Wow Them Tamale Pie

Sharon123's Note:

This colorful, hearty casserole is lighter than the traditional Mexican dish. It makes an impressive centerpiece when company's coming or when you want to make a crowd-pleaser!

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 -2 tablespoon water
• 1 cup peeled and diced carrot
• 1 cup diced red bell peppers or 1 cup green bell pepper
• 1 cup diced zucchini
• 1 small fresh green chili pepper , minced, seeds removed for a milder hot
• 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes (15-oz. can, undrained)
• 1 ½ cups cooked pinto beans (15-oz. can) or 1 ½ cups kidney beans (15-oz. can) or 1 ½ cups black beans (15-oz. can)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces grated low-fat cheddar cheese (optional)
• ¾ cup cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon white flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 egg whites , beaten
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• minced scallion
• chopped fresh cilantro
• nonfat sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Warm the olive oil in a heavy or nonstick saucepan.
2. Add the onion and garlic, cover, and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the cumin, coriander, oregano, enough water to prevent sticking,and the carrots, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the bell peppers, zucchini, and chile, cover, and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the tomatoes and beans, cover, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat.
7. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
8. Preheat the oven to 400*.
9. Prepare a 2-qt. nonreactive casserole dish with cooking spray or a very light coating of oil.
10. Spread the vegetable-bean mixture in the bottom of the dish.
11. If you are using the Cheddar cheese, sprinkle it evenly on top.
12. Set aside.
13. In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
14. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites till starting to peak, then gently stir in buttermilk, and oil.
15. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring, just until mixed.
16. Pour the batter directly on top of the vegetable-bean mixture, pressing it down a little with a spatula.
17. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden and a knife inserted into the topping comes out clean.
18. Garnish with minced scallions, chopped cilantro,and, if you like, nonfat sour cream.
19. Enjoy!

Reviews

[CountryLady]

Don't let the number of steps fool you - this is quick & easy & tastes good! I halved the recipe with no problems, used a mixture of red & green peppers, white kidney beans, low fat cheddar & light sour cream. I didn't have any fresh cilantro so I substituted a little dried stuff. We weren't fussy on the cornmeal topping - but we're from the north. Thanx Sharon!

[Maito]

The filling had great flavors, and is more along the lines of 4 stars. But the crust layer was very thin, and also not really what I was expecting (very crunchy). Added some salsa at the table to give it a little heat. It definitely looked beautiful coming out of the oven.

[MarraMamba]

yum yum yum. I did add some extra lean ground beef as my friends daughter is a pure carnivore but otherwise kept it the same. The only thing i was not sure of is when you say "egg whites (beaten)". Does this mean beat them til peaks, or just beat them regularly like egg yolks?