I had a lot of beef that needed using up and a cookbook from my Gemaw, The Big Book of Casseroles: 250 Recipes for Serious Comfort Food. It’s got a nice range of items, with vegetarian and vegetable-only dishes as well. I look forward to skimming it the next time I have a work potluck obligation.
My copy is better than yours though, since it’s filled with Gemaw’s notes on scaling up recipes. Just sayin’. My changes from the original were driven by what I had on hand in addition to personal preference.
Beef Tamale Pie
Adapted from The Big Book of Casseroles: 250 Recipes for Serious Comfort Food
Serves 8 to 10Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 cups water
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo, minced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 can cream style corn
Make the cornmeal topping
- Mix the cornmeal, water, and salt in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat.
- Stir until thickened, about five minutes.
And then the rest
- Cook the beef, onion, garlic, and chipotle until the onion is tender and the beef is no longer pink. Be sure to break up the beef as you go.
- Stir in the seasonings and canned goods, and simmer for about five minutes
- Taste and adjust the seasonings
- Grease a 9×13 inch pan; spread the beefy stuff on the bottom; and spread the cornmeal mush over the top
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
- Let stand ten minutes before serving
The original called for cheese on top–2 cups. I neither used cheese nor missed it. The beef makes it plenty rich. The original also called for regular corn, but I accidentally opened cream-style, and I ended up really liked the consistency.
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