This recipe got mixed reviews on Cooking Light’s website and after tasting it, I was surprised. We had a guest for dinner and he and my husband both had seconds, so if that tells you what we thought of it…

I made it almost exactly as written. I had a pound of meat and used a touch more onion/pepper, only because I hated to waste it. I will say that I think the chipotle hot sauce (I used Tabasco brand) makes the dish! Also, I couldn’t find the exact beans mentioned, so I bought a can of store brand “Spicy Chili Beans”. They were perfect! The boys topped theirs off with a few more dashes of hot sauce and some sour cream. The baby and I ate ours just as it was (yes, she loved it, little weirdo!).  A nice green salad from the farm box and we had a great meal! Two thumbs up!

PS: I made the filling the night before and just did the topping right before baking it. Worked great that way!!

Chipotle Tamale Pie

This spicy pie needs only a salad to make the meal complete. Use a disposable aluminum pan wrapped in foil for easy delivery and cleanup.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Source: Cooking Light, January 2001

1 3/4 cups chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 pound ground round
1/2 cup bottled salsa
1 to 2 tablespoons bottled chipotle sauce (such as La Preferidia) or hot sauce
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pinto beans in zesty sauce (such as S&W), undrained
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and beef; cook 5 minutes or until meat is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in the salsa, chipotle sauce, beans, and tomatoes; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro. Spoon beef mixture into a 3-quart casserole.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup cilantro, milk, butter, and egg; stir until well-blended. Spoon the batter over beef mixture; spread evenly. Bake at 400° for 35 minutes or until golden.

CALORIES 329 (30% from fat); FAT 11g (sat 4.7g,mono 4.2g,poly 0.8g); IRON 4.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 64mg; CALCIUM 157mg; CARBOHYDRATE 41.7g; SODIUM 655mg; PROTEIN 16g; FIBER 5.8g

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