Adapted from Chef John’s “Hot Tamale Pie“.
So, I came across a link to a recipe for Hot Tamale Pie on Chef John’s food blog aptly named “FoodWishes” (located on another blog site that shall not be named – *gasp*) while surfing the other day, and I knew I had to have it! But first, I would have to convert it to a vegetarian or Vegan recipe. Honestly, I had hoped to make a Vegan version on my first attempt, but was lacking a couple of the items I needed. So, I gathered what I had in the house and went for the vegetarian version.
Oh. My. Goodness. This was so delicious! The sweet, comforting flavor of the corn bread wrapped around a moist and tender, slightly spicy, layer of – dare I say – Heaven. It is so filling, so comforting, so stick-to-your-ribs satisfying that any omnivore would never know (or care) that there wasn’t any meat in it. My family devoured each bite their stomachs could hold, and then fought about who was going to get the leftovers the next day for lunch.
If you’ve never tried tamale pie, you are in for a treat, my friend. If you have, you will be just as satisfied with this tasty version. Maybe even more so. So make it, bake it, taste it and leave a comment below letting me know what you think!
Vegetarian* Hot Tamale Pie
*This recipe can easily be adapted to Vegan by substituting cheeses, milk and egg replacer.
Ingredients:
1 pkg. beefless crumbles
2 cups diced peppers of your choice (bell peppers, poblano peppers, etc.)
1 large onion, diced
1 16-oz jar salsa or red sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chipotle pepper powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
4 oz cheddar cheese, divided
4 oz jack cheese, divided
2 – 8.5 oz. boxes Vegan corn muffin/bread mix
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
8 oz frozen corn, thawed
Directions:
1. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and peppers; cook until just tender and translucent. Add beefless crumbles and continue to cook until heated through.
2. Add salsa or red sauce to crumble mixture and stir to combine; continue cooking over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
3. While the crumble mixture is cooking, mix one box corn bread mix to package directions and pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 casserole dish.
4. Spread corn kernels evenly over the batter. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the corn. Next, spoon crumble mixture into the casserole dish and spread evenly.
5. Mix second box of corn bread mix to package directions. Stir in the remaining cheese. Spoon this batter over the crumble mixture, and spread lightly with a fork, being careful not to get any of the crumble mixture on top of the batter. Leave a 1/2 inch gap along the edge of the casserole dish to allow steam to escape.
6. Place casserole dish on a sheet pan, and put into a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour, or until the top is nicely browned.
Wishful Vegan 