Ma'ariv and bedika at the same time and other sefeikos

I got home tonight from work at about 7:20. My cheshbon at the time was if I rush to the early ma'ariv (a few minutes after shkiya) I would then have to skip washing for supper until after bedikas chameitz. The next ma'ariv was 8:15 - enough time to eat, daven then, and immediatly do bedika. We almost did not have a minyan at 8:15, but while waiting for a few more to arrive it dawned on me that I sacrificed "b'rov am hadras melech" for ma'ariv (albeit early) and jumped right into the safeik of which to do first once the zman hits: ma'ariv or bedika. Was that correct? I'm not sure, but at least I got in supper before thinking of it : )