Tamale Pie

This hearty Tex-Mex ground beef pie has an easy cornmeal crust and a tasty chili-flavored meat filling studded with corn and black olives, topped with cheddar cheese.

Recipe Ingredients:

Crust:
2 1/2 cups cold water
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 1/4 cups white or yellow cornmeal

Meat Filling:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice, undrained
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce (1 cup)
1 cup frozen or canned corn niblets, drained
1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Cooking Directions:

1. For Crust: Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and very stiff, about 3 to 4 minutes. Press mixture onto the bottom of a greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside.
2. For Meat Filling: Cook the ground beef in a large saucepan with the onion and garlic; drain excess fat.
3. Add the chili powder, salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, heat to boiling; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add corn and olives, cook for another 5 minutes; remove from heat.
6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) while sauce is simmering.
7. Pour the chili meat sauce over the cornmeal crust; sprinkle evenly with cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
8. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Make 6 to 8 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/6 of recipe): 530.7 calories; 51% calories from fat; 30.2g total fat; 96.3mg cholesterol; 1311.6mg sodium; 659.6mg potassium; 37.9g carbohydrates; 5.1g fiber; 5.5g sugar; 32.8g net carbs; 27.6g protein.

Recipe and photograph by Hope Cantil; Copyright © 1999; property of CooksRecipes.com. See Terms of Use.