Tamale Casserole

Main Dish

This recipe is, well, no nice way to say it, a bastardized version of about six variations on tamale pie. It is low fat and full of vegetables. How bad can that be?

Ingredients/Shopping List
Tamale Filling
• cooking spray
• ½ tsp. ground allspice
• 1 15.5 oz. can black beans, drained
• 2 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
• 9 oz. shredded cooked chicken
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1lb. frozen corn
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• 1 Large onion, minced
• ½ large red pepper, chopped
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with chiles, drained slightly
• pepper to taste

Cornbread Topping
• ¾ tsp. baking powder
• ¾ tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
• ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 large egg
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 jalapeño, diced
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°.

Pre-heat skillet over medium; coat with cooking spray. Add chili powder, cumin, salt, red pepper and onion; sauté until softened. This should take about 5 minutes.

Add jalapeño and garlic; cook 1 minute.

Add black beans, diced tomatoes, shredded chicken and corn. Cook until warmed, 1-4 minutes (this may be less if using canned corn instead of frozen).

Stir cilantro and cheddar into skillet; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Whisk together baking powder, baking soda, cornmeal, flour, sugar, and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermil and egg. Slowly stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture. Combine thoroughly.

Pour filling into 2-3 quart casserole. Spread cornbread batter evenly over top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and minced jalapeño; bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Ovens vary a lot, so watch it closely the first time. The result will be cooked all the way the cornbread and golden brown.

This goes great with tortilla soup.