Tamale Pie

As an example of a pot pie with an incomplete crust, I'm putting in this "pseudomexican" tamale pie. It has a filling of seasoned ground beef with a top made of corn bread. Again, this type of recipe is a good way to get rid of leftovers.

Filling

Brown the meat and onion in a lightly greased skillet. When the meat is completely cooked, Add the other ingredients. Simmer for 15 minutes. Place in a greased 2-quart casserole.

Crust, final assembly and cooking

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Mix the dry ingredients together. Add the egg, milk and oil and mix lightly. Spoon the cornbread mixture over the meat. Bake at 425°F until the cornbread is brown, about 20-25 minutes.

Notes

1.    Most chili powders consist of a mixture of ground dried chili pepper, cumin,
       garlic and oregano. You can give this dish a wonderful flavor by substituting
       either ground ancho pepper or ground chipotle pepper for the chili powder. If
       you do this, add a minced clove of garlic and 1/4 tsp each of cumin and
       oregano (preferably Mexican oregano.

Filling variations

1:    Melt 2 Tbs butter in a deep, heavy skillet over low heat. Add 2 thinly sliced
       medium onions. Cook, stirring often until the onions are softened. Do not
       brown them. Add 1/3 cup all purpose flour. Make a roux, as above, stirring
       constantly until the flour is golden. Stir in 3 cups hot turkey or chicken broth.
       Raise the heat to boiling and cook until thickened. Remove from heat. Layer 4
       cups cubed cooked turkey, 2 cups cooked sliced carrots, 2 cups cooked diced
       potatoes and 1 baby lima beans (not dried!) in a casserole dish. Pour the sauce
       over them. Spoon the corn bread crust over it. Bake 30-45 minutes at 425°F.

2:    Any filling used for a for a complete pot pie.

Crust variations

1:    Baking powder biscuits. Place a filling in a casserole, put the biscuit dough on
       top and bake. An alternative is to use canned biscuits.

2:    Mashed potatoes. Shepherd's pie is a meat and gravy mixture placed in a
       casserole, covered with leftover mashed potatoes and baked.

3:    Stuffing from poultry.