Tamale pie is pretty easy to make anyway, but the polenta tubes at The La Honda Country Market make it downright simple! This recipe takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to bake. I made individual tamale pies in dishes, but you can also make it in a large casserole dish and serve from that. Add a green salad and you’re good to go.
Ingredients:
* 1 polenta tube sliced into 1/3-inch rounds
* 1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey or vegetarian faux hamburger)
* 1-1/2 Tablespoons of chili powder
* 1 Tablespoon of ground cumin
* 1 16-ounce jar of salsa (spicy to mild, your choice)
* 1 can of chicken or vegetable broth (I save the water when I steam veggies for a great vegetable broth)
* 3 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or Mexican blend)
* 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
* 1 cup chopped ripe olives (optional)
* 1/4 cup sliced jalapenos (optional)
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease four individual casserole dishes or a 9×13-inch pan with olive oil or olive oil spray.
2. Place half the slices of polenta into casseroles so they bump up against each other (or near each other is fine).
3. Sauté ground meat until brown. Add chili powder and cumin for last minute of sautéing and then pour in salsa, beans, and broth. Simmer for five minutes to combine.
4. Pour half of the meat mixture over polenta slices, then top with half the cheese, half the ripe olives and half the jalapenos. Create one more layer of polenta slices, meat mixture, cheese, olives, jalapenos.
5. Bake for 30 minutes and serve by sprinkling cilantro on top.
Country Market Cooking 