Perfect-Easy Tamale Pie,
A friend of mine moved to the US from Mexico about 15 years ago. Every time I see her, she has just made some sort of amazing dish that reminds her of home, and she always brings me a taste. when talking with her one day, she told me she loved tamales, but almost never got to eat them. This surprised me, with all the traditional Mexican cooking coming out of her kitchen. Want to know why? Tamale making is a ridiculously daunting process. She explained no one (at least in Mexico) makes a few tamales. It’s just not worth the time and effort. If you are going to make tamales, you get several family members together and make dozens, even hundreds, of tamales to be frozen and eaten throughout the coming months. She said her mother sends her tamales in the mail whenever her extended family has made a large batch, but that is only once or twice a year. Seriously?! I’ve made tamales before, but thinking back, she’s right. It was such an ordeal, I haven’t made them in a while. But you know what I have made again and again? This Perfect Tamale Pie Recipe. What I lovingly call my tamale pot pie recipe is not authentic in the least. However, it is: Quick to prepare Easy to assemble Gluten-free And offers the essence of good tamales. You’ve got spiced meaty filling. You’ve got a masa (corn flour) coating, that bakes into a pillow tamale-like top. You’ve got less supplies involved, less cleanup, and much less cook time. That means, you’ve got one heck of a family dinner without going to all the trouble of making real tamales. To me, that is more than enough reason to skip the traditional method of tamale making, and make a tamale pie that mimics that flavor of tamales, in a pot-pie form. Sneaky, right? Plus, this Perfect Tamale Pie Recipe can make two pies, so you can enjoy one for dinner tonight and save one as a freezer meal, just like with real tamales. *wink* My friend shook her head at me when I told her about my perfect tamale pie recipe. Yet once she tasted it, she changed her tune. After all, time-consuming doesn’t always mean better. What You Need to Make Gluten-Free Tamale Pie This easy tamale recipe packs lots of flavor, but is wonderfully simple and quick to make with many ingredients you probably keep in your regular rotation. For the Filling: •2 pounds ground beef •1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped •1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped •3 garlic cloves, minced •1 cup frozen corn •15 ounces crushed tomatoes (1 can) •4 ounces chopped green chiles (1 can) •1 tablespoon cornstarch •2 teaspoons chile powder *Sugar's Note: this is very spicy! so I would use 1/2 teaspoon, unless you love hot and spicy!* •1 teaspoon ground cumin •1 teaspoon salt •1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese For the Tamale Top: •2 1/4 cups corn flour (masa) •2 teaspoons baking powder •1 teaspoon salt •2 cups chicken broth •1/2 cup melted butter •1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese Instructions 1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray two 9-inch pie pans, one 9 X 13 inch baking dish, or a 12-14 inch cast iron skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. 2.Place a large saute pan (or cast iron skillet) over medium heat. Add the ground beef and break into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Brown the meat, then push it to the sides of the pan and add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until the onions have softened. Then mix in the frozen corn, crushed tomatoes, green chiles, cornstarch, chile powder, cumin, salt and cheese. Stir well and turn off the heat. 3.Meanwhile, mix the corn flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add in the chicken broth and butter. Whisk until smooth. Then stir in the cheese. 4.Pour the meat filling into the prepared pans. (If you cooked the filling in a cast-iron skillet, you can leave it in the pan.) Pour (or scoop) the corn batter evenly over the top and spread to the edges of the pans. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the corn batter comes out clean. Serve warm! Notes Masa Corn Flour Notes: Masa mixtures have a way of seizing up, making them unspreadable, if they sit too long. If needed, add 1/4 - 1/2 cups additional chicken broth to loosen it before spreading over the top. If making in one large cast iron skillet, the cooking time will be closer to 45 minutes. If freezing for a later date, complete the recipe above as directed, but do not bake. Freeze uncovered for one hour to harden the top. Then wrap well and place back in the freezer. When ready to enjoy, heat the oven to 400 degrees F. and bake for 60- 70 minutes. If the top starts to darken, lay a piece of foil loosely over the top. Serving: 8ounces, Calories: 469kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 824mg, Potassium: 531mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 910IU, Vitamin C: 21.2mg, Calcium: 204mg, Iron: 2.7mg Serve hot with any of your favorite sides and toppings, like green onions and sour cream. Can Tamale Pies Be Frozen? Yes, this recipe is excellent for meal prepping! But NOTE: If you are making these tamale pot pies in advance to freeze, DO NOT bake beforehand. Pour the corn batter on top of the pies and place in the freezer uncovered for one hour to allow the topping to harden. Then, wrap well with plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil, and place back in the freezer for up to 3 months. Could I Make This Recipe With Chicken or Turkey? Absolutely you can make the perfect tamale pies with ground turkey or chicken. Use precooked rotisserie chicken to cut back on cooking time for the first part of making your tamale filling Or, thoroughly sauté cut up bite-sized boneless and skinless chicken breast pieces before adding the other ingredients. How Can I Make Vegan / Vegetarian Tamale Pot Pies? This tamale-inspired recipe can easily be made vegetarian-friendly by swapping out your favorite legumes, such as cooked lentils or canned garbanzo beans, in place of the ground beef, and subbing vegetable broth. To make this recipe vegan as well, use your preferred shredded cheese substitute and swap cooking oil in place of the melted butter to make the gluten free tamale pie topping. Instructions 1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray two 9-inch pie pans, one 9 X 13 inch baking dish, or a 12-14 inch cast iron skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” - - Winnie the Pooh 🙏, 😘 I appreciate your friendship/support at: https://www.gofundme.com/sugars-transplant-journey -Sugar _______________________________________________ Cookinginthedark mailing list [email protected] http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark
