Tonight, I made tamale pie – it was really great…and I was thinking that it would be really nice for us to make the next time we go tailgating at a game…
Ingredients for the top & bottom:
6-1/3 c. water
2 c. yellow corn meal
creole seasoning (I use Tony Chachere’s)
salt
Ingredients for filling:
1 lb. ground beef or bison (I used bison this time for a change and it was good)
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 cups peeled tomatoes (canned tomatoes are perfect for this)
creole seasoning
olive oil
(I don’t, but some people add corn or bell peppers to this – it is good however you make it!)
Directions:
Let the olive oil get hot, then add the onions and cook until they are almost transparent. Add garlic and quickly add meat.
Once the meat is cooked through/browned, add tomatoes – just break them up into pieces with a fork in the skillet. Taste, and add creole seasoning – as much as you like.
Turn the heat to low, and let it simmer and concentrate with the lid off for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350*.
Next, start the cornmeal mixture. Boil the water and add cornmeal (be careful because it will bubble up at first). Stir thoroughly and turn the heat to medium-low. Once it cooks for a couple of minutes and thickens up, add some creole seasoning. I used about 1/5 of a cup, but add slowly and taste until you get it the right amount of spice for you.
Once the meat has simmered 30 minutes and the cornmeal mixture has been made, oil a medium-large casserole with olive oil, then add half the cornmeal mixture. Add all the meat on top, then top the meat layer with the rest of the cornmeal. I cook it with the lid on for between 1hr and 1hr, 15 minutes – until the top has browned with a nice crust:
This recipe serves 7-8 so there are lots of leftovers (and while I’m not big on leftovers, it really is good the next day).
Yum!