Tamale Pie (an adaptation by Moi)

A month ago I wrote about my favorite guilty food pleasure. Here's the recipe. Maybe soon I'll dig out my recipe for Carnitas.

TAMALE PIE

1 cup chopped onion

1 Poblano, passilla, or Anaheim chili - roasted

3/4 pound ground beef, -OR - chicken, -OR- turkey, - OR- cubed roasted chicken breasts (two ½ breasts with bone and skin for the roasting), -OR- left over pork carnitas -OR- shredded beef machacca.

(2) 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes – puree 1/2 of one can, leave 1/2 and one can diced. Using seasoned diced tomatoes is fine.

(1) 12-ounce can (1 1/2 cups) whole kernel corn, drained

(2) small cans sliced olives or (1) can whole olives (sliced or not) 1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon Ancho chili powder

1 finely diced jalapeno pepper (I add this at the end in small measure and taste for heat factor)

1 1/2 cups shredded/grated sharp Cheddar cheese, or Jack, or Colby

CORN MEAL TOPPER:

3/4 cup yellow corn meal

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups cold water

1 tablespoon butter

Place chili pepper on foil lined cookie sheet 3 inches under broiler. Broil for about 6 minutes until charred and/or blackened. Turn over repeat until all sides are roasted. Place in heavy zip-lock bag for 15 minutes. (I usually dice the onion and prep the other ingredients during this time.)

After the 15 minutes remove chili from the bag, de-seed and de-stem, remove skin and membranes. Dice same size as onion.

Over medium high heat, in large sauté pan, pour 1 teaspoon of oil. Add onion and chili and cook till just tender. Add meat: brown lightly.

Add next 8 ingredients (through Ancho Chili powder) and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, until thick.

Begin corn meal topper: In sauce pan stir corn meal and salt into cold water.

Cook till thick, stirring frequently so it doesn’t stick. After 15 minutes add butter; mix well.

Pre-heat OVEN 375 degrees

Add cheese and diced jalapeno to meat mixture; stir till melted.

Pour into greased 10 x x 1 1/2-inch baking dish.

Spoon/spread cornmeal topper over top of meat.

Bake casserole in moderate oven (375 deg) about 40 minutes.

Serve with sour-cream, more grated cheese, and salsa.

Makes 6 servings.