Cornbread Tamale Pie with green chili and cheese

Baked in cast iron, like so many of the best things are, this pie that isn’t really a pie and only bears a corn kernel’s resemblance to a tamale is satisfying slightly spicy comfort food at it’s simplest.

I have been craving Frito Pie but I know that it will never taste as good as the green chili and cheese concoction eaten on the enclosed tiny patio of a dark bar somewhere outside of Santa Fe. The clear and dusty New Mexico sky, Christmas lights tacked to thick adobe walls, a cold bottle of beer, and served in the bag with a plastic fork Frito Pie.

Frito Pie is summer food, state fair food, hot day, cold beer food. That won’t do on a dark rainy day. I know, I know flowers are blooming here, the grass is green, not really a winter at all, no snowdrifts or frozen eaves. So here is a meal in between: comforting cornbread and hearty chili that can remind you of dusty summer days and the smell of fresh-cut grass and warm you if the snow is blowing or frost is in the air.

Use a cast iron skillet and this is a one pot (and a few bowls for mixing) meal. Or you can bake this in a casserole dish if you prefer.

Adapted from the New York Times which was, in turn, adapted from the Joy of Cooking.

For a recipe that isn’t really a recipe but that will make you want to make this right now I recommend Rochelle Bilow’s Bon Appetit article.

Cornbread Tamale Pie with green chili and cheese

Ingredients

For the chili

• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 ½ pound lean ground beef (I used 5% fat, so no draining required)
• 1 4 ounce can green chilies
• 2 tsps. ground cumin
• 2 tsps. chili powder
• 1 cup chopped kale (optional)
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 4 ounces light lager beer
• 6 ounces tomato sauce
• salt to taste (see note in instructions)

For the cornbread topping

• 1 cup fine or medium grind cornmeal
• ¼ cup AP flour
• 1 ½ tsps. baking powder
• 2 tsps. Sugar
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 1/3 cup yogurt
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg
• plus enough beer or water to make one cup of liquid when combining yogurt, milk, and egg

instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Make the chili.

• In a large (13 inch) cast iron skillet cook ground beef and onion over medium heat until onions are soft and beef is browned.
• Add the green chilies, spices, garlic, and kale and continue to sauté, stirring frequently, until kale is wilted, about 3-5 minutes.
• Add all the remaining chili ingredients except the salt (I find that I add very little or no salt if the canned tomatoes are already salted, so I suggest waiting until the mixture is ready to be topped before adding salt).
• Continue to cook on low for another fifteen minutes or so then remove from heat.

Make the cornbread topping.

• In a medium bowl whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. After that is thoroughly combined toss in the shredded cheddar cheese.
• In a small bowl or two cup measuring cup whisk together the yogurt, milk, egg, and- if necessary- water or beer.
• Add the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined and no dry bits remain.

Pour the corn bread mixture over the top of the chili and spread out as evenly as possible.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until cornbread is just turning golden brown.

Serve hot. Garnish with avocado, sour cream, fresh cut red onion, and cilantro if desired.

Cornbread Tamale Pie with green chili and cheese

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine cast iron

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

filling

• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 ½ pound lean ground beef I used 5% fat, so no draining required
• 1 4 ounce can green chilies
• 2 tsps. ground cumin
• 2 tsps. chili powder
• 1 cup chopped kale optional
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 4 ounces light lager beer
• 6 ounces tomato sauce
• salt to taste see note in instructions

cornbread topping

• 1 cup fine or medium grind cornmeal
• ¼ cup AP flour
• 1 ½ tsps. baking powder
• 2 tsps. Sugar
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup yogurt
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg
• plus enough beer or water to make one cup of liquid when combining yogurt milk, and egg

Instructions

 

• preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Make the chili. in a large (13 inch) cast iron skillet cook ground beef and onion over medium heat until onions are soft and beef is browned. Add the green chilies, spices, garlic, and kale and continue to sauté, stirring frequently, until kale is wilted, about 3-5 minutes. Add all the remaining chili ingredients except the salt (I find that I add very little or no salt if the canned tomatoes are already salted, so I suggest waiting until the mixture is ready to be topped before adding salt). Continue to cook on low for another fifteen minutes or so then remove from heat.
• Make the cornbread topping. In a medium bowl whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. After that is thoroughly combined toss in the shredded cheddar cheese.
• In a small bowl or two cup measuring cup whisk together the yogurt, milk, egg, and- if necessary- water or beer.
• Add the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined and no dry bits remain.
• Pour the corn bread mixture over the top of the chili and spread out as evenly as possible.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until cornbread is just turning golden brown.
• Serve hot. Garnish with avocado, sour cream, fresh cut red onion, and cilantro if desired.

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