Beef and Pinto Bean Tamale Pie
Inspired by techniques from Bon Appétit.
A chilli-spiced beef and pinto bean filling simmers in a skillet until thick, then gets topped with a stiff, cheddar-flecked cornbread batter and baked until the crust springs back. It's a one-pan take on the flavours of a tamale, no corn husks required.
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Method
- 1
Soften the vegetables. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy skillet, ideally cast iron, over medium-high heat. Cook the bell pepper and onions, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and translucent, 8-10 minutes.
- 2
Build the chilli base. Add the chilli powder, tomato paste, bouillon paste, garlic powder, fine salt, oregano, cumin and 120 ml of the water. Cook, stirring often, until the tomato paste turns brick red and starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, 5-8 minutes.
- 3
Brown the beef. Add the ground beef and the remaining 240 ml water. Cook, stirring often to break the meat into small pieces, until the beef is mostly grey with a little pink still showing, about 4 minutes.
- 4
Simmer. Stir in the pinto beans. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavours have melded and the chilli has thickened slightly, 8-10 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed, then let the filling cool slightly while you make the cornbread batter.
- 5
Mix the cornbread batter. Heat the oven to 190 °C (170 °C fan). Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and fine salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, sour cream and melted butter together, then pour into the dry ingredients and stir with a whisk or spatula until just combined; the batter will be stiff. Fold in the cheddar.
- 6
Assemble. Dollop the batter over the warm filling in tablespoon-sized mounds, spacing them about 1 cm apart; it's fine if the filling is still a bit warm.
- 7
Bake. Bake until the cornbread springs back when pressed gently and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs, 25-30 minutes. Let the pie cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheat until piping hot in the oven or a skillet. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
EU nutrition claims
- Source of protein: 3.3 g protein per 100 kcal, about 13% of energy (needs ≥ 12%)
Per serving, from the nutrition table. Condition from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
8.2 g per serving
16.4 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 32.8 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- medium heavy or cast-iron ovenproof skillet
- wooden spoon
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- tablespoon or small cookie scoop
- oven
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 463 kcal |
| Protein | 15.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 38.8 g |
| of which sugars | 12.9 g |
| of which free sugars | 8.2 g |
| Fat | 28.2 g |
| of which saturates | 11.5 g |
| Fibre | 4.9 g |
| Salt | 4.21 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3.3 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
