Recipe Index

Ingredients

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp. chili powder
• 3 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp. chicken bouillon paste (preferably Better Than Bouillon)
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 8 oz. ground beef (20% fat)
• 1 15-oz. can pinto beans, rinsed
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup medium-grind yellow cornmeal
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup sour cream
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 4 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

Method

1. Warm the vegetable oil in a medium heavy skillet over medium-high heat and cook the green bell pepper and onions, stirring now and then, for 8 to 10 minutes until the onions soften and turn translucent.
2. Stir in the chili powder, tomato paste, chicken bouillon paste, garlic powder, salt, oregano and cumin with 1/2 cup of water and cook for 5 to 8 minutes until the tomato paste darkens to brick red and starts to stick.
3. Add the ground beef with 1 cup of water and cook for about 4 minutes, breaking the meat into small pieces, until it is mostly grey with a little pink left.
4. Fold the rinsed pinto beans into the skillet, lower the heat and simmer the chili for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened, then season it and let it cool while you make the topping.
5. Heat the oven to 375°F and whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
6. Whisk the egg, sour cream and melted butter in a small bowl, pour that into the dry ingredients and stir into a very stiff batter, then fold in the grated cheddar.
7. Dollop the cornbread batter over the chili in the skillet, spacing the spoonfuls about 1/2 inch apart, and bake the pie for 25 to 30 minutes until the topping springs back when pressed and a tester comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
8. Rest the tamale pie for 5 to 10 minutes so the chili settles before you spoon it out.

Total: 1 hour 15 minutes

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data