I love tamales. No matter if I’m buying them for a dollar on the beach in Mexico, by the dozen from a friend’s mom, or randomly from the meat market in Mount Vernon, I love them.
I do not have time to make them. They are truly a labor of love and patience that some of us, no matter how good of a cook we are, simply don’t have the stamina.
But this slow cooker tamale pie I can handle on my busiest of days. The recipe is simple and slow cookers are the most under-used piece of home kitchen equipment. They do all the work! Let them! Plus, it’s Cinco de Mayo time! (As if we ever need an excuse to make Mexican food.)
Tamale Pie
Makes 10-12 servings
8 oz pinto beans
¼ tsp baking soda
1 ½ lb. ground beef
1 cup diced onion
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen or fresh corn
1 recipe of Green Chile Cornbread batter (below)
Soak beans in 3 cups of water in a saucepan overnight. Add baking soda to pan and bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Skim and discard any foam from top. Drain beans; reserving 1 ¼ cups liquid to a 4-6 qt slow cooker.
Saute ground beef, onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, oregao, and cayenne in oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until beef is cooked through. Drain drippings and transfer mixture to slow cooker; do not stir. Cover slow cooker and cook until beans are creamy and tender on high setting, about 3 hours.
Add tomatoes and corn to slow cooker; stir in tomato paste to combine. Top filling with cornbread batter. Cover slow cooker and cook until a toothpick inserted in center of cornbread comes out clean, about 1 hour on low setting. Top with cheese and chives; cover until cheese melts; 5 minutes.
Green Chile Cornbread
¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar
¾ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
3/4 cup cornmeal
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
½ cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 4.5 oz can green chiles
2 tsp. fresh chives
Combine cheddar and pepper jack cheese in a small bowl. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together ½ cup of cheese mixture, buttermilk, egg, and chiles. Stir dry and wet ingredients until combined.* Pour into slow cooker.
*If you just want to make the cornbread, preheat the oven to 425 with a cast iron skillet inside. Follow directions above. Then pour batter into the hot skillet and bake 20 minutes. Top cornbread with cheese and cover to melt; about 3 minutes. Garnish with chives.