Ocean Grove

Chicken Chili Pie

Pastel by Vicki Smith

Hello,

When my son sent me the link to the pink beach rental house with a classic barn star, a symbol of good luck, on the second floor, I was instantly on board. The Victorian houses sporting porches with tinkling chimes and gingerbread molding of Ocean Grove, NJ, seemed like a quaint retreat before the summer season was in full swing, and a fun place to watch our grandson dip his toes in the ocean for the first time. In a house, as opposed to a hotel, there is the advantage of communal spaces to congregate, a kitchen if you are in the mood to arrive with a meal or two prepared, and you don’t need to change out of your PJs for breakfast.

Ocean Grove was established in 1869 as an escape from hectic modern life ( every era faces challenges, I think) by a group of Methodist ministers seeking a place for their parishioners to worship and recreate. Since travel was difficult, it was not unusual for tents and campsites to be established around a temporary tabernacle for worship. Congregants would return to these sites year after year. An auditorium with a massive organ, built in just ninety days by shipbuilders, was erected in 1894. Church services are held there today. The area around the auditorium is still ringed by tent structures, 114 in all, many owned by descendants of the founders. Small wooden cottages house the kitchen, bath, and bedrooms. A white canvas tent functions as a living room in front of the cottage with a porch just large enough to hold two deck chairs. Ocean Grove has a lovely boardwalk for a scenic run with nary a commercial enterprise in sight, although you may get a whiff of onion rings wafting over from nearby Asbury Park. It is a dry town, although some restaurants have a BYOB policy. Methodists have a history of teetotalism, as evidenced in my parents’ wedding album, as my maternal grandmother set her champagne glass back on the table while the other guests were raising theirs in a toast. You can drink a beer out on your porch, but it had better be in a cup and not out of the bottle.

Photos by Vicki Smith

It’s hard to stock a kitchen with tools of everyone’s liking, but each day revealed a missing item that we could have used. We didn’t need four manual can openers, but we could have used a box grater. A salt and pepper shaker, napkins, and extra garbage bags would have been appreciated. The cocktail shaker wasn't useful to us. However, we would have liked our wine in a real glass rather than plastic. These were minor issues until we inspected the grill. The grill was dirty, and none of us was in the mood to tackle that project. The broiler in the gas oven was a bit of an oddity. We had an air fryer in our car that we were returning to our son and daughter-in-law, who quickly conspired to use it to cook venison burgers and venison hot dogs. We ate in shifts, but it worked out and didn't dampen my enthusiasm for the pink house.

If you are driving to your vacation destination with a cooler in tow, this Chicken Chili Pie with Cornmeal Pastry is easy to transport and bake on arrival. I frequently make it with leftovers from a roast chicken. If you are not in the mood to make the pastry topping, add shredded cheddar instead to the top during the last 10 minutes or so in the oven and omit the pastry.

Chicken Chili Pie with Cornmeal Pastry

Ingredients for Filling

2 T. olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 medium red pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 t. chili powder

1 t. cumin

1 16 oz. can of tomato sauce

4 c. shredded cooked chicken

1 16 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 c. frozen corn

Directions

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions and red pepper for about five minutes until the onions are translucent and the red pepper has begun to soften. During the last minute, add the garlic, chili pepper, and cumin. Add the tomato sauce, shredded cooked chicken, black beans, and corn to the pan. Stir. Cook for about 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Pour into a 9-inch, deep-dish pie plate.

Cornmeal Pastry

Ingredients

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. cornmeal

1/2 t. salt

5 T. butter

3 T. water

Directions

Combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and butter in a food processor. Pulse until all ingredients are well incorporated. Pour the ingredients into a small mixing bowl and slowly add water while tossing with a large fork or pastry cutter. (You can do this step in the food processor, but I tend to go overboard with the pulsing.) When a ball forms, turn it out onto a floured board. Roll to 1/8” thickness. Transfer the dough to the top of your pie.

You can cover and refrigerate the pie at this point and bake it when you reach your destination. Or you can bake immediately at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes until the chili bubbles.

4 generous servings

Do you have an easy one-dish recipe that you return to?

Thanks for reading. Click the heart and leave a comment if you are so inclined.

Vicki