Deep Dish Mexican Inspired Chicken Pie

. Please see the comments as to why this "ible" was renamed from (Deep Dish Chicken Fajita Pie". OK OK, I KNOW its not a fajita but the filling could be used for a fajita just as easily, This is a follow up to my https://www.instructables.com/id/Deep-Dish-Taco-Pie/ "ible'. I used a bisquick dough this time but in retrospect I prefer the popcan rolls used in the taco pie

Step 1: Hitting the Pantry and Frig

This whole thing started because I had 2 skinless-boneless chicken breasts that had to be cooked up searching the pantry I grabbed a jar of salsa, a packet of taco seasoning,a couple cans of black beans, an onion and a box of bisquick, then it was out to the garden to thin some of the over producing pepper plants. Im using baby pimento peppers and some banna peppers but you can add heat depending on who your feeding

Step 2: Starting the Chicken

I used a couple of teaspoons of the taco seasoning on the chicken breasts, laid them on a greased cooking pan and into a 350f oven for about a half hour

Step 3: The Sauce

I chopped/diced the peppers and onion and added to a large skillet, then poured in the jar of salsa and a jar full of water (rinses the jar and helps with the cooking process) I added the rest of the taco seasoning packet some salt and pepper and 2 cans of black beans and let it cook at a low simmer for about a half hour

Step 4: The Crust

I mixed 3cups of bisquick with a cup of milk (biscut recipe on side of box) I should have used the whole box or 4.5 cups since I ended up kind of short on crust. Spray or grease your casserole/baking dish and dump the wet dough in, keeping your fingers wet (a nearby bowl of water is great) spread the dough fairly evenly across the bottom and up the sides. By now its time to remove the chicken from the oven so just replace it with the crust and bake at 350f for about 10minutes or until a pale crust forms (you could make it a little browner if you like)

Step 5: Combining Part 1

Let your chicken rest for a couple minutes then using 2 forks, shred it and add to the sauce and beans, let it simmer another 10 minutes or so until the crust is removed from the oven and has a couple minutes to cool, just before adding the chicken mix to the crust stir in a cup or so of shredded cheese, I used chedder because I LIKE chedder

Step 6: Combing Part 2

pour the chicken and sauce mix into the semi-baked crust, top with more shredded cheese and back into the oven at 300f for 20-25 minutes

Step 7: Ready Set WAIT

OK its almost time to eat, by now your kitchen should be smelling delicious but you need to let the "pie" set for 5minutes or so to cool and set up a little. It can be served by itself (its very filling) or add a side of your choice, coleslaw works nicely or a salad

Comments

[dchall8]

I am sure this recipe is delicious; however, just for accuracy this recipe has nothing to do with fajitas. The term fajita has changed in the past 30 years to include more than one cut of beef, but it may never refer to meat baked into a casserole.  Proper fajitas are an experience in grilling and presentation. 

Fajita refers to a Tex-Mex method of grilling a marinated meat on a hot grill with onions and bell peppers. The marinade is usually an oil and vinegar blend with salt and pepper. Fajita does not refer to a baked meat, boiled veggies, or anything with taco seasoning. In fact the lack of taco seasoning is one of the main elements that sets fajitas apart from fast food tacos.

In South Texas fajitas are served with panache.  They usually come to the table on a sizzling hot platter and are always served with flour tortillas.  Some will ask if you want corn tortillas. You have most of the ingredients to make fajitas but the method will not result in the fajita experience. Had you marinated the meat, grilled it with the onions and peppers (and no taco seasoning), and included flour tortillas in this recipe, you would have had the right flavors and could have rightly used the word fajita in the name.

Please come to San Antonio and get the fajita experience!  You might adjust your recipe and have a better casserole. 

[l8nite]

Thank you for your in depth and informative comment, perhaps you failed to notice the disclaimer in the first sentence where I acknowledged that this ISN'T actually a fajita recipe, around here we tend to call anything in a small tortilla and topped with a salad (lettuce,tomato,peppers,onions) a taco, a larger tortilla folded in half is a fajita unless its filled like a taco and a burrito is any filling rolled in a tortilla, is it right? probably not. A number of years ago I was fortunate enough to work and live with a large crew of mexicans, fresh tortillas were made for every meal and used as utensils for everything from bacon and eggs to pulled pork and grilled fish with potatos, sometimes made like a taco (tortilla folded over a filling) but most often used more like nan (sp) bread where a piece of tortilla is ripped off and used to scoop up the food.

All that being said, perhaps your correct and I should change the name to mexichicken deepdish pie or the even more accurate "eastcoast interpretation of mexican chicken and black beans deep dish pie"

Regardless of what I or anyone else decides to call it, it is (IMO) a very tasty dish that turns 2 chicken breasts into a filing meal for a small family at a low cost