Chickpea Pot Pie with Cornbread Crust

I really love this meal, and John even prefers it to a lot of things I make. This is meat-free, making it pretty darn cheap, and it comes together quickly with things we have in the pantry. It is a great standby. I usually make the recipe early in the week and then use the second portion for dinner later in the week when I get home late. Serve with broccoli or something else green!


Chickpea Pot Pie with Cornbread Crust
as seen on Prevention RD

(I am showing the portions as I have adapted them to make 4 servings. 7 WW points plus each.)

Filling:
1 cup sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (I usually use 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes and call it a day)
1/4 cup carrots, diced
1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/8 cup whole wheat flour
7 oz low-sodium vegetable broth
7 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (half of a can- sometimes I roast the other half of the can to snack on)
1/4 cup frozen baby peas
1/8 tsp kosher salt
cracked pepper, to taste
dash of Tabasco sauce

Crust:
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup fat free milk
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large egg yolk, slightly beaten

Boil the potatoes and carrots until tender but not soft and set aside, about 7-8 minutes.
Spray 4 ramekins with cooking spray. (You can also use a casserole dish- 1.5 qts or larger.)

For the filling, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the 1/8 cup flour and mix. Slowly pour in the vegetable stock whisking well with a wire whisk. Still using the whisk, cook the mixture over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the chickpeas, peas, cooked potatoes and carrots, salt, pepper to taste, and Tabasco. Cook on medium heat until the mixture is heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Distribute the filling into the prepared casserole dish, spreading evenly or divide evenly among ramekins.

Preheat oven to 400 F.
 
For the crust, in a bowl combine the cornmeal, 1/3 cup flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a small bowl, combine the milk, oil, and egg yolk. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until uniform but a bit lumpy. Spoon the batter evenly over the filling.

Bake until the top is golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes for the casserole and 10 to 12 minutes for the ramekins. Yield: 4 servings (about 1 1/3 cup each).