When I was a kid, my dad would get a bee in his bonnet every once in a
while and make dinner. His specialty was grilled steak but he could
make a mean spaghetti sauce, too. One thing he enjoyed making was tamale
pie. My dad loves Mexican food, especially tamales, so this dinner was
probably more for him that the rest of us. But we were happy to eat it
and I know my mom was happy for him to make it. After talking to my dad
and getting the lowdown on how he used to make it, here's my riff on my
dad's tamale pie.
My Dad's Tamale Pie
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion ~ diced
1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce
1 cup frozen corn
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large cast iron skillet, brown ground beef with the diced onion until meat is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine the cornmeal and the milk.
Stir the green chilies, frozen corn, enchilada sauce and cornmeal/milk mixture in the skillet with the meat.
Bake for 30 minutes. Add shredded cheese on top and cook until cheese melts, about 5-10 minutes.
