Tamale Pie

Ingredients:
For the filling: 

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, do not drain
2 canned chipoltes in adobo sauce, chopped, plus 1 tsp of the adobo sauce from can
2 Tbsp mole paste
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1/2 C sliced black olives
salt and pepper
1/2 C chopped cilantro leaves
1 1/2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

For the Cornbread Topping:

1 C plus 2 Tbsp fine ground cornmeal
1/2 C all purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 C buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 C corn kernels
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

  1. Heat a 10 inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Add the oil and onion and saute until golden, 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook for 30 seconds.
  2. Add the meat and cook until browned on all sides.Skim fat from pan leaving 2 tbsp fat in the pan.
  3. Add the green pepper, black beans, tomatoes, chipotles, adobe sauce, mole, and cumin; bring to a boil, stirring to blend.
  4. Stir in olives, salt, pepper, cilantro and 1 C cheese. Keep filling warm as you prepare topping.
  5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees or adjust wood on fire to approximate temperature.
  6. In large bowl mix all topping ingredients well. Spread over meat mixture using a large spoon. Cover the surface and smooth.
  7. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes over indirect heat of fire or in oven until bread is set. Uncover and top with remaining cheese until melted.

One thought on “Tamale Pie

  1. Well Chef Bruce looks dapper in his Tobin James mitt…OK rustic dapper, but dapper just the same! I can’t wait to make this one, but will have to do some research on how to season the skillet (thanks for the link). I also turned up my nose at my mom’s beauties! I am not sure where they ended up.
    It seems our moms did know what’s best and that we all feel like we are turning into them. Not a bad thing, I say!

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