Tamale Pie Trial: Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free

I was feeling in the mood to try a Mexican recipe, when I came across Tamale Pie in The Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook. Added benefit – it was quick to put together.

The Changes

I don’t keep polenta at home, but I saw a similar recipe in another cookbook that topped a tamale pie with a cornbread mixture. So, I just whipped up half of my cornbread recipe to put on top.

The Method

In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, GF flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, oil, coconut milk, and egg. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, brown the ground beef. Add in salsa, kidney beans, salsa, cumin, and salt. Bring to a simmer.

Pour meat mixture into an 8″ x 8″ pan. Top with cornbread batter, spreading it to the edges.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until cornbread is cooked through.

Serve warm

Tamale Pie

Adapted from The Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour blend
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 16 oz jar mild salsa

In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, brown rice flour blend, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, egg, coconut milk, and vegetable oil. Mix until well combined. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, brown the ground beef. Add cumin, kidney beans, and salsa. Bring to a simmer. Pour meat mixture into an 8″ x 8″ pan. Top with cornbread batter, spreading to the edges.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until cornbread is cooked through.

Makes 4 servings

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This recipe is featured in my cookbook The Best of the Rice of Life: Over 70 Gluten-free, Dairy-free, and Nut-free Recipes available now in print (Amazon, Create Space) and e-book (Kindle, iBooks, nook, Kobo and Smashwords).

 

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What I Thought

When my husband saw what was for dinner, he started murmuring about how much he didn’t enjoy shepherd’s pies, and tomato sauces. That changed as soon as he realized it was topped with actual cornbread, and that the filling was more stew-like than sauce-like (his words). He quite enjoyed it, as did I. The kids eagerly ate their “yummy bread” but weren’t too keen on the “yummy meat and beans.” I’d do this again, but I’d tweak the cornbread a bit. The sweetness didn’t mesh that well with the savory filling, and my husband thought it was too light and fluffy. A denser bread would be better.

Shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Gluten-free Wednesday and Allergy-free Wednesday