PRONTO TAMALE PIE

Pronto Tamale Pie image

Provided by Marcia McCance

Number Of Ingredients 11

MAKING LAYER 1:
2 1/2 c cold water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/4 c yellow cornmeal (can use white if prefer)
MAKING LAYER 2:
1 15 oz can chili con carne (or 1 3/4 c homemade)
1 2 1/2 oz can drained, sliced ripe olives
1/2 c chopped green pepper
1/2 c cream style corn
1/2 c shredded cheese (any kind)

Steps:

1. MAKING LAYER 1: Combine cold water, chili powder, salt, and corn meal in saucepan and stir to combine and prevent lumps. Then bring to boil and reduce to cook over medium heat. Cook until quite thick (about 10 min) stirring frequently.
2. Set aside 3/4 C of cooked cornmeal for top layer
3. Use the rest of the corn meal to line the sides and bottom of a buttered 1 1/2 qt casserole dish. You are making a kind of "well" to hold the ingredients. Since this recipe has both a bottom and a top layer of the cornmeal mush it is more like a true tamale pie.
4. MAKING LAYER 2 -- THE FILLING: Combine chili con carne, green pepper, olives and corn in saucepan over medium heat. Heat until hot. Pour into casserole. (This is the flexible layer... you can add nearly anything that your heart desires and it will most likely be good -- feel free to experiment with ground beef, leave out the olives, add chilies, whole corn instead of cream corn, onion, even cheese, whatever, etc.!)
5. Top with rounded tablespoons of the remaining corn meal mixture,
6. Sprinkle all with shredded cheese
7. Bake 350 about 25 minutes Then look for the smiles!!