CHICKEN AND CORNBREAD CASSEROLE W/IP CHICKEN

This recipe calls for chicken, but after eating it and thinking about Thanksgiving and how the CDC's recommendation to not travel and have a smaller Thanksgiving this year means people who do cook a turkey on Thanksgiving will probably have leftover turkey could substitute leftover turkey for the chicken. (Wow! That just might be the longest sentence I have ever written! I do have a tendency to do that.) 

It is a good idea though that you might want to think about. Either way what a nice change this casserole is for chicken. It is especially good if you make a pan of my best cornbread in the world recipe. 

The original recipe was for a potluck and was made in a 9 x 13 - inch baking dish. I cut it in half since it called for 2 eggs and cooked it in an 8 - inch square baking dish. I cooked the chicken breast in my IP that I got a few weeks ago which was fun. So if you need to feed an army, just double the ingredients and cook for 45 minutes in a 9 x 13 - inch pan.

CHICKEN AND CORNBREAD CASSEROLE

3       cups crumbed cornbread

1/4    cup butter, melted

2       tablespoons minced onion

1-1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (I added a tablespoon of dried parsley)

1/2    teaspoon celery seeds

1/4    teaspoon salt

1/4    teaspoon poultry seasoning

dash of pepper

2 - 2-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken, enough to cover the cornbread mixture (I used 2 boneless chicken breasts)

2       tablespoons butter

2       tablespoons flour

3/4    teaspoon salt

1       cup chicken broth

2       cups milk

1       egg, beaten

Make a pan of cornbread. It took about half of the pan of my cornbread to make 3 cups crumbled.

Combine the cornbread crumbles, 1/4 cup melted butter, onion, parsley, celery seeds, salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper in a large bowl; toss gently with a fork.

Spoon cornbread mixture into a greased or sprayed 8 - inch square baking dish.

Arrange chopped chicken evenly over the cornbread mixture, and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy medium sized saucepan over low heat;

add flour and salt,

stirring until smooth.

Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Gradually add chicken broth;

cook over medium heat, continuing to stir constantly, until mixture is thoroughly heated.

Combine milk and beaten egg, stirring well.

Gradually add mixture to chicken broth mixture; (at this point I realized my saucepan was too small and switched to a medium-sized pan)

cook over low heat, stirring constantly,

until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

Spoon sauce over chicken.

Sprinkle top with additional pepper if you like.

Bake, uncovered in preheat 375 degrees F oven for 30 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated.

Serve warm.

Here is how I cooked the chicken breast in the IP.

I was cooking two boneless chicken breasts with a total weight of a tad over 1 lb. My IP requires a minimum of 1-1/2 cups of liquid (most just say 1 cup) so I made 1-12 cups of chicken broth using a chicken bouillon cube in 1-1/2 cups boiling water. Pour broth in inner pot and add chicken breasts.

Place inner pot in IP,

close the lid and

press Pressure Cook for 8 minutes. (I didn't take a picture, but the timer will change to ON when it starts to pressurize.)

Remember it will take 5 to 10 minutes for the pressure to build before it will start cooking the chicken. Once the IP has pressurized, the timer will show again and start counting down.

When chicken is done or when the time is finished you set,

allow IP to come to a Natural Release. (In other words do nothing but check to see if the float value has lowered into the lid. It took maybe 15 minutes to NR. I got busy and hadn't looked for a bit and

noticed it had been 17 minutes. I wish there was some kind of signal.) Once IP has depressurized,

remove lid (remember to press down on lid as you turn to open), have a towel to catch the water, and remove chicken to cut up.

I saved the broth for when my husband cooks some noodles he bought. You could use it for other recipes also.

I have been sharing my experience with my new Instant Pot with recipes and tips along the way. If you missed my first one and would like to check it out, click Things You Probably Won't Find in the IP Manual . HERE also is a 5 - Star recipe for Baked Penne Pasta I cooked in the IP you definitely don't want to miss and I have learned to cook Brown Rice.