Tamale Pie II

White cornmeal is cooked up and spread into the bottom and sides of a 2-quart casserole. Then ground beef is cooked with chopped onion, green pepper, corn, chili powder and tomato sauce. The beef filling is spooned into the casserole, topped with a thin layer of cornmeal and a generous sprinkling of Cheddar cheese.

• Calories: 313 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 4 cups water
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• ⅓ cup chopped green bell pepper
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, undrained
• 1 cup white cornmeal

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish.

Step 2

In a saucepan, bring water to boil and add the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Slowly add the cornmeal and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Step 3

Pour 2/3 of the hot cornmeal mush into a 2 quart casserole dish. Using the spoon, bring it up the sides as far as it will reach. If mush is too thick to spread, add a little boiling water.

Step 4

In a large frying pan, cook, but don't brown, the ground beef, breaking it up into crumbs as it cooks. Add onion and green pepper and cook 5 minutes longer.

Step 5

Add corn (with its liquid), chili powder, salt and tomato sauce, heat until very hot and pour mixture into the casserole dish lined with cornmeal mush.

Step 6

Spoon remaining cornmeal mush over top. Again, it should be thin enough to spread, but certainly not watery.

Step 7

Top with grated cheese and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cheese is melted and browned.