Mexican Tamale Pie – Recipe!

Tamale Pie has been around since the early 1900’s originating in Texas.  Many recipes are a mixture of beef, beans, chilies with a cornbread topping.  Cornbread is not authentic to Mexican culture and in fact they use Masa Harina – corn that is dried and treated with a mixture of lime and water, then pulverized into a fine powder to make tortillas and tamales, so I decided to go that route for a more authentic taste.

Ground beef, black beans, green chilies, and tomato puree, mostly pantry items, are the filling in this casserole and the combination is warm and comforting.  It reminds me of one of my favorite foods, homemade tamales, but it’s much easier to prepare because there is not much assembly required.  A good salad goes nicely with this dish and I prefer to serve my pie with a crispy caesar salad on the side.  Another bonus with this meal is that the leftovers heat up nicely for another dinner or for lunch the next day.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup frozen corn

4 ounce green chilies

15 ounces black beans, drained

1 cup tomato puree

2 cups Masa Harina, found online or at most grocery stores

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup vegetable oil + more for dish

1/2 shredded cheddar cheese

(Serves 6)

To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add ground beef and cook until lightly pink.  Add onion and garlic and stir.  Continue to cook the mixture for 4 minutes.

2.  Add salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, oregano and cayenne, stir.  Cook for 2 minutes to incorporate flavors.  Add corn and chilies and stir to combine, continue cooking for 3 minutes.  Add tomato puree and black beans, stir to combine and turn heat to low.  Simmer mixture uncovered for 10 minutes.  Pour into a greased casserole dish.

3.  In a stand mixer or large bowl – add masa harina, baking powder and salt.  Mix on low for 1 minute to remove any lumps.  While mixer is running, add chicken broth and oil.  Mix for 1 minute and remove bowl from base.  Stir by hand to incorporate all ingredients.

4.  Dollop dough over filling – it will look like a soft crumble.  Bake in oven for 25 minutes, then sprinkle cheese over top and bake again for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve on plates.  Enjoy!