Chipotle Tamale Pie

This is one of our favorite recipes. I actually saw this recipe demonstrated, a couple years ago, on a cooking show that I normally do not watch called Simply Delisioso. I go back and forth with my like/dislike for this cooking show. The host, Ingrid Hoffman, seems to be hit or miss with her recipes. Sometimes, her food makes me salivate (a good thing). The other times, her food makes me shake my head (a not-so-good thing). Also, I find her personality and her cleavage a bit annoying. Not Sandra Lee or the Neelys uber-annoying...but annoying, none the less. I have noticed in the more recent episodes she has toned down her "chica, chica, boom, boom" act and her hookeresque wardrobe. The show is now more tolerable, but her food is still unpredictable.

The good news is that this dish was one of the salivate recipes. When we tried it we all loved it. Totally spicy and fabulous. It was so good, it has become a staple in our dinner rotation ever since. It is fairly substantial, so I will probably just serve this with a green salad. Yum. I cannot wait for dinner tonight!!!

Chipotle Tamale Pie

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound, lean ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 chipotle chiles, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce, from can chipotle in adobo (use 2 for extra spicy)
1 cup grated Cheddar
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

For Topping: (See Jen's Notes)
1 (8.5-ounce) package cornbread mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch baking dish with the butter and set it aside.

Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the ground turkey, the onions, green peppers, and garlic and cook until the turkey is no longer pink and is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain off any excess fat and sprinkle the meat mixture with the cumin.

Add the beans, tomatoes, chiles and adobo sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until heated through and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cheese and cilantro.

Spread the turkey mixture in the prepared baking dish, pressing down on it with the back of a spoon to make an even, compact layer.

Combine the cornbread mix with milk and egg and make according to the manufacturer's instructions. Spread the cornbread batter over the turkey mixture and bake until the cornbread is golden-brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Let the tamale pie stand for 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Jen’s Notes:
I always use 2 boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix for the topping. I find that 1 box is never enough. Also, the Jiffy brand is totally cheap and turns out perfectly, every time. It is my favorite!!!!



The Result:
This was better than I remembered it. The husband said that it was "the best I have made it", then accompanied the word "Delicious". Sigh. I could get used to hearing that kind of praise at dinner time. We served it with a simple green salad. If you notice in the photo, the top slid a little, exposing the filling. It was not as pretty as it usually is, but it was still totally yummy!!! Oh, and I forgot to mention...remember to top this baby with sour cream...you will not be sorry.