New School Tamale Pie
With the Fourth of July just around the corner, I have been working on recipes geared towards summer entertaining - food that is casual, fun and friendly to appetites of all ages. The one thing no one wants to do on hot summer days is spend time in the kitchen, so that means lots of grilling and planning ahead.
I am a big fan of casseroles (which you don’t see too often in food magazines these days) and I think they are a great option for summer parties. If the word casserole brings back dark childhood memories, hang in there. New school casseroles use top notch ingredients that will make any foodie smile. The best thing about casseroles is that they generally freeze/reheat well - that means you can make it during the week and actually enjoy the party on the weekend.
This tamale casserole is gooey enough to make the kids happy and bold enough to satisfy adults. It’s also loaded with vegetables. In designing this recipe I had efficiency in mind, so I took a couple of ’shortcuts’ and used a rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods and canned black beans. I am all for cooking with fresh ingredients and from scratch, but on occasion I find it is worth saving some time and substituting a prepared food item. Since the beans don’t take center stage in this recipe, I opted for canned and was happy with the outcome.
This recipe may appear to be pretty complicated based on its length, but it really comes together quickly. The sauce is on the medium-mild side, so if you prefer a little more bite you can dial up the spices a bit. If you end up with some leftovers, I had a slice for breakfast this week and it was a great way to start the day.
Tamale Pie
(serves 6-8)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cups chicken stock (or water)
- 2 cups cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground chipotle
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 clove of garlic, chopped
- 1 (28 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
- 4 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- 1 organic rotisserie chicken, shredded and chopped
- 1 pound frozen corn
- 1 (25 ounce) can black beans
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ cup spring onions, chopped (garnish)
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rub a 3-quart casserole dish with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and set aside.
In a large pot, bring chicken stock to a boil. Slowly add the cornmeal, whisking vigorously. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, for about 10-20 minutes until the cornmeal has thickened (this is a good time to begin to prepare the filling). When the cornmeal has plumped up and tastes creamy, add 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 pound frozen corn, 1 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese, and 2 teaspoons salt; stir until incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings. Spoon into the prepared casserole dish.
In a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat, add the remaining olive oil and onion. Cook for 3 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the ground chipotle, red pepper flakes, ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Stir to combine and cook about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes (use a wooden spoon to crush and incorporate) and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the baby spinach and cook until wilted.
Pour ¼ of the tomato sauce into a blender (only fill the blender up ½ way to avoid blender eruptions and being burned by hot liquid). Blend for 1 minute, then pour into a large stainless steel bowl. Repeat until all of the sauce has been processed.
Once all of the sauce has been blended, return the sauce back to the sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Add the shredded chicken, remaining frozen corn, black beans and sour cream. Stir to incorporate and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Spoon the chicken mixture over the cornmeal. Top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese and bake until the crust has set and the pie is heated through (the sides will be bubbling) about 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with green onions and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
More Tamale-Style Casseroles On The Web:
2 Responses to “New School Tamale Pie”
By Tiffany on Jun 18, 2008 | Reply
This looks so yummy! Also, thanks for sharing a recipe that freezes and reheats well. I’ve been looking for more recipes like this since my work week schedule can be too hectic to come home and cook in the evenings sometimes.
By Sue Bette on Jun 18, 2008 | Reply
Hi Tiffany! Thanks for the note ~ I have been working on more recipes for quick weeknight meals so hopefully there will be more to share in the future!!