Do you need proof that this dish is delicious? Consider my experience. I’ve had it as a lunch and dinner for three days in a row, and I’m still craving to have a bite to eat for the breakfast I had this morning. Seriously.
There are many two ways to prepare tamale pie, some of which are more like real tamales than others. This one isn’t so authentically a Tamales, but it’s delicious, however. I decided to make cornbread as a crust instead of polenta because A) I’m a huge fan of cornbread, and A) I needed something that could absorb the deliciousness at the bottom. It certainly did the trick.
I had originally planned to make this as a beef tamale pie. However, I pushed myself to make the mix vegetarian since I felt I needed more vegetables and beans in my daily life. If you do decide to make it with beef (or pork or chicken), swap it for beans, sweet potatoes, as well as peppers… Or mix the ingredients all together! It’s extremely adaptable.
P.S. I know that the list of ingredients may seem long, but the recipe is actually very easy to prepare. Promise!
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil($0.32)
One onion yellow ($0.48)
Two cloves of garlic ( $0.16)
One sweet potato ($0.69)
1 15oz. black beans ($0.56)
1/2 bunch of green onions ($0.25)
1 poblano pepper ($0.84)
One jalapeno ($0.12)
1 10z. Red condiment for an enchilada ($1.53)
1/2 Tbsp chili powder ($0.07)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin ($0.03)
1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
CORNBREAD TOPPING
1 cup cornmeal yellow ($0.24)
1 cup all-purpose flour ($0.15)
3/4 Cup sugar($0.04)
4 tsp baking soda ($0.12)
1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
1 cup of milk ($0.62)
One large egg ($0.25)
One cup cook oil ($0.21)
1 cup shredded cheddar, optional ($1.00)
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (optional) ($0.43)
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the onion into pieces and chop the garlic. Cook in a large pan using olive oil at a moderate temperature. While garlic and onion are cooking, slice and peel your sweet potato. Add the sweet potato diced to the skillet, and continue cooking.
Please take out the seeds of the jalapeno and poblano peppers, slice both, and add them to the pan. Also, add the beans from black (drained and cleaned) along with enchilada sauce and chopped green onions. Stir well and heat to a simmer. Check the taste of the mix, adding the cumin powder, chili powder, and salt. You can adjust the spice mixture to your preference.
The oven should be heated to 425oF. To prepare your cornbread-based topping, mix all the ingredients for dry in one large bowl (flour cornmeal, cornmeal, sugar, as well as salt and baking powder). Mix until it is evenly distributed. Then, include the wet ingredients (milk, egg oil, shredded cheese, and chopped leaves of cilantro). Add these ingredients to dry ingredients until it is all wet and appears like it’s even. A little bit of beating before adding it to the mix makes the process much easier.
To create the tamale pie, put the vegetable mixture into a large pie dish in an iron skillet or a casserole dish 8×8 inches. Then add the cornbread mix over it and smooth it out equally. Make the tart in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for approximately 30 minutes until the cornbread’s surface is golden brown.
