I’m going to keep this one fairly short today because it’s been a few days of way too little sleep and there’s no telling what I’m about to write in my delirious state. Just kidding, it’s not really that bad, but I could definitely use a few z’s.
We are all so excited about baby Ryder finally arriving and so thankful that he is as healthy as can be, not to mention huge. 
I haven’t cooked and/or photographed food in a few days and it’s been really weird for me. Things like standing on random furniture to get the right angle for a shot, or making a dozen different versions of the same recipe in a 24 hour period, have become regular parts of my day. 
Anyway, I said I’d keep this short. 
I made this tamale pie a few days ago for dinner. It’s been on my to do list for a while and I’m so happy I finlly got around to making it. It’s easy, it’s fairly fast and simple, oh and hey, it’s also gluten free so bonus points! I made it in a big family style pot and then in some little terracotta ramekins because those are just more fun. 
You can probably tell that I spent all of 15 minutes taking these pictures. FYI, that’s way shorter than I usually spend taking shots of a recipe. It was one of the rare occasions where I made something late in the day for dinner that I was also planning to take pictures of, which means everyone was hungry and you know that makes me crazy. I can’t take pictures under pressure. 
I had decided not to use them because they’re really not great, but with all the craziness of my last few days I reconsidered. It actually was really good. I’ve never made something like this but I will definitely be doing it again. It’s got my wheels spinning with ideas. 
So I hope you try this. Happy Thursday! 
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground pork (beef or turkey would also work)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 medium bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalepeno pepper, seed removed and chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon oregeno
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- 1 cup whole kernal corn
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
- juice from 1 lime
- 1(5 oz) can tomato paste
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 4 tablespooons butter
- 2 cups cups cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (or water)
- 2 cups whole milk
- sour cream
- smashed avocado
- cilantro
- shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Bring chicken broth and milk to a boil in a medium skillet over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Stir frequently until it is thick but still smooth enough to stir, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and half of cheese (reserve other half for topping) until melted.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (180 C) and brown meat in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat until fully cooked. Drain meat and pour into a separate dish; set aside for a moment.
- Pour oil into same skillet and add garlic, onion, jalepeno, and bell pepper and saute for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add remaining ingredients for filling and cooked meat and stir until well combined then remove from stove.
- Use a spatula to flatten filling into a smooth layer. Pour polenta over it and, again, smooth with spatula. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 25 - 30 minutes until the filling starts bubbling over the polenta layer.
- Serve topped with sour cream, smashed avocado, and fresh cilantro.
Notes
*inspired by Half Baked Harvest
Wow! This was so amazing! Everyone on my family loved it. Used extra lean ground pork (only 1lb and doubled the black beans instead). Thanks for the great recipe, it’s definitely a keeper in our books. Also, my polenta only took 5 mins to cook. Nearly over cooked it 🙂 glad I paid attention!
Very cool, Wendy! I’m so pleased to hear you liked it and your family too! Thanks for stopping by to leave such a bright comment! You made my day!