This simple tamale pie is decidedly not a pie (it has that—and solely that—in frequent with Boston cream pie). Neither is it remotely near genuine Mexican tamales. Largely attributed to Southwestern or Tex-Mex cooking, tamale pie is a rebellious mash-up of chili (on the underside) and cornbread (on prime).
The extra literal amongst us could make the cornbread with masa harina and even go as far as topping the chili with canned tamales, however ultimately, easy is greatest: Create a quick-cooking chili topped with tender, golden-brown cornbread. If that is your first rodeo with this basic consolation meals, you could be shocked how shortly the recipe turns into a weeknight household favourite.
The addition of a $2 can of beans means that you can use 50% much less floor meat within the chili (we name for floor beef however floor pork or dark-meat floor turkey works too), preserving the dish economical with out compromising taste. Utilizing hen bouillon paste somewhat than boxed broth is one other budget-friendly trick; it’s dense and concentrated and may reconstitute to no matter energy you want. Conjuring the topping from scratch will not be way more troublesome than utilizing a boxed cornbread combine, and it depends on pantry staples. We do advocate shredding your personal cheese right here; pre-shredded cheese has components that forestall clumping, making its texture lower than preferrred for baking.
In case you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, make the chili on the stovetop after which switch to a 13×9″ baking dish and dollop on the cornbread topping earlier than sliding it into the oven. All informed, this can be a low cost, cozy, cheerful dinner that’s terrific when the climate turns chilly.
