Recipe of the Month Tamale Pie – January 2018

January Recipe of the Month

Tamale Pie

Tamale Pie

This tasty recipe features a cornbread base which compliments the flavorful vegetable filling , a warm dish sure to warm you up after a snowy winter day. The pie serves 6 and adding a salad and cup of nonfat milk completes the meal. It’s perfect for entertaining too.

The recipe is well organized and straight forward. After assembling all ingredients it's time to begin a little prep work before jumping into the recipe. Have the ground beef thawed and ready to go. Chop onions and peppers to relatively the same size for even cooking. Measure out all ingredients to ensure smooth recipe preparation. When I prepared the recipe I began cooking the onions and peppers a couple minutes before I added the meat to provide a tender, cohesive texture.

This recipe is great because it is customizable! You can easily swap beans or ground turkey for the ground beef or. Using beans makes this dish more affordable and vegetarian and increases the fiber content. The only ingredients not available at a local farmers market is the corn muffing mix and sour cream. Use mild, medium or hot salsa to meet your taste. The chilies you choose also plays a big role in the dish’s overall flavor. Let the pie rest for 5 minutes before serving. The rest time lets the bottom layer thicken up and makes it easier to scoop from the dish to your plate.

This recipe delivers major satisfaction at a very reasonable price. My cost for preparing this dish was $5.66 for the entire recipe (6 servings) which is only $0.96 per serving!

Item Total Cost ($) Cost per Serving ($) 6 servings

1 cup onion, chopped 0.42 0.07

1 cup bell pepper, chopped 0.69 0.12

½ lb. lean ground beef 2.81 0.47

½ cup salsa 0.28 0.05

1 package corn muffin mix 0.48 0.08

1/3 cup light sour cream 0.16 0.03

1 can diced green chilies 0.73 0.12

1 egg 0.09 0.02

TOTAL 5.66 0.96

So, stop by your local farmer’s market pick up the ingredients needed for the dish, invite your friends and family and get ready to enjoy an easy to prepare dinner that everyone can appreciate!

So gather with family and friends to enjoy this easy to prepare and delicious Tamale Pie!

Recipe from the 2018 Nutrition and Fitness Calendar Iowa State University Extension

Kelsey Fiedler,
Junior
Dietetics Major
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
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Tamale Pie

Tamale Pie - January Recipe of the Month 2018

Servings: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 cup onion chopped (1 medium onion)
  • 1 cup bell pepper chopped (1 medium bell pepper)
  • ½ pound lean ground beef
  • ½ cup salsa
  • 1 package 8.5 ounces corn muffin mix
  • 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt or light sour cream
  • 1 can 4.25 ounces diced green chilies, undrained
  • 1 egg
  • Optional: ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Cook onion, bell pepper, and ground beef until beef is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in salsa. Stir in cheese, if desired.
Spray an 8 inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the meat and vegetable mixture on the bottom of the plate.
Mix corn muffin mix, yogurt or sour cream, green chilies, and egg until combined. Spread on top of the meat and vegetable mixture.
Bake until corn muffin topping is golden brown and set, about 30 minutes.