Tamale Pie

• knife
• wok, Dutch oven, or large saucepan
• wooden spoon
• whisk
• 8-inch square baking dish
• 2 bowls

• 3 T vegetable oil
• 2 c onions, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t salt
• 1 fresh green chile*, minced OR 2 t minced chipotles in adobo sauce
• 2 t ground cumin
• 2 c water
• 1 c green beans, de-stemmed and diced
• 2 c potatoes, in ¾-inch cubes
• 2-3 c sweet potatoes, carrots, or butternut squash, in ¾-in cubes
• 1 T lime or lemon juice
• 1 c cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 c cornmeal
• 2 T white flour
• 1½ t baking powder
• ½ t baking soda
• ½ c corn (fresh, canned, or frozen)
• ½ c red bell pepper, diced
• 2 T fresh cilantro, minced
• 2 eggs
• ½ c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350.

Add cumin, water, green beans, potatoes, and sweet potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer about 20 minutes, until tender. Stir in lime juice and pour into lightly-oiled baking dish.

While the potatoes are cooking, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and soda, remaining ½ t salt, corn, bell peppers, and cilantro in one bowl, and whisking the eggs, buttermilk, and remaining 2 T oil together in the other. Combine the wet with the dry, folding until just mixed.

Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of the vegetable mixture in the baking dish, then spread the egg/cornmeal mixture evenly on top.

Bake 30 minutes, until a knife or toothpick inserted into the cornmeal topping comes out clean. Serve hot.

If the large pan you use to cook the potatoes is oven-proof, you can just use that pan to cook the tamale pie. After cooking the potatoes, sprinkle the cheese on top, spread with cornmeal topping, and bake.

Adapted from The Moosewood Collective’s Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates: Festive meals for holidays and special occasions. It’s part of the Cinco de Mayo menu.

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