A few days ago, I turned 40! My oldest daughter got me my first cast iron skillet. So naturally, I quickly began thinking how I was going to break this pan in! I looked at several recipes but for some reason, I had the urge to create something new. Years ago, there was a casserole that I had found in a southern living magazine. I could vaguely remember what it consisted of and I haven’t been able to find the recipe since. It had a cornbread crust topping and a thick, soupy filling. The concept was good but it was never my kids’ favorite. I wanted to create something with that same delicious cornbread crust, so I came up with this recipe. It is very southern with okra and a creole seasoning, a perfect fall or winter comfort food. My daughter had given me a 12-inch Cast Iron skillet as well as a 3 skillet set of smaller ones. The 12-inch was a little too small so I ended up using both the 12-inch and a 8-inch skillet. If you have a 14 or 15 inch cast iron that will probably suffice. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can also cook the filling using any pot or pan and then pour into a casserole dish, baking the cornbread crust on top. Enjoy!
Southern Skillet Pie
Ingredients:
Filling:
Smoked sausage 1.5 lb
1 Red Bell pepper, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 jalepeno, deseeded and chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
3.5-4 cups chicken broth
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 Tablespoons Flour
Olive oil/butter
Cornbread Topping
2 cups cornmeal
2 cups flour
8 Tablespoons sugar
8 Teaspoons baking powder
1 Teaspoons salt
2 eggs
2 cups milk
½ cup vegetable oil
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Prepare cornbread batter…mix all ingredients with a whisk and set aside.
- In a cast iron skillet, saute bell pepper, onion and jalepeno in a little butter or oil for about 2 minutes. Then add sausage and continue sauteing for another 2 minutes.
- Add the 4 Tablespoons of butter and melt. Then add the 4 Tablespoons of flour, stir and cook on low-medium heat for 1 minute. Then add the chicken broth slowly. This is where we are making the roux. Our goal is a slightly thickened broth. You don’t want it super thick like a cream sauce. See photos.
- Next add the diced tomatoes and frozen okra. Season with creole seasoning and pepper to taste. Let simmer for a few minutes.
- Turn the heat off and let it sit for just a few minutes until it’s no longer simmering and has settled slightly.
- Spoon or use a measuring cup to spread the cornbread batter as evenly as possible over the top.
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cornbread batter is good and brown on the top.
- Remove from the oven. Allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes and serve.
