I’m fresh out of ideas for a blog post this weekend, so I thought I’d share a great low-fat recipe, that makes a bunch, freezes beautifully, and is a perfect brown-bag lunch (if you’re into that sort of thing – I am). It’s called Tamale Pie, and I “borrowed” it from some posting on the Weight Watchers website forums. It’s Wendalicious – trust me.

TAMALE PIE

  • 1 c cornmeal (white or yellow, doesn’t matter)
  • 2 ½ cups chicken broth
  • 1 lb lean ground beef (or 12oz pkg Morningstar Farms veggie crumbles)
  • 1 onion, chopped (red works really well)
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped (any color)
  • 5 tsp chili powder (or to your taste)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
  • 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 1 can kernel corn (with liquid)
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed
  • 8oz shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 13″ casserole pan with Pam.

Bring 2-1/4 cups broth to a boil. Stir in cornmeal, and whisk until fairly thick and most lumps are gone (just a couple minutes). Spread into bottom of 9×13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Set aside.

Brown onion and green pepper in a large skillet until starting to brown. Add ground beef and brown while crumbling the meat. Add chili powder, garlic, salt and pepper, and mix well. Add tomato paste, Ro-Tel, corn, and black beans. Stir together thoroughly.

Spread over the cornmeal crust and top evenly with cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes at 350.

Slice and serve with sour cream.  Serves 8.