Tamale Pie - Darby

I tried this one out last night and it was a hit. Jonathan was a tad worried because he doesn't like Tamale's but it wasn't like a Tamale at all. I didn't want to use a pound and a half of meat so I used about 1/2 to 3/4 a pound that was frozen in the freezer. I also didn't have a green bell pepper or raisins on hand (Hyrum ate them all before I got a chance to use them last week!) but it was still fabulous. I served it up with a side of corn on the cob, mashed potatoes with the peels on and some lemon squares for desert!

Tamale Pie

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chile powder (more or less to taste)
2 teaspoons cumin (more or less to taste)
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 (4-ounce) can green Anaheim chiles, drained, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (4 ounce) can sliced ripe olives
1/3 cup raisins
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/3 cup water

1-pound of prepared cornbread mix (such as Jiffy or Bob's Red Mill).
Whatever is needed according to cornbread mix instructions to make the cornbread batter (water, egg, oil, milk)

Method

1 Preheat oven to 375°F.

2 Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper. Add salt, chile powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring infrequently, until the ground beef has browned on all sides. Remove from heat. Drain excess fat if necessary (if you are using lean beef, there shouldn't be excess).

3 Mix in fire-roasted tomatoes, Anaheim chiles, corn, olives, raisins, cheese, and water. Adjust seasoning. Add more chile powder and cumin if desired. Rub a little olive oil over the insides of a 9x12-inch casserole dish (or use a nonstick cooking spray). Spoon filling into the casserole dish.

4 In a large bowl, prepare the cornbread batter according to the directions on the package. Pour the cornbread batter over the top of the filling in the casserole.

5 Bake for 40 minutes, until the top is browned.

Serves 6-8.