This is the second of 3 recipes I’ll be making this fall from the Orville Redenbacher’s Popcorn Cookbook. (#1) It’s basically a chicken (or turkey, but I couldn’t find that at the store) pot pie with popcorn in the crust. The popcorn shrinks some while you’re preparing the crust, so it’s not huge chunks, and adds a bit of butter flavor. Coming from a brand name cookbook, this is a pretty easy recipe, and solidly tasty.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup diced celery (about 2 large stalks)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 bag popped light butter microwave popcorn, unpopped kernels discarded
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 2.8 ounce cans French fried onions
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups cooked cubed chicken or turkey
• 1 10 3/4 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 10 ounce bag frozen peas and carrots, thawed and drained

I was pretty pleased – when I was in Kansas City we saw a guy selling loose spices at the farmers’ market, and I got a bag full of sage for a buck. I wish that guy was in DC!

Put the water, butter, and celery in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, and cook for 7 minutes. If your chicken isn’t already cooked, get that done too.

Stir the popcorn, sage, pepper, and garlic powder together in a large bowl, then pour the celery mixture over it and stir well. The popcorn will shrink with the liquid.

Add one of the cans of onions and the beaten egg and stir well.

Press into the bottom and sides of a greased 8″ souffle dish and set aside briefly. I couldn’t find a souffle dish with high enough sides in the cabinet, so I went with a springform. It did fine.

Combine the cooked turkey, soup, peas and carrots in a medium bowl.

Spoon half of the chicken mixture into the crust.

Sprinkle half of the second can of onions over the chicken, top with the remaining chicken mixture, then sprinkle on the remaining onions, leaving a small open border between the onions and the crust.

Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees, until heated through.

I am a master of food photography.

Easy enough!

Down Home Inside-Out Chicken Pie

From Orville Redenbacher’s Popcorn Cookbook.

• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 bag popped light butter microwave popcorn, unpopped kernels discarded
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 2.8 ounce cans French fried onions
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups cooked cubed chicken or turkey
• 1 10 3/4 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 10 ounce bag frozen peas and carrots, thawed and drained

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8″ souffle dish.

Simmer water, celery, and butter in a small saucepan for 7 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine popped corn, sage, pepper, and garlic powder. Pour the celery brother over the popcorn mixture and stir to combine. Add 1 can of onions and the beaten egg, mix well.

Spoon the stuffing into the souffle dish, pressing evenly on bottom and up sides.

Combine turkey, soup, peas, and carrots in a medium bowl. Spoon half the mixture into the prepared crust and top with half the remaining onions. Repeat with remaining chicken mixture and onions, leaving a 1/2″ border between the onion topping and crust.

Cover and bake 35-40 minutes, until heated through.