Tamale Pie... or What Can I Make in My Crockpot without Going Shopping?
My goal was to have dinner ready when Mike got home without having to work on it around 5:00, when my body is deciding it wants to go into full hibernation mode. I haven't gone grocery shopping this week, so the pickings were slim. But I wasn't feeling up to shopping, either. And it was about time for the girls' naps.
Enter, the inter-web.
I had ground beef in the fridge, so there was my base. Naturally, I googled "crockpot ground beef". I pulled up a page with a long list of ground beef recipes for the crockpot and clicked on a tamale pie link. It didn't have a ton of ingredients-- a good thing, considering our current situation. However, I still didn't have a few of the options. But I figured that tamale pie was kind of like chili-- everyone has a recipe, and you can throw a whole heck of a lot in it and still emerge with a decent result. What I'm saying is that it's safe to say that I can claim this recipe as my own, success or failure because besides my calling it Tamale Pie, it looks nothing like the original. The ingredient list is kind of daunting, I'll admit. That's because I didn't have a pack of chili seasoning. Plus, they're kind of hard to find in the gluten-free variety. So I made my own. Like I said before, if you don't have something I list, feel free to substitute. It's scary... but then you can't blame me? Ha! Shoot, you can. Because I told you to substitute. Bummer. :) Also, if you like olives, the original called for that, but I'm not a fan, and olives are one of only three foods in the world that Mike won't eat.
Whatever you decide to do, here's what I did...
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
3/4 cup diced onions (I used frozen ones, which are a lifesaver, by the way. I keep them on hand and use them ALL THE TIME)
3/4 cup yellow corn meal
1 1/2 cup of milk
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (if you're me, it'll have to be gluten-free)
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 tablespoon dried, minced garlic
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 10-oz can Rotel diced tomatoes with chilis, mild
1 can chili beans
1 bag of frozen corn... or two half-ish bags, like I had :)
shredded cheese, cheddar or Mexican mix
Prep:
In skillet, cook ground beef and onions until beef is browned; drain well. In crockpot, mix corn meal, milk, egg. Add drained ground beef, that big ol' list of seasonings, and tomatoes, beans and corn. Stir it all up. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. Sprinkle cheeseover top. Cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Verdict:
Holy cayenne pepper!!
That said, this was really yummy, but for my tastes, the cayenne needs to be stepped down about 83 notches... or I'd say to 1/4 tsp. The flavor was great, and Mike liked it, though even he said it was spicy. We didn't even try giving it to the girls. That would definitely have elicited tears. I'm wondering how it would be without the flour, too. I'm thinking it's not really necessary.
All in all, I'll be making it again, just with a few alterations. :)
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