Tamale Pie

I feel a little sheepish calling this "tamale" pie especially if a Latino chef were ever to see this recipe. There's really nothing tamale-ish about it...there's corn and meat and that's about where the similarity ends. But it's good. On a nice blustery fall day (the kind we don't seem to be getting much of around here), it's the perfect meal.

Tamale Pie

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light October 2006

Pictures by Caroline

Filling:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup onion, chopped

3/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped

3/4 cup frozen corn 

1 pound ground beef or turkey

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Topping

1 cup flour

3/4 yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, pepper, garlic and beef/turkey. Cook until meat is cooked through (drain grease, if necessary). 
2. Add chili powder, oregano, cumin, and salt, tomatoes, beans, and corn. Cook 3 minutes. Spoon into an 11 x 7 baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Combine buttermilk and egg; add to dry ingredients and stir just until moist. 
4. Spread cornmeal mixture evenly over meat mixture. Bake 18 minutes or until topping is golden.