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Tex-Mex Chicken Cornbread Pie

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PREP TIME
40 min
COOKING TIME
195 min
TOTAL TIME
240 min
SERVINGS
10 servings
Dinner
Tex-Mex Chicken Cornbread Pie
Ingredients
  • 6 pounds bone-in chicken breasts
  • water to cover
  • 1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 4 tomatillos - stemmed, husked, and halved
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 4 New Mexico dried red chile pods, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup lard
  • 1 cup masa harina
  • 1 (12 ounce) bag shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven to its highest temperature setting of 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2
Place chicken breasts in baking dishes and cover them with aluminum foil to prevent drying out during the cooking process.
3
Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for a prolonged period of time, approximately 1 and a quarter to 1 and a half hours, or until it reaches the desired level of tenderness and is cooked through. To ensure this, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast near the bone and verify that it reaches a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
4
Once cooked, allow the chicken to cool down until it can be handled easily. Remove the skin and discard it.
5
Next, take the bones from the chicken breasts and combine them with the juices that were released during cooking in a large pot. Add enough water to cover the bones and bring the mixture to a boil.
6
Simmer the broth for 1 hour, allowing it to extract all the flavors and nutrients from the bones.
7
Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the bones, and discard them.
8
Now, it's time to prepare the sauce. Place tomatoes, onions, tomatillos, garlic, and red chile peppers in a blender or food processor and puree them until the chile peppers are broken down into small pieces.
9
Pour the sauce into a pot and mix it with 1 cup of chicken broth, salt, cumin, and oregano. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked chicken to combine.
10
In a separate bowl, microwave 1 cup of chicken broth and lard together until the lard is just melted, approximately 2 minutes. Mix the masa harina into this mixture with your hands to create a smooth paste.
11
Press the paste evenly into the bottom of a 10x13-inch baking dish. Spread the cooked chicken mixture on top, making sure to cover it evenly.
12
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for another 40 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through.
13
Sprinkle a blend of shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese on top of the chicken. Continue baking until the cheese is melted and starting to bubble, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
14
Finally, let the dish stand for about 5 minutes before serving.