Tamale Pie

It may seem as if we've been starving for the last month or so, but I assure you that is not the case!

There have just been too many other important things on my plate to get recipes written down. Important things like Valentine's Day, taking my daughter to gymnastics, volunteering in her classroom, chewing out school administrators, research for my other blog, attending my kids' school concerts, reading for my book club, reading stories people send me (I am truly honored!), walking out stress, and building snowmen.

Still, we've been eating well! This is one of my favorite eat-of-the-pantry one-dish meals. It is especially wonderful on a cold day. The recipe is very adaptable. If I have taco meat in the freezer, I use that. I use different kinds of beans, switch up the turkey for beef, or make it vegetarian. And the seasoning can be altered to taste. You can leave out the green chilies, or use seasoned beans, or taco seasoning, or taco sauce, or salsa or a can of Ro-tel tomatoes. If it turns out too spicy for me, I just load on more cheese and sour cream. The cornbread does tone it down some, and the corn sweetens it all, so keep that in mind.


Jerusha's Tamale Pie

• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 c. frozen or canned corn, drained
• 1 small can diced green chilies
• 1/3 c. chopped green pepper (I use the frozen kind)
• generous sprinkle of garlic powder
• 1/2 lb. ground turkey seasoned for tacos

Step 1: Mix all of the above and bake, covered, in a 2-qt. baking dish for 45-60 minutes at 350 F. Remove from oven and stir. Turn oven up to 400 F.

• 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c. milk
• 1 T. water

Step 2: Whisk above ingredients in a small bowl. Pour cornbread batter evenly over the hot chili in the casserole pan. Return to oven and bake 20 minutes at 400 F.

Scoop casserole into shallow bowls and garnish as desired with shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, or guacamole.