MEXICAN BEAN PIE (TAMALE PIE)

MEXICAN BEAN PIE (TAMALE PIE)
Posted and Photo: Amanda Conradie
FOOD LOVERS RECIPES
Spicy Mexican vegetable and bean mixture topped with cornbread.
Serves: 10
1-2 large onions, chopped
1 kg ground beef
3 cans condensed tomato soup or 4 small cans tomato sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder (negotiable)
½ cup ripe olives, sliced
1½ cup canned or frozen corn
2 cans ranch style or pinto beans
Cornbread Batter:
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup cornmeal
1 cup buttermilk or thinned unflavored yogurt
1 beaten egg
2 tablespoons salad oil
Instructions:
Meat Mixture:
Brown onion and meat. Drain off any fat. Add remaining ingredients and pour into two, 2-quart greased casseroles and cover.
Bake at 170ºC degrees for 1¼ hours.
Cornbread Layer:
Combine first five ingredients in small bowl. Add buttermilk or yogurt, egg and salad oil and stir just until combined. Remove casserole from oven and spread corn bread batter evenly over the top. Bake uncovered at 200ºC degrees for 20 minutes.
*May be doubled for a large crowd.

*Want to use a crock pot? Prepare the meat and vegetable mixture and place in crock pot on LOW anywhere from 3-8 hours. When you walk in the door, preheat the oven, mix up the cornbread mixture and pop into the oven to finish baking.