Tamale Pot Pie
This recipe comes to us from Bri DeRosa and appeared originally on her Red, Round or Green blog. Bri says, “This is a good weeknight meal, but also a great make-ahead item. I often cook the filling on the weekend, then mix up the cornbread crust the night before I intend to serve the pie. I leave both, in separate dishes, in the refrigerator; then all I have to do is spread the topping over the filling and bake. Dinner couldn’t be easier than that!”
Ingredients
Serves 6-8, depending on appetite
Filling:
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, turkey, or bison
- 2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups diced sweet bell pepper
- 2 cups cooked dark kidney beans or black beans
- 1 1/4 cups tomato puree OR, in a pinch, use marinara sauce
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
Topping:
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup white whole wheat or all-purpose flour (you can also substitute masa harina if you need a gluten-free crust)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 cup oil of your choice (coconut oil works well here) or melted butter
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- In a large skillet, prepare the filling by sauteing the meat, onions, garlic, and bell pepper in oil over medium-high heat until the meat is browned and the vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes.
- Add the beans, tomato puree, and seasonings and stir to combine.
- Allow the filling to bubble around the edges and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes to let the flavors combine.
- Transfer the filling to an 8×8 oven-safe dish.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Prepare the topping by whisking together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Combine the honey, oil, eggs, and milk, and add to the dry ingredients. Stir thoroughly just until all of the ingredients are moistened.
- Spread the cornbread batter evenly over the filling in the casserole dish.
- Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the crust comes out free of batter.