Tamale Pie
 
 
With a tender tamale "crust" this "pie" is like...well, it's like having your pie and eating it too! Layer upon layer of spicy flavor, it's the ultimate southwest comfort food.
Author:
Ingredients
  • FOR THE CRUST:
  • 2½ cups water
  • 1½ cups masa harina
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • FOR THE BEAN LAYER:
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon ground oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon coriander
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups refried black or pinto beans (I used refried pintos)
  • FOR THE MEAT LAYER:
  • ½ medium onion, shredded
  • 1 pound ground beef (I used 90% lean)
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo, minced (I'll probably do two next time...I like hot)
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
  • 2 teaspoons hot chili powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • FOR THE AVOCADO LAYER:
  • 1 avocado, pitted and peeled
  • ¼ cup cream cheese
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • FOR THE GARNISH:
  • Options are any/all of these: Shredded Cheddar, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo or salsa, sour cream, corn chips, chopped green onions
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. FOR THE CRUST:
  3. Oil an 8" cast iron skillet and set aside.
  4. Cook water, masa harina and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until very thick, about 6 minutes.
  5. *With a silicone spatula, spread the dough evenly into the cast iron skillet and up the sides to form a crust in the pan. Keeping the sides and the bottom of the same thickness.
  6. Allow to cool.
  7. Once cool, bake until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, but leave the oven on.
  8. FOR THE BEAN LAYER:
  9. Cook garlic powder, cumin, oregano and coriander in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  10. Add beans, stir and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
  11. Spread mixture into bottom of the cooked crust.
  12. FOR THE MEAT LAYER:
  13. Using the same nonstick skillet, add the onion, beef, chipotle, adobo and chili powder and cook until the beef is browned.** Season with salt and pepper.
  14. Spread mixture over the refried beans.
  15. Place back in oven to keep warm.
  16. FOR THE AVOCADO LAYER:
  17. Purée avocado, cream cheese, cilantro and garlic*** in a food processor until smooth.
  18. Remove the pie from the oven.
  19. Spread the avocado mixture into the center.
  20. Add whatever other garnishes you desire.
  21. This can be served warm or at room temperature.
Notes
*This diverges from Cuisine at Home's directions, but is much simpler. It takes a bit of patience, but spread the masa with a silicone spatula, as it cools you will be able to form it up the sides of the skillet in an even layer on the sides and the bottom. **By using a very lean ground beef, I can add all the ingredients at once, since there will be very little, if any, remaining fat. If you use a more fatty blend, brown your ground beef first, drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat, saute the onion for about a minute, then add back in the browned beef and the other ingredients. ***I have never understood why, when giving instructions for puréeing in a food processor, instructions have you chop things first. Just throw the whole cilantro leaves and the whole garlic clove in there and let the machine do the work for you.
Recipe by The Saucy Southerner at https://www.thesaucysoutherner.com/tamale-pie/