Veggie Cobbler

FOR THE FILLING:

1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into a 3/4-inch dice

1-1/2 cups of peeled and thinly sliced carrots

1-1/2 cups frozen peas

1-1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup broccoli florets

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

1/2 cup diced butternut squash

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons flour

2-1/2 vegetable bouillon cubes dissolved in 1-1/4 cups hot water

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon thyme

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

 

FOR THE TOPPING:

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400º. Place the potato, carrots, peas, broccoli, corn, and squash in a medium-size pot and fill it with enough water to cover the vegetables plus one inch. Lightly salt the water, bring it to a boil, then allow the vegetables to continue boiling for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse the vegetables with cold water and set them aside.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion and mushrooms and sauté them, stirring often, until they're soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook the mixture, stirring nonstop, another 30 seconds. Add the vegetable broth, milk, salt, pepper, thyme, and celery seed and continue to stir until the sauce thickens, about 4 minutes.

 

Add the vegetables to the sauce and stir well. Add more salt and pepper, if desired, then stir in the Parmesan and bring the filling to a simmer. Thin it with water if its consistency is thicker than potato soup. Transfer the filling to a casserole dish.

 

Make the corn bread topping. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk, egg, and oil and stir until evenly blended. Spread the batter over the filling. Bake the cobbler until the top is golden brown and the sides are bubbly, about 25 minutes. Allow it to cool slightly before serving.

 

Serves 8.