Tamale Pie

When I lived in Provo, ages and ages ago, there was an Hispanic Grandma lady that would go around selling her homemade tamales at all the apartment complexes. I was never adventurous enough to try them, but my good friend, Jen, was. And she shared with me. And my love of tamales was born. Give me a shout out if you lived in Provo, and know the Tamale lady!

This is actually one of Jenny's recipes that my mom made for me when she was visiting after I has Lucas. However, I couldn't remember if it was good. So, I threw caution to the wind and made it anyway. I have to admit that dishes like this, well... it's difficult to make them look incredibly appetizing. But this is! It's very filling, too!


Tamale Pie

Filling:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1- 10oz can Red Enchilada Sauce
1/2 can corn
1/4 c sliced black olives
1 tsp salt


Crust:
1.5 c corn meal
1 c water
3/4 c evaporated milk (I used one 5oz can)
1 tsp salt
1- 4oz can diced green chilis
1/2 c colby jack cheese

Brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic. Drain off the fat. Add enchilada sauce, corn, olives and salt until heated through.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 9" pie plate (could also use a 8x8 glass pan). In a saucepan, combine the corn meal, water, evaporated milk, and salt. Cook over medium heat until thickened (about 5-7 minutes). Add green chilis. Set aside 1 cup of the corn meal mixture. Spread the rest as a crust in the bottom & sides of your pan. Bake for 10 min. Cool slightly. Spoon beef mixture onto the crust. Top with the set aside corn meal mixture. Bake for 15 minutes. Add the colby jack cheese and cook an additional 5 minutes. Yum.