Cold Weather Cooking

Cooler weather makes me want to turn on the oven. Pot pie is a great one-dish meal, a casserole with the bread right there on top. Meg Miller's favorite pot pie is made with ham and greens. If there's greens in there, the bread has to be cornbread.

Here's Meg's recipe:

4 c. chopped ham

1 (16 oz.) frozen collard greens

1 medium onion

1 (16 oz.) can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained

2 T. vegetable oil

½ t. dried crushed red pepper

3 T. all purpose flour

3 c. chicken broth Cornbread topping *

Sauté ham and chopped onion in hot oil over medium heat until lightly browned. Add flour and cook stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add chicken broth and cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until broth thickens.

Bring mixture to a boil and add collard greens; return to a boil and cook stirring often, 15 minutes. Stir in black-eyed peas and crushed red pepper; spoon hot mixture into a lightly greased 13 X 9 inch baking dish. Pour cornbread crust batter evenly over hot filling mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until cornbread is golden brown.

* Cornbread topping – 1 ½ c. white cornmeal mix, ½ c. all purpose flour, 1 t. sugar, 2 large eggs, beaten,

1 ½ c. buttermilk. Combine all ingredients and stir until moistened.