Pinterest Review - Chicken Cowboy Bake

I was looking for something fast for dinner and saw this pin.  I had all the ingredients and thought I'd give it a whirl.  The hubby looked at it a little cautiously, but everyone loved it.  It was rich and filling and I could have eaten the whole thing!  (Don't worry...I didn't)

This pin came from Parenting.com (you can see the original recipe here).  I did make minor changes to the recipe.  I added cumin and increased the chili powder.  I also mixed the shredded cheese into the filling rather than sprinkle the top of the casserole with it.

I used a boxed cornbread mix because I had it on-hand (and I haven't found a recipe from scratch that I like yet....suggestions?), but you can use your own homemade recipe if you prefer.  The stuff from the box didn't look like much and it took some coaxing to stretch it over the top of the entire casserole, but it worked perfectly.  I was afraid that it would be too thin, but it rose and was great.

Sorry that there's no picture of it once we all cut into it, but I was being absent-minded.  I'll add one the next time I make it.

Here's the recipe as I altered it...

Chicken Cowboy Bake

1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb chicken breast, cooked and shredded (or chopped)
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 c frozen corn
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 c Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp salt
1 box/recipe cornbread/muffin mix

Prepare the cornbread/muffin mix and leave in bowl to sit.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).  Coat a 9-inch pie pan or casserole dish with cooking spray.  In a large skillet, sauté onion and garlic in oil for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken and brown, then add the tomatoes, corn, chili powder, salt, cumin, and cayenne to the skillet and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and add the cheese; stir.  Pour into the pie pan/casserole dish and spread evenly with the prepared cornbread/muffin mix.

Bake for 30 minutes or until corn muffin topping is lightly browned and filling is bubbling.

How you can tell the filling is bubbling without poking it open is beyond me, but if your oven is anything like mine, it's going to be bubbling after 30 minutes at 350 degrees!

I don't have a box of the muffin mix I used at home so I can't work out the nutritional information on my handy-dandy app, but the next time I grab a box, I'll run the numbers and update the post. All in all, I'd give this recipe a big Pinterest thumbs up!