Tamale Pie With Cornbread On The Bottom

Tamale Pie

Ingredients

CORNBREAD

½ cup cornmeal
⅔ cup flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons oil
⅓ cup milk
1 egg
1 small can diced green chiles (4.5 ounce can)
1 can of corn or creamed corn

MEAT

1 lb ground beef
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

TAMALE PIE

1 ¼ cup enchilada sauce
2 cups of shredded cheese

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

Salsa
Guacomole
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese
Cilantro
Lime wedges

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add oil until soft crumbles form. Whisk in milk and egg.
Gently fold in chiles and corn.
Pour into greased baking pan (9x9, 9x13, large cast iron skillet).
Bake until set (a toothpick should come out clean), about 20-25 minutes.
While cornbread is baking, combine beef with spices and sauté in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Once cornbread is done baking, reduce oven to 350 degree F. Poke holes in cornbread with a fork and pour enchilada sauce over it.
Top with ground beef and shredded cheese, and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and back until cheese begins to brown, about 5-10 minutes.
Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving with desired toppings.

This is angel speaking.

I did not use the enchilada sauce, I used a can of chili that I mixed in with the beef. I also added the corn to this mixture and so no cumin was used. I added a layer of re-fried beans on top of the cornbread, to add a bit of protein. I used Mexican 4 cheese on top, figuring it went with the Mexican theme. I did not add chiles to my corn bread, but I did add some Hatch Chili salsa to the meat mixture. In other words, do what you like, it is the assembly that makes this dish different, having the cornbread on the bottom, instead of the top. No matter what, enjoy.