Tamale Pie

There seem to be two kinds, one in which there’s a layer of cornbread or cornmeal mush over a filling, the other in which everything is mixed together. This is the second kind:

Tamale Pie

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Container: 10 inch skillet, 8 x 8 baking dish
Servings: 6

– 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
– 1 onion
– 1 pepper
– 1/4 cup chopped jalapeño pepper (optional)
– 1 pound ground meat (beef, lamb or turkey)
– 2 cups tomato pieces, canned or fresh, with juice
– 2 cups corn kernels, fresh, canned or frozen
– 1/2 cup broth, water or wine
– 1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
– 1 cup corn meal
– 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, jack, or any kind that melts well)
– salt
* Chop onion, garlic and pepper(s). Heat oil and cook onion, garlic and pepper until softened– about 5 minutes. Mix meat with 3/4 teaspoon salt, crumble and add to pan. Cook and stir until meat is done.
* Add tomatoes, corn, broth and chile powder. Simmer together while preparing the corn meal.
* Preheat oven to 350° F.
* Bring 2 cups water to a boil; slowly add corn meal, stirring vigorously to prevent lumping. (Mixture will be quite thick.) Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste.
* Stir corn meal mixture into other ingredients. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake about 30 minutes.
* TIP: if you use an oven-proof skillet to prepare ingredients, bake the pie in it and save cleaning up an extra dish.