RCP: Mom's Tamale Pie

Mom's Tamale Pie

3/4 cup yellow Corn Meal
1 cans tomatoes
1 can kernel corn
1 tsp. chili powder (mom used Grandma's Spanish Seasoning)
1 can pitted black olives (large) and liquid
1/4 lb. ground pork or pork sausage
1/2 lb. ground beef or left over roast
1/2 cup olive oil
I clove garlic
1 small green pepper
1 small onion
salt and pepper to taste
Place half the oil in a kettle, heat, then add tomatoes, and corn, heating gradually. Add the remaining oil in another kettle, when hot add chopped onion, garlic, green pepper, brown lightly. To this add the meats and cook for 20 minutes. While this mixture is cooking, slowly stir into the corn and tomato mixture, the corn meal and let it cool for 15 minutes. Then combine the two mixtures. Season to taste, adding more chili powder if needed.. Add the whole black olives, and liquid. Pour into baking dish and bake in 350 ° oven for 1 hour.

This may be made soft which I prefer or thick enough to slice by adding or cutting down the amount of liquid used. My mom’s was soft, almost like a thick soup.
Tomato sauce can be used instead of tomatoes. (I think my mom used tomato sauce)

*Written as my aunt wrote it for my mom almost 65 years ago.

Karen, thanks for sharing! It sounds interesting. I don't think I've ever had anything like that. Sounds like it would be a great winter-time dish. I may need to use poblanos instead of the green bell pepper though.

[Jenise]

By god, my mother made exactly this dish, Karen! She didn't bother to make and mix two separate mixtures but cooked it all in one pot, otherwise, same-o same-o.

Jenise, I recall a few years back, you telling me this. This is one of the recipes I made, that did not come out the same as I remember when mom made it. That is the way it has been with several very old recipes and I swear it is because many of the products today are totally different than they used to be. I'm going to try this recipe again however, and use tomato sauce rather than canned tomatoes. I remember her tamale pie well. It was such a comfort food for me.

Karen, thanks for sharing! It sounds interesting. I don't think I've ever had anything like that. Sounds like it would be a great winter-time dish. I may need to use poblanos instead of the green bell pepper though.

I think they would actually be a great tweak....maybe even the roasted Hatch chilis would be worth a try!

Thanks for posting this! I make this recipe for my whole family...even my son, since he can eat all those ingredients...can't wait to give it a try!

Karen...I wanted to try this out tonight with the kids. I had a few Q's, though. What size can of tomatoes do you use? And do you drain the corn? Thanks again!