Skillet Tamale Pie

This was surprisingly delicious and simple to make. I might add some corn next time, or maybe a little bit of cooked rice.  A great weeknight meal that will serve 4-6 people.

The recipe calls for a store-bought cornbread, but I had a box of Jiffy cornbread mix on hand already so I just made my own and crumbled it right in the pan after cooling slightly. For the canned chipotle chiles in adobo, ATK recommends the Embasa brand, which I was able to find at my local Big Y store. I just put the whole can of chiles in a mini-food processor and pureed. The recipe only calls for 1 teaspoon so to preserve the rest, I measured by teaspoon-sized portions onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and froze. Once solid, just peel the chili puree off the paper and pop into a freezer bag for use in future recipes.

10 ounces cornbread, crumbled (store bought or made fresh) about 2 1/2 cups

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese 

1 Tbs. canola (or vegetable) oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tsp. minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

2 16oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

2 10oz cans Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained, 1/3 cup juice reserved

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

S&P

Pre-heat oven to 450. Combine crumbled cornbread with 1 cup of the cheese and season with S&P. Set aside. 

Heat oil in a 12-inch, ovenproof skillet. Cook onion and chipotle until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add beef and cook until no longer pink, 5 minutes or so. Add beans, tomatoes, and reserved tomato juice and cook until thickened, another 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, the remaining cheese, and season the whole mixture with S&P. 

Sprinkle cornbread mixture over skillet. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with remaining fresh cilantro sprinkled over the top.