Fiesta Tamale Pie
Submitted by dannyandalex
Microwave tamale pie with seasoned ground beef and sausage, stewed tomatoes, corn, black olives, and a cornmeal topping baked under melted cheddar cheese.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
25 minREADY
45 minThis tamale pie skips the oven entirely and cooks start to finish in the microwave. A spiced ground beef and pork sausage filling gets loaded with stewed tomatoes, corn, and whole black olives, then topped with a simple cornmeal batter and a blanket of melted cheddar.
The cornmeal topping is just eggs, cornmeal, and milk blended together. It sets up over the bubbling meat mixture in about 10 minutes, giving you a soft, cornbread-like crust without heating up the kitchen. The olives pressed into the meat layer are a nice surprise in every bite, briny and rich against the chili-spiced beef.
Drain the meat well after browning. Microwave cooking doesn’t let fat render off the way stovetop does, so skipping that step leaves you with a greasy pie.
Kitchen Tips
- Stir the meat a couple of times during the 5-minute browning. Microwaves heat unevenly, and stirring breaks up clumps so you get a consistent texture.
- Use sharp cheddar for the topping. It melts just as well as mild but brings a tang that balances the richness of the meat.
- Let the pie rest 5 minutes before cutting. The cornmeal layer needs a moment to firm up or it’ll slide right off when you serve it.
Variations
- Swap the ground beef for ground turkey and use chicken sausage for a lighter version.
- Add a drained can of black beans to the meat layer for extra protein and fiber.
- Stir diced jalapeños into the filling for real heat beyond the chili powder.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine vegetable oil, onion and garlic in a large, heat-resistant, non-metallic mixing bowl; heat, uncovered, in Microwave Oven 2 minutes or until onion is tender.
Add ground beef and sausage to onion and garlic.
Heat, uncovered, in Microwave Oven 5 minutes or until meat is browned.
Stir occasionally.
Drain excess fat.
Add tomatoes, corn, salt and chili powder to meat mixture.
Heat, uncovered, in Microwave Oven 4 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil.
While meat mixture is cooking, combine eggs, corn meal and milk in a medium-sized bowl.
Blend thoroughly.
Set aside.
Pour meat mixture into an 8-inch square, heat-resistant, non- metallic baking dish .
Press olives into meat mixture.
Spoon corn meal mixture over meat mixture.
Sprinkle grated cheese on top.
Heat, uncovered, 10 minutes or until cheese melts.
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