Bean Tamale Pie

Name: Bean Tamale Pie
Total time: P1H
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Fusion
Ingredients: green bell peppers; onions; vegetable oil; red kidney beans; tomato purée (passata); corn kernels, canned; chili powder; salt; cornmeal; water; salt; chili powder

Submitted by dominique

Stovetop bean tamale pie with a spiced kidney bean and corn filling under a thick cornmeal crust. No oven needed, serves two, and comes together in one skillet.

YIELD

2 servings

PREP

30 min

COOK

30 min

READY

1 hrs

All the soul of a tamale, none of the corn husk fuss, and you don’t even need to turn on the oven.

Kidney beans, corn, tomato puree, and chili powder simmer together in a small skillet until thick and saucy.

Then a quick cornmeal mush gets spread right over the top like a lid, dusted with extra chili powder, and cooked with the cover slightly ajar until the crust sets firm.

It’s a one-skillet meal for two that captures everything you love about tamale pie in about an hour of mostly hands-off cooking.

Chef Tips

Stir the cornmeal mush constantly while it thickens on the stove. It goes from liquid to very thick in about 3 minutes, and lumps form fast if you walk away.
Spread the cornmeal topping gently over the bean filling. It doesn’t need to be sealed perfectly at the edges.
Keep the lid slightly ajar during the final cooking step. This lets excess steam escape so the cornmeal crust firms up instead of staying soggy.

Variations

Add a layer of shredded cheddar or pepper jack between the beans and the cornmeal crust for a melty surprise.
Stir a diced jalapeno into the bean filling if you want more kick.
Double the recipe and use a 10-inch skillet to serve four.

Ingredients

TABLESPOONS GREEN BELL PEPPER

TABLESPOONS ONIONS
chopped

TEASPOON VEGETABLE OIL

CUP RED KIDNEY BEANS
dried, cooked, unsalted, drained*

CUP TOMATO PURÉE (PASSATA)

CUP CORN KERNELS, CANNED

1 ½

TEASPOONS CHILI POWDER

⅛

TEASPOON SALT

⅓

CUP CORNMEAL
yellow

CUP WATER

1/16

TEASPOONS SALT

TEASPOON CHILI POWDER

Directions

Cook green pepper and onion in off in small (8-inch) frypan until tender.
Stir in beans, tomato purée, corn, 1½ teaspoons chili powder, and ⅛ teaspoon salt.
Cover and cook over low heat until flavors are blended--about 15 minutes.
Mix cornmeal, water, and 1/16 teaspoon salt.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until very thick-about 3 minutes.
Spread cornmeal mush over bean mixture to form a crust.
Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon chili powder over top of crust.
Cook over low heat, with lid ajar, until topping is set--about 7 minutes.

*NOTE: 1 cup canned kidney beans, drained, may be used in place of cooked dried kidney beans; then omit the ⅛ teaspoon salt in step 2.