Tamale in a Dish, No Need for a Corn Husk.

Now I know this is nowhere near the traditional tamale; and while I would like to call it Mexican shepherd's pie, it's truly not a shepherd's pie either.  Instead I'm going the route of most magazines geared to the home cook and calling it "Tamale Pie", since there is no better name.  However, I make mine a bit different, I do not put the cornbread mix on top to bake up as a thick topping; I put mine right in the mix of it all.  Lets be honest, when it comes to a bread topping of some sort, there never seems to be enough to go around.  Having it mixed in means there is going to be a cornbread taste in every bite and it acts as a binder for the other ingredients; extra cornbread on the side is a bonus though, so won't say no to that at all.

Tamale Pie

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) creamed corn
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles (medium heat)
1 package (7 oz) cornbread mix
1 package (12 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided in half

Preparation:






In a large skillet, medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and diced onion together until there is no pink in the meat; drain excess oil.







In a large mixing bowl, add the black beans, creamed corn and tomatoes with chiles.








When beef and onions are ready, add the cornbread mix and half the cheese to the bowl; mix to break up any clumps in the cornbread mix. 







Add the beef and onions and mix until all is incorporated well.







Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 3 quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the mixture into the dish; bake for 25 minutes.






Spread other half of cheese over the casserole; return to oven for another 15 minutes.





Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour