This recipe for tamale pie was first published in Sunset Magazine in 1966. My mom subscribed to Sunset, and this quickly became one of her favorite casseroles. It was easy to assemble and it had a Mexican flair that was considered exotic in the bland, cream of mushroom soup 1960's.
Lo and behold I found the recipe in an old Sunset cookbook I had tucked away. It was exactly like Minerva's (my mom's name was Anne but my brother, who took Latin in high school, nicknamed her Minerva after the Roman goddess of wisdom. For the rest of her life it was the only name she was known by.)
Caveat: tamale pie isn't exactly low in calories, fat or WW Points. But, relax, it isn’t a calorie bomb. I make it when we entertain or when we crave south-of-the-border flavors. It’s too good to avoid altogether. The only change I made to the original recipe was to increase the chili powder to 2 Tbsp. and add 1 tsp. of cumin. The original amounts are given below for the spice averse.
Minerva often made tamale pie in her yellow ceramic casserole and froze it before baking so that she always had something ready to pop into the oven on short notice. If friends showed up unexpectedly, I always knew what dinner would be: tamale pie! Thanks, Sunset.
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (12-oz.) can whole-kernel corn (I used frozen corn)
1 tsp. salt
2 to 6 tsp. chilli powder (I used 2 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal Minerva was a
1 cup water
1 cup pitted black olives
Heat oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Crumble in beef, then add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté, stirring often, until onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and their liquid, corn, salt, chili powder and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix cornmeal and water; stir into meat mixture and simmer, uncovered, for 10 more minutes. Stir in olives. Pour mixture into a 9 X 13-inch baking dish and spread with cornmeal topping (recipe below). Bake in a 375 degree oven until topping is golden brown, about 40 minutes.
Cornmeal Topping:
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Chedar cheese
2 eggs, beaten
In a small saucepan, combine milk, salt and butter. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Gradually add cornmeal; cook, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar cheese and eggs.
Serves 8
WW Points per serving: 16