Tasty Tuesday

Tamale Pie Recipe

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chile powder (more or less to taste)
2 teaspoons cumin (more or less to taste)
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (4-ounce) can green chiles, drained
1 (16 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (4 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/3 cup water
1-pound of prepared cornbread mix (such as Jiffy or Bob's Red Mill).Whatever is needed according to cornbread mix instructions to make the cornbread batter (water, egg, oil, milk)


Method
1 Preheat oven to 375°F.
2 Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the ground beef has browned on all sides. Remove from heat. Drain excess fat if necessary (if you are using lean beef, there shouldn't be excess). Add salt, chile powder, and cumin.
3 Mix in tomatoes, chiles, corn, olives, and water. Adjust seasoning. Add more chile powder and cumin if desired. Rub a little olive oil over the insides of a 9x12-inch casserole dish (or use a nonstick cooking spray). Spoon filling into the casserole dish.
4 In a large bowl, prepare the cornbread batter according to the directions on the package. Pour the cornbread batter over the top of the filling in the casserole.
5 Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over cornbread and place back in oven until melted (10 minutes).
Serves 6-8.

*The changes I made:
increased the salt to 1 teaspoon
increased the cumin and chili powder to about 2 tablespoons (I think it would have been bland otherwise)
added a teaspoon of cayenne pepper (we like heat!)
added a can of black beans, drained and rinsed
served with a tablespoon of sour cream
ALSO, I only bought one box of cornbread mix (8 oz), you'll need two to follow the recipe (didn't seem to matter).

It was very good and the kids even enjoyed it! And the girls happened to be wearing their dresses from Spain today that Nana Marie bought. Seemed to fit in with the theme of the meal!