted 6 Tablespoons
- 100 grams sugar 1/2 cup
- 80 grams large eggs 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 165 grams milk, room temperature 2/3 cup
- 120 grams sourdough discard 1/2 cup
- 113 grams cheddar cheese, freshly shredded 1 cup
- 1-2 jalapeño, sliced optional
Honey Butter (optional)
- 28 grams salted butter 2 Tablespoons
- 5 grams honey 1 teaspoon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and heat a 12-inch cast iron or large oven-safe saute pan to medium heat.
Sourdough Chicken Pot Pie Filling
- Melt the butter, then add the celery, carrots and onions, saute over medium heat until they are tender.Don’t have an oven-safe saute pan? Cook the filling in a large skillet, then transfer to a 9×13 baking pan.70 grams unsalted butter, 100 grams celery, diced, 200 grams carrots, diced, 130 grams onion, diced
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.3 cloves garlic, minced
- Sprinkle the flour over the sauteed veggies, stirring until they are evenly coated. Cook for 2 more minutes.35 grams all-purpose flour
- Warm up the chicken stock in a liquid measuring cup. Add in the sourdough discard and whisk until incorporated. Slowly pour the broth mixture and half and half into the pot, stir, then bring to a simmer and cook until the mixture is a thick, silky gravy consistency.You can use active sourdough starter, just use the same amount in grams.720 grams chicken stock, 120 grams sourdough discard, 200 grams half-and-half
- Add the cooked chicken, frozen peas, frozen corn and seasonings and stir until combined. Remove the filling from the heat and prepare the cornbread topping.600 grams cooked chicken, shredded or cubed, 100 grams frozen peas, 100 grams frozen corn, .5 gram dried thyme, salt and pepper to taste
Cornbread Topping
- In a large bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt and whisk until incorporated. Set aside.95 grams all-purpose flour, 120 grams cornmeal, 4 grams baking powder, 3 grams salt, 100 grams sugar
- In a medium bowl, add the melted butter, eggs, milk and sourdough discard and whisk until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.84 grams unsalted butter, melted, 80 grams large eggs, 165 grams milk, room temperature, 120 grams sourdough discard
- Fold in the shredded cheese, then drop large spoonfuls of the cornbread batter evenly on top of the chicken pot pie filling. It’s okay if there are a few gaps on the edges of the pan. Place slices of jalapenos on top of the cornbread batter, if desired.113 grams cheddar cheese, freshly shredded, 1-2 jalapeño, sliced
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the cornbread is perfectly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out. Allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes before brushing with honey butter.
- In a small bowl, add the melted butter and honey. Using a pasty brush, brush the top of the cornbread with the honey butter. Serve warm and enjoy!28 grams salted butter, 5 grams honey
Notes
Ingredients & Substitutions
Chicken Pot Pie Filling:
- Chicken — Save even more time by using homemade chicken cooked ahead of time. You can also use the same amount of rotisserie chicken.
- Butter—Melt it in the skillet to sauté the celery, carrots, and onions.
- Vegetables—I used these for the vegetable filling: carrots, celery, onions, garlic, peas, and corn. Feel free to leave any out or swap in diced potatoes, mushrooms, green beans or any of your favorites!
- Gravy—Chicken stock, half and half, and sourdough discard make a perfectly thick and flavorful gravy. You can swap the chicken stock for bone broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth or stock. You can also use the same amount by weight of an active sourdough starter instead of discard.
- Seasoning—Thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper bring the comfort food flavor. Dried rosemary or Italian seasoning is great if you want to jazz it up.
Sourdough Cornbread:
- All-Purpose Flour — This keeps the cornbread soft and tender. You’ll also use a little of it to help thicken the chicken filling.
- Unsalted Butter — I usually use unsalted butter so I can control the salt. If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt to 1 gram, or about ¼ teaspoon.
- White Sugar — This is a sweeter cornbread, which I love with the savory chicken filling. If you prefer a more savory cornbread, you can easily cut the sugar in half.
- Cornmeal — I prefer yellow cornmeal because it gives the topping that beautiful golden color, but white cornmeal works just fine too.
- Baking Powder — This gives the cornbread its lift. Make sure yours is fresh, and if you’re long-fermenting the batter overnight, I recommend using double-acting baking powder.
- Salt — Just enough to balance out the sweetness and bring out all the other flavors.
- Eggs — These help give the cornbread structure while keeping it rich and tender.
- Milk — I use whole milk, but your favorite non-dairy milk should work well too.
- Sourdough Discard — I like to use fresh, room-temperature discard that’s no more than a couple of days old for a mild sourdough flavor. Older discard works too, but the cornbread may taste a little tangier. Active starter can also be used in the same amount by weight.
- Shredded Cheese — The cheese gets folded right into the batter for a little extra savory flavor in every bite. Cheddar is my favorite here, but another good melting cheese would work too. Also freshly shredded is best!
Nutrition
Calories: 636kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 631mg | Potassium: 745mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 5275IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 227mg | Iron: 2mg
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