TAMALE PIE

This is my mother's recipe. We all loved it growing up. Most of my kids liked it too. My mother never put cheese on it but we like the cheese and then serving it with the taco condiments makes it even better. It is an easy quick meal to fix. 

TAMALE PIE

Brown: 1 lb. Ground meat - Turkey, Chicken or Beef 
(This is also a good vegetarian dish.  Add some chopped roasted red peppers or fresh chiles for some interest.  Add 3-4 T. oil if you have a very lean meat or no meat for browning your onions and garlic.)

with 1 small onion and 1-3 cloves of grated garlic (I like more)
Add: 2 T. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 T. oregano leaves
1 can undrained corn
1 lg. Can tomatoes  (28 oz.) 

If you use canned crushed tomatoes don't add tomato juice.  
Simmer covered for 20 min. – remove from heat
Add: 2 C. corn meal
1 can of black olives cut in half or small can of sliced olives

2 C. tomato juice (or 1 can tomato sauce and
1 1/4 c. water or just 2 C. of water.  The water works fine.

Bake in a greased 9x13 casserole dish 350 for 45 min.
Add 2-3 C. grated cheese the last 10 minutes if desired.  Serve with salsa, guacamole and sour cream.

We can't eat an entire casserole so I usually split it up into 3 parts and freeze 2 in a zip lock bag to bake later.  It is good to have something in the freezer that tastes good.  

We like plain guacamole.  This is my quick recipe:  Mash 1 avocado, add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. of chile powder (depending on the size of the avocado) and 1/4 tsp. garlic powder.  Stir together and paint the top with 2-3 T. real mayo.   Stir in the mayo when you are ready to eat.  I won 2nd place in a ward guacamole contest recently.  Even kids like this. 

I also like to make a little condiment salad with chopped tomatoes, cilantro and a little sour cream mixed together.  (See first photo.)